In the dense forest, untouched by human breath, a new presence emerged, one that transcends all and every creature of that world.
Every creature becomes the victim of that presence. They can feel the weight of it, so dark and vile that even the wildest beasts retreat from it.
That presence is Mahishasur.
Mahishasur, standing there, mesmerized by the unfolding scene. His eyes are wide open, horns shining in the sun's rays... as he sees Earth after thousands of years.
Mahishasur says:
"This place is Earth, the realm that embodies the beauty of heaven and the cruelty of hell. The place where death gives birth, and life longs for salvation.
This realm asks for order, but I don't think there's any. All I see is chaos, the kind that feels unfamiliar."
Without direction, without a way or path, he starts walking toward the unknown.
Mahishasur traverses through the forest. He seems mesmerized by everything. Life even though frightened by his presence still keeps running. Death keeps longing, grieving, but while complimenting his presence.
Chaos even though running wild still stares at him in awe.
His mind wanders back to the time in pataal.
"Narayan, Narayan..." As this phrase echoes, the fragrant floral scent fills the place.
by then, It was clear to both Shukracharya and Mahishasur, the identity of the new arrival.
They both stood up and joined their hands while greeting Narada.
Narada looked astonished, and why wouldn't he be, after all, Mahishasur was greeting him politely.
Narada said, chuckling:
"Narayan, Narayan! So, what happened here? And what is the infinitely powerful, infinitely arrogant, buffalo-part Rakshasa doing here?"
Mahishasur looked directly into Narada's eyes and asked, "Don't you already know? Why are you pretending as if you know nothing?"
Narada chuckled lightly while returning the gaze and said, "Ah! My part-buffalo, hot-headed king... I like it when people explain things to me. Now, that you are resurrected, what are you going to do?"
Mahishasur pondered, then looked at his hands and said, "I have seen death. I have seen betrayal. I have seen hoarding. I have seen indulgence. Now... I want to see life, companionship, sharing, compassion."
Narada fell silent and thought, "So, if devotion is not a catalyst for change... then what is it? And will this crack create more fractures?" He then laughed and said, "I would suggest you go on the journey of Earth, the place that holds every emotion."
Mahishasur stared at his hand, deep in thought, "This domain... this place has immeasurable life," and replied, "I will."
Narada laughed openly and said, "I'm excited to see how well you cope with the wounds of Earth... the ones you caused."
Narada faded, leaving behind swirling flower petals in air like always. But even as he vanished, he left behind a way that something ne(was it new?)---like always.
Mahishasur looked at Shukracharya, who was sitting in a meditative posture. Shukracharya suddenly asked, "When are you departing?"
"Now," replied Mahishasur.
"Then go. No need to waste time with me," said Shukracharya.
Mahishasur slowly faded into the air, leaving behind thick, dark smoke that swirled and lingered for a while, darkening the space even more.
His mind returned to the present as raindrops gently collided with his horns. He took shelter under the hospitality of an old, tall tree.
As he settled, his eyes caught sight of something, words, carved into the bark...
On the bark of the tree, it was carved, "Dear Rakshasa, if you do not leave, then I will kill you in the most brutal way."
These words were barely visible, and were written in Prakrit. Mahishasur somehow recognized it.
"Looks like some angry man challenged the Rakshasa," thought Mahishasur.
Mahishasur noticed a corpse lying near the tree. Its insides were separated from its body.
"That certainly is brutal," Mahishasur murmured.
The corpse was rotting. It had horns and the tail of a deer, but the body was humanoid.
Mahishasur sat near it, slowly getting drenched in the rain. He thought:
"I don't know you. I don't know your killers. But I won't blame, not the men who killed you, nor you."
Rain kept falling on him. He didn't care. He waited until it stopped. Then he stood up and stretched his hand out toward the corpse. He chanted something under his breath to set a fire on the corpse, then said:
"May you find peace."
And he continued on his way.
In the distance, he spotted a temple , a large one with 9 pillars in the courtyard. There was also an stone, on which it was carved:
"Goddess blesses everyone."
As the sun set, Mahishasur stood there, contemplating.
Before him were nine stairs leading up to the entrance of the temple. The temple had carvings of tigers, animals, Rakshasas, and Devas.
Mahishasur slowly began to climb the stairs, with each step, his heartbeat increased.
When he finally climbed to the top, he couldn't stand.
"What is this?" murmured Mahishasur, leaning on the entrance.
Soon, his heart calmed down, and he entered the temple.
There, in front, stood a statue of Maa Durga, decorated with gold and jewels.
And beside it, on the ground, was a statue of Mahishasur— his neck half-cut, a trident piercing through, covering the wound.
Mahishasur looked directly at his past. His heart still racing.
"What is this... feeling?" thought Mahishasur.
Mahishasur noticed verses carved on the pillars. Some were prayers, a few were names, but two pillars had verses that reflected his entire past life:
"Arrogance brings the death." "Ignorance bears the evil."
Mahishasur got close to Maa and sat down. He said,
"I don't know if you are here or not... But I want to feel like I'm talking to you. So I am. I want you to know that my eyes have opened enough to see my hands covered in blood. I understand that though you did the action, the catalyst was my steps.
No, I can't become your devotee, maybe because I don't know how to be. After all, I was the worst thing I can remember. But"
Suddenly, someone ran at him with a sword. But before it could land, Mahishasur blocked it. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was intentional but Mahishasur let out the weight, the power that could pin down the Devas.
The Earth trembled, and fractures spread around the temple..
The temple trembled, and for that 9 second, the attacker's eyes widened and they collapsed, unconscious.
Mahishasur quietly looked at his hands.
With that we goes back to pataal to ignored ones the rakshas who once were put unconscious by the mere presence of Mahishasur slowly awakened, as they began to inhale the smoke he had left behind.
A Rakshasa with huge horns covering his eyes asked, "Who was he? So powerful... That steps were enough to make us fall?"
"Mahishasur. A demon that once dominated the skies," replied Shukracharya, still in his meditative pose.
All the Rakshasas looked at Shukracharya. Soon, they gathered around him except one. Some Rakshasas got happy and joyously said, "He is definitely going to be ours. Mahishasur is definitely going to conquer heaven."
Shukracharya suddenly stood up and turned to them. The Rakshasas got scared, and one of them asked, "What happened, guruji?"
"He abandoned us all," he said. "He refused to fight with us."
All the Rakshasas, wide-eyed, stared at him. "The savior that was going to conquer heaven… is not really ours. He doesn't care about us."
End of chapter 2