Sydney, Australia
The city was alive, as it always was on a warm December evening. The Opera House gleamed under the soft glow of spotlights, and the Harbour Bridge stood like a sentinel, its steel arches glittering against the starry sky. Cars sped along its lanes, their headlights streaking through the night like fireflies. The salty breeze from the Pacific mingled with the faint aroma of street food from nearby markets, but none of this registered for Ayush.
Inside his sleek black sports car, the low rumble of the engine hummed in harmony with the rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the steering wheel. His phone, propped up on the dashboard, lit up as an angry voice burst through the speakers.
"How long are you gonna take, Ayush? I told you to be on time for once! Everyone's already inside, and I'm standing out here like an idiot, watching couples be all lovey-dovey. It's embarrassing!"
Ayush sighed and rubbed his temple. Outside, the soft hum of the city faded into the whooshing sound of cars passing him. "I'm sorry, baby," he replied, trying to keep his tone calm. "I lost track of ti—"
"DOING WHAT?!" she snapped, her voice so sharp it seemed to cut through the air.
He winced. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. How about I make it up to you? A vacation. Anywhere you want to go."
There was a pause, filled only by the faint sound of waves crashing against the piers as Ayush's car sped past the shoreline.
"Just shut up and tell me how long it'll take you to get here," she finally said, her voice tinged with resignation.
Ayush glanced at the glittering water outside his window before refocusing on the road ahead. "I just crossed the Harbour Bridge, baby. I'll be there in ten minutes."
The line went silent for a moment before her voice, calmer now but still laced with irritation, replied, "Just get here quickly." The call ended with a sharp click.
Ayush shook his head and muttered to himself, "Damn, she's pissed. Looks like I'm not getting my Christmas present this year." A smirk crept onto his face. "But hey, I'm not keen on a breakup either. She's still better than 99% of the girls out there. At least she can cook a decent meal and isn't into all that cringy internet drama."
He reached for the control panel and tapped a button. The dashboard lights shifted from a calming blue to an aggressive red, and the exhaust note deepened, reverberating through the quiet night. "Let's see what this beauty can really do," he said, pressing the accelerator. The car surged forward, slicing through the cool night air as it roared onto the M1.
Two minutes later
The speedometer needle hovered at 120 km/h as Ayush weaved through sparse traffic. The distant glow of the city reflected faintly off the road signs, and the rows of eucalyptus trees lining the highway blurred into a green haze. Somewhere in the distance, the faint sound of a kookaburra's laugh echoed, carried by the wind.
"I'll probably be paying a fortune in fines, but hey, no money, no honey," he joked to himself, pulling off the M1 onto Anzac Parade. The quiet suburban streets stretched ahead, their Christmas lights twinkling merrily. Reindeer and Santa inflatables decorated front yards, casting shadows on the pavement as Ayush sped past.
He glanced at his phone, quickly typing a text to his girlfriend. "Near Tramway Oval. Be there in a minute." Tossing the phone onto the passenger seat, he refocused on the road ahead.
The serene scene shattered in an instant.
Out of nowhere, a massive kangaroo leapt onto the road, its muscular frame illuminated by his headlights.
"Shit!" Ayush shouted, jerking the wheel to the right.
Bad idea. At 120 km/h, the car spiraled out of control. Tires screeched against the asphalt, the eucalyptus trees on the roadside spinning into a dizzying blur. The blare of a truck's horn and the blinding glare of its headlights filled his senses.
And then, chaos.
The world flipped. Metal crunched. Glass shattered. The car rolled onto its roof, skidding across the asphalt. Inside, Ayush dangled from his seatbelt, the blood from his forehead trickling into his eye. Christmas lights from a nearby house flickered mockingly in the shattered windshield.
Outside, muffled screams and the distant wail of sirens reached his ears. He tried to speak, to move, but his body refused to obey.
"Gosh," he thought bitterly, "can everyone stop shouting? I'm the one dying here."
As his vision darkened, a final thought crossed his mind. "I swear, if I survive, I'm leading a crusade against kangaroos. Curse these overgrown pests to extinction."
And then, there was nothing but silence.
##########################
I slowly opened my eyes and gasped, utterly shocked by the sight before me. Stretching out into infinity was the entire universe. Stars sparkled like countless jewels scattered across an endless black canvas, galaxies swirled in majestic spirals, and vibrant nebulas shimmered with hues of crimson, violet, and azure. It was a breathtaking spectacle, both beautiful and terrifying.
Every second, stars were being born in bursts of radiant light, while others collapsed into darkness, their existence snuffed out in silence. The sheer magnitude of it all made me feel insignificant, like a grain of sand adrift in a vast ocean. I couldn't tear my eyes away. I wished desperately that I had more than two eyes to take in the grandeur unfolding before me.
How was I seeing this? How was I even here? The thought sent a shiver through me, and instinctively, I turned around.
And then I froze.
My breath hitched, and my heart raced as I beheld the figure before me. A towering silhouette of a man stood against the cosmic backdrop, dwarfing the entire universe itself. Coiled around his neck was a great serpent, its form glowing faintly with an unearthly light. His figure was shrouded in shadow, his features obscured, yet his presence was overwhelming, commanding awe and reverence.
There was no mistaking who it was. Any follower of Sanatan Dharma would recognize Him in an instant.
Mahadev.
My hands came together instinctively, palms pressed in silent prayer. My eyes widened, and I felt a lump in my throat. I wanted to speak, to call out to Him, but no words would come.
Before I could say or do anything, the ground beneath me gave way. I was falling—plunging into an endless void. The dazzling stars and galaxies vanished as darkness engulfed me.
Pain lanced through my chest, and my vision blurred. My last thought before the darkness consumed me was a whispered prayer, soft but filled with all the devotion I could muster.
"Har Har Mahadev."
And then, there was nothing.