Rudravan Read online

  ISBN 978-93-52017-65-2

  Copyright © Rahul Rajan, 2016

  First published in India in 2016 by Frog Books

  An imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

  Sales Office:

  Unit No. 25, Building No. A/1,

  Near Wadala RTO,

  Wadala (East), Mumbai – 400037, India

  Phone: +91 96 99933000

  Email: [email protected]

  www.leadstartcorp.com

  US Office:

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  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  Disclaimer: The Views expressed in this book are those of the Author and do not pertain to be held by the Publisher.

  Editor: Tina Khatri

  Cover Design: Rohit Chaudhary

  Interior Art: Rahul Rajan

  Layouts: Chandravadan R. Shiroorkar

  Typeset in Palatino Linotype

  Printed at Repro

  Dedication

  Dedicated To My Grandfathers, The Late Sri NSS Rajan And The Late Sri SN Aachari, Both Of Whom Passed On To Me, Their Love For Literature And The Passion To Turn Thoughts To Prose, And To My Sons Abhimanyu And Shaurya, As A Promise That Their Father Will Always Create New Worlds For Them To Explore.

  Contents

  Chapter 1: The BrahmaDaitya

  Chapter 2: The Seduction of Dashānan

  Chapter 3: First Blood

  Chapter 4: Truth and Consequences

  Chapter 5: The Road to Invincibility

  Chapter 6: The Lord of Lankā

  Chapter 7: The Thousand Armed Foe

  Chapter 8: The Roar of a Legend

  Chapter 9: The Reign of Rāvan

  Chapter 10: The Primordial Realm

  Chapter 11: The Descent of Rāvan

  Chapter 12: Before it Began

  Chapter 13: The First RāmAvatār

  Chapter 14: The Devotees of Shiv

  Chapter 15: Rām of the Axe

  Chapter 16: The Ballad of Blood

  Chapter 17: The Measure of the Dark

  Chapter 18: Betrayal…

  Chapter 19: It Begins…

  Chapter 20: The True RāmAvatār

  Chapter 21: The Exiled Warrior

  Chapter 22: The Wrath of Rām

  Chapter 23: A Sister’s Sorrow

  Chapter 24: The Abduction of Sitā

  Chapter 25: The Son of Vāyu

  Chapter 26: Prelude to War

  Chapter 27: The Night of the Serpent

  Chapter 28: The Humbling of a Legend

  Chapter 29: A Giant Walked the Earth

  Chapter 30: Alone

  Chapter 31: The Last Son of Lankā

  Chapter 32: The Invincible Enemy

  Chapter 33: The End

  About the Author

  Rahul Rajan is a self-anointed master of all knowledge least relevant to the real world, and more suited to an era that he admits ‘never quite existed.’ Dropping out of college to joining the Merchant Navy to seek adventure in far off lands (not realizing that he was about 500 years too late), he counts sailing through the Bermuda Triangle and the Amazon River amongst some of the highest points of his life. After a severe back injury forced him back on shore, he completed his BSc in Physics from Fergusson College, Pune and then completed an MBA in Marketing from the SP Jain Institute of Mgmt. & Research, Mumbai. Fate then took him to the turbulent waters of the corporate world, where he worked with Procter & Gamble for seven years before moving on to Philips. And now, disguised as a mild mannered cubicle dweller, fighting a never ending battle for sales and distribution, he spends his nights typing away on his laptop, creating imaginary worlds and creatures that have dwelled in his subconscious mind for far too long.

  He is settled in Gurgaon with his wife Ruchi and two sons Abhimanyu and Shaurya. He can be reached on Facebook at “Rahul Rajan’s Rudrāvan”

  Acknowledgement

  I have often wondered what part of my current life would excite the 10 year old version of me, the one who devoured the adventures dreamed of by HG Wells and Jules Verne, the one who lived in the faraway lands of Atlantis and Camelot, the one who worshipped with equal fervor, the mythology of old and the tales of Superheroes that would one day create a mythology of their own.

  That boy was a creature born of imagination and wonderment, and more often than not, alone in a world that did not have the eyes to see what he did.

  What do I have now that would reassure him that his older self did not lose himself in the masses of this world, merging with them, and abandoning all of his dreams and fantasies?

  An MBA degree would mean nothing to him, as would a job in an MNC.

  “So all you do is sell things?” is what he would ask.

  And then the smile on his face would fade when he would realize that he would eventually lose the best friend he ever had…himself.

  And I can’t have that, can I?

  This book…Rudrāvan…is everything that I can do to reassure him that the tales of myths and fantasies never grow old. This book will tell him that I never forgot what I am…and that his best friend shall never abandon him.

  Rudrāvan is a tale that is my purest essence…all the myths I have ever loved…all the fantastical worlds of my imagination, tempered with the wisdom that comes with age…and of course, practice.

  Of course, this journey has not been quite as lonely as I might have made it seem. I have been blessed with parents who have always believed that their son was the reincarnation of Tolkien, and a wife who stood by me through rewrites after rewrites, equal parts encouraging and unforgiving…standing like a rock even when I lost faith in myself.

  And a younger, but wiser brother who never let me forget that dream, even with two oceans separating us.

  It seems now that the 10 year old boy had more friends than he realized.

  This book is the culmination of that faith…both…the one I had in myself, and the one that my parents, brother and wife never lost in me.

  And finally, the faith that Leadstart showed in me, welcoming me into their family, and giving voice to my words.

  But more than anything else, Rudrāvan is a tale that belongs to those that dared to dream beyond the shackles of their present.

  Much like Rāvan himself.

  Prologue

  the dark before time

  The Dark World (Another Universe): Before life on Earth

  The Dark world was ending, with merely a few millennia of existence left, before it succumbed to the entropy that claims all worlds, and the universes that contain them. The giant blood red sun had filled the sky, and nothing grew anymore on the barren world.

  But nothing had grown here for a very long time now, save for the insatiable thirst of the Darkness. A thirst that would not end with the passing of this world…

  The Dark was at the end of all things, and so too would this world pass beyond the veil. It was destined, after all.

  But what happened after that?

  That was the question that burned within the souls of those who dwelled in the realm of shadows…how would they live on after their world ceased to exist?

  These creatures were the Daityas, formed of the purest essence of the Dark. And they were determined to not perish with their world. And if their legends were to be believed, they would not.

  For the ancient tales spoke of another world, a young world of Light… that
was destined to merge with theirs. There would come a time when their world and the new one would enter a point of inflexion, when the barriers that kept the universes apart would weaken. ‘twas said that it would herald the union of the Dark and the Light…as the essence of one universe melded with the soul of another. Aye, there was a chance to escape death, after all.

  But how long were they prepared to wait?

  The Dark essence slithered uncomfortably across the dying world. No, it decided, waiting was not an option.

  *******

  Many Millennia Later

  Dhūmrakarna, the most powerful of the Daitya lords, sat beneath the waves of the blood sea. The barriers between the realms had long been discovered, but no living creature had the power to pass within them. No matter how powerful the Dark was, it could not pass through the world-barriers because the power that had formed those barriers was far stronger. Too much time had been lost already, and time was not something they could take lightly anymore. It was time to turn to the Gods.

  And now, as the mighty Dhūmrakarna sat upon the bed of the ocean, the supreme power of his voice parted the very waves around him. And every syllable formed by that sound of destruction was the name of the God of the Shadow World…the Lord of Annihilation himself…Rūdra.

  As the power of the Daitya’s voice threatened to burn the very ocean with its emanations, the Great God finally appeared before Dhūmrakarna.

  “What is it that you desire?” Rūdra asked.

  And the Daitya smiled, “Give me the power to break through the world barrier, o Lord,” he said, “such power that not even a God can hold me back.”

  “You crave power beyond the Gods?” Rūdra asked.

  “Only absolute power can save this world, Lord,” the Daitya replied, “and if you value my penance, then give me strength enough to rival the Gods.”

  Rūdra nodded, “Very well Dhūmrakarna,” he said, “as earned by the power of your Tapas, no God can ever kill or defeat you.”

  And even as the Great God departed in a flash of Dark energy, the laughter of the mightiest of Daityas turned the blood ocean to steam. There was none in the known world as powerful as Rūdra. Until now…

  And now, nothing had the power to stand in his way…Nothing!

  And that was how the Dark entered the new world for the first time.

  A new world that would in time, become the Earth.

  Interlude: The Dark before Time*

  The Dark World (Another Universe): Ages Past

  “Only absolute power can save this world, Lord,” said Dhūmrakarna, most powerful lord of the Shadow World, “and if you value my penance, then give me strength enough to rival the Gods.”

  The Great God Rūdra, the Lord of the ultimate annihilation, nodded, “Very well Dhūmrakarna,” he said, “as earned by the power of your Tapas, no God can ever kill or defeat you.”

  And even as the laughter of the mightiest of Daityas turned the blood ocean to steam, the barriers between the Earth and the Dark World were shattered by the power of Dhūmrakarna.

  And the Dark finally came through, led by a Demon with a power beyond Gods.

  *******

  The Earth: Before the Satya Yuga

  The Dark came through the barriers into a young world utterly unprepared to combat it. This was a world lush with life, unlike the barren wastelands of the dying Dark World. The Daityas came through in legions, spreading upon a young earth and even younger Gods.

  This was supposed to be a world of Man, but that time was still far in the future. The eternal creator had not yet prepared this earth enough for the birth of Men, and until then, the new Gods of Swarg did watch over it.

  The earth was bathed in divine Light, the power of virtue that would sculpt the first men. And when these first mortal children finally stepped onto this earth, the Age of Virtue, the Satya Yuga, would dawn.

  But as the Daityas swarmed upon this earth, intent on claiming its soul, the nascent power of the Light struggled for coherence. If the Dark took over at the onset of creation, nothing would thrive. This world would die before it was even fully born.

  But young as it was, the earth was not lacking in Gods that now rose to save it from the onslaught of the Dark.

  The first war for the earth’s fate was soon underway. Created to wield the powers of the elements themselves, the race of Devas rallied magnificently against the Dark. The skies bled with lightning and the earth was scorched by searing flames.

  In any other time, this would have worked. But not against the might of the Demon king…not against Dhūmrakarna…!

  The might of the Daitya lord was overwhelming, and for seven days and nights did the Gods fight him in vain. Astras that could decimate a planet were hurled at him, vaporizing entire oceans in their burning wake, but nothing worked.

  The Daitya king was indestructible, invincible. The Gods would not win this war, and the earth burned in the fury of their defeat.

  Until the Gods turned to the Lord of Kailās…the Great God Shiv, and begged him for deliverance.

  But to their horror, he turned them down.

  “I cannot stop Dhūmrakarna,” he said, “blessed as he is by my own hand, with power such that no God can kill him.”

  “Your blessings?” the Gods asked in shock, “how can that be, o Shiv?”

  Shiv replied in a sad voice, “I am God to more realms than just this one,” he said, “and in the realm of the Shadows, I am Rūdra.”

  “And blessed as he is with invincibility by Rūdra in the Dark world,” Shiv said, “it is my power that now sustains him upon this one.”

  “How can he be stopped?” they asked, fearing the answer he would give.

  “There is no way,” Shiv said, giving voice to their worst nightmares, “The Daitya is unbeatable.”

  And with those simple words, the death knell for the Earth was sounded. The Devas did not give in to their doomed fate, determined to battle the Dark till the very end. If the Light did indeed fade, it would flicker until the very last moment of its existence.

  And so they returned once more to the field of battle, grim and weary and perhaps fearful as well, but still the preservers of the Light. And they would remain so, as long as the God blood that flowed in their veins did not run dry…

  But the blood of Devas would not run dry so easily. For there was one other watching, one other who had the power to change destiny, one other who would…!

  Pleased by their valor and their willingness to court certain death to defend the Light, the Greatest of Gods descended upon the earth. The Lord of Vaikunt….Vishnu.

  He came to the Devas, blazing with the limitless power of the Light, throwing back the Dark by his very presence. But even as the Devas knelt before him, they knew this was naught more than a reprieve. It would take far more to win the day.

  They told him of Shiv’s impossible boon, and of the power that now faced.

  And Vishnu, after hearing it all, simply smiled, “Fear not, o Devas” he said, “I shall not surrender this Earth to the Dark. Boon or no boon, the Daitya shall fall.”

  “But Shiv…” they began, but the God of Gods only smiled once more.

  And then Shiv appeared before them, torn between his Dharma to the Light and the Dark. He looked at Vishnu, who was akin to a brother to him, and yet as distinct as the boundaries of infinity.

  “My boon cannot be broken, Vishnu,” he said, “else it will shatter the walls of reality.”

  Vishnu nodded, “No boons need be broken, brother,” he said, “for I can kill this Daitya regardless of your words to him.”

  “That is impossible,” Shiv said.

  “Impossible in theDark world,” Vishnu said, “but not here…not in the world of Light.”

  Shiv nodded, following his brother’s reasoning, “The Light makes him weaker,” he said, “for the boons given in the Dark do not have the same strength in the Light. The rules of the two worlds are”

  But then he shook his head, “But even so,”
he countered, “he still cannot be killed by the power of any God. Weaker or not, he would still be indestructible.”

  “There is a way,” Vishnu said, “but it can only be by your will.”

  “What does that mean?” Shiv asked, curiously, “What would you have me do?”

  Vishnu smiled once again.

  *******

  Moksh: Now

  “Dhūmrakarna,” Shiv said, recalling the millennia old tale, “and that promise made eons ago.”

  Vishnu nodded, “A tale not so different from this one,” he said.

  Shiv smiled humorlessly, “Nor have your tricks changed since then,” he asked, “have they, brother?”

  Vishnu stared at Shiv and Brahma, “You know,” he said slowly, “for all the boons you two carelessly throw around, this talk of honour and Dharma is rather hollow.”

  “Vishnu…” Brahma began, but the God of Gods was far too incensed to stop now.

  “Let me finish, Brahma,” he said, “I have heard too many times now, of how I find ways of trickery around your ‘all-powerful’ boons. If that hurts you so much, then either think before you oblige every demon that seeks your favor, or else bear the consequences of your actions.”

  “We have never given boons to those that did not deserve it,” Shiv said.

  “I am not here to discuss the merits of your wisdom, brothers,”

  Vishnu replied, “but to ask you if you believe what I say now. Do you agree that Rāvan is a threat unlike any faced by this earth before? Do you agree that he will cause it to spin into annihilation before its time?”

  Shiv and Brahma stood watching their furious brother, each saying nothing for a long time. But no matter what they felt, they could not deny the truth of his words.

  Rāvan was the greatest mortal to be born on this earth. But he would also be the one to destroy it. Vishnu was not wrong.

  Finally, they said, “We do.”

  Vishnu looked at them and nodded, “Then Shiv,” he said, “it is time to end that eons old tale.”