Sukarnas advice:-
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Morning had arrived long ago, but Puru remained seated beneath the shade of the old banyan tree inside the Gurukula grounds.
The training field before him was alive as usual.
Wooden swords clashed.
Students ran across the dusty grounds.
Commands echoed from instructors.
Life had returned to normal.
At least for everyone else.
Puru sat quietly with his elbows resting upon his knees.
His wounds had begun healing.
His mind had not.
Again and again, the same dream returned.
The dark room.
The glowing woman.
Her voice.
"I know your true shade."
No matter how many times he thought about it, the answers never came.
Only more questions.
A shadow fell beside him.
Puru looked up.
Sukarna stood there.
The old master studied him for a moment before sitting beside him.
"You have been staring at the same patch of ground for a long time."
Puru lowered his eyes.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Sukarna asked quietly,
"What troubles you?"
Puru hesitated.
He rarely spoke about things he himself did not understand.
But eventually he told him everything.
The dream.
The woman.
Her words.
The responsibility she spoke of.
And the strange feeling that it was all somehow real.
Sukarna listened without interrupting.
When Puru finally finished, silence settled between them once more.
A gentle breeze moved through the branches above.
At last, Sukarna spoke.
"I cannot answer the questions you are asking."
Puru wasn't surprised by the response.
But Sukarna continued.
"When I was younger, I heard stories from people living near Kariamma Temple."
Puru turned toward him.
"Stories?"
Sukarna nodded.
"Stories of strange dreams. Strange visions. Things that people could not explain."
The old master folded his arms.
"I do not know whether those stories were true."
He paused.
"But the people living near that temple have spent their entire lives listening to such things."
Puru remained silent.
"If this dream troubles you so much," Sukarna said, "go there and seek your answers."
For the first time that morning, Puru felt as though a path had appeared before him.
Not an answer.
A direction.
Sukarna slowly rose to his feet.
"Take Tanuj with you."
Puru looked up.
"His father serves there. He will know whom to speak to."
The old master turned and began walking back toward the training grounds.
"Sometimes answers do not come looking for us, Puru."
"Sometimes we must walk toward them."
Puru sat beneath the tree for a few moments longer.
Then he rose to his feet.
By noon, two disciples stepped beyond the Gurukula gates and began their journey toward Kariamma Temple.
When time comes:-
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By noon, Puru and Tanuj had left the Gurukula behind.
The dusty road stretched ahead of them, winding between fields and clusters of trees. The afternoon sun rested high above, while a gentle breeze occasionally broke the silence of their journey.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Puru simply walked forward, his thoughts occupied by the dream and the questions it had left behind.
Beside him, Tanuj occasionally glanced in his direction.
Eventually, he spoke.
"This trip was rather sudden."
Puru looked toward him.
Tanuj continued walking.
"Is it really only for Raghu's welfare?"
Puru remained silent.
"I mean," Tanuj said, "Sukarna wouldn't send you out of the Gurukula just for that reason."
For a moment, Puru almost told him everything.
The dream.
The woman.
The strange responsibility she had spoken of.
The feeling that her words meant something important.
The words reached his lips.
Then stopped.
For reasons he himself could not understand, he hesitated.
Instead, he simply said,
"Master was worried."
Tanuj listened.
"He was worried about Raghu. Worried about me as well."
Puru shrugged lightly.
"So he asked me to visit the temple and offer prayers."
Tanuj nodded slowly.
The answer seemed enough.
At least for now.
The road continued ahead.
After a few moments, Puru spoke again.
"Tanuj."
"Hm?"
"Why is Kariamma Temple so famous?"
A faint smile appeared on Tanuj's face.
"It is one of the oldest temples in this region."
He looked toward the distant hills.
"People have visited it for generations. Some travel for days just to pray there."
"Why?"
"They believe Kariamma watches over everything."
Puru raised an eyebrow.
"Everything?"
Tanuj nodded.
"That is what the elders say."
The conversation might have ended there.
But Puru's curiosity remained.
"Anything else?"
Tanuj glanced toward him.
"Anything special? Any stories? Rumours?"
For the first time since the journey began, Tanuj's expression changed slightly.
His voice became quieter.
"There is one thing."
Puru waited.
Tanuj looked ahead at the road before speaking.
"Some believe Kariamma possesses black magic."
The words landed heavily between them.
Puru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Black magic?"
Tanuj nodded.
"There are many rituals associated with her worship."
His voice remained calm.
"Some are believed to be powerful."
He paused briefly.
"And some are believed to be dangerous."
The wind moved softly through the trees surrounding the road.
"Most people dismiss such stories," Tanuj continued. "Some believe them completely."
"And you?" Puru asked.
Tanuj's answer came immediately.
"I believe them."
That surprised Puru.
"Why?"
For the first time, hesitation appeared in Tanuj's eyes.
Only for a moment.
But it was enough.
"I'll tell you when the time comes."
Puru looked at him carefully.
He wanted to ask again.
He wanted to know what had caused such certainty.
But something in Tanuj's expression stopped him.
So he remained silent.
The two friends continued walking toward Kariamma Temple while the distant hills slowly grew larger before them.
Did I seen her before :-
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By the time Puru and Tanuj reached Kariamma Temple, the evening sun had already begun its descent.
The temple stood upon a raised stone platform overlooking the surrounding hills. Ancient stone pillars lined the entrance, their carvings worn smooth by generations of wind and rain.
Devotees moved in and out of the temple carrying flowers, lamps, and offerings.
The air smelled of incense and sandalwood.
For a moment, Puru simply stood there.
The temple looked exactly as he remembered from his previous visits.
Yet something felt different.
The two friends slowly climbed the stone steps and entered the temple courtyard.
Inside, the evening prayers had just begun.
The golden rays of the setting sun entered through the western entrance and fell directly upon the idol of Kariamma.
The entire sanctum glowed.
Puru raised his eyes toward the deity.
And froze.
His breathing stopped for a moment.
The face.
Those eyes.
That expression.
His heart suddenly began beating faster.
He had seen that face before.
Not once.
Again and again.
In the darkness.
Within his dreams.
For a brief moment, the sounds of the temple faded around him.
The ringing bells.
The chanting priests.
The movement of devotees.
Everything became distant.
Only the face remained.
A strange sensation passed through his body.
Almost as if the ground beneath him had disappeared for a heartbeat.
The woman from his dreams.
The woman who had spoken to him.
The woman who claimed to know his true shade.
It was her.
Or at least...
the face was hers.
Puru stood motionless, staring at the idol long after the evening prayer had ended.
"What happened?"
Tanuj's voice finally brought him back.
Puru blinked several times before looking away from the sanctum.
"Nothing."
The answer came too quickly.
Tanuj looked unconvinced but chose not to press further.
After a few moments, Puru asked,
"There seem to be many priests here."
Tanuj nodded.
"There are."
As they walked through the temple courtyard, Tanuj began introducing them one by one.
"This is Somadeva."
The elderly priest smiled and nodded.
"And that is Harinath."
Another priest offered a blessing before returning to his duties.
One after another, Tanuj introduced the priests serving within the temple.
Some were young.
Some middle-aged.
Some had served there for decades.
But among all of them, one name seemed to command the respect of everyone present.
Puru noticed it immediately.
The younger priests greeted him with reverence.
The elders listened when he spoke.
Even the temple workers stepped aside when he walked through the courtyard.
Puru finally asked,
"Who is he?"
Tanuj followed his gaze.
A faint respect appeared in his eyes.
"That is Timmarusu."
An old man stood beneath the shade of a peepal tree near the rear courtyard of the temple.
His hair had turned completely white.
His body had grown thin with age.
Yet there was something unusual about him.
Something steady.
Something difficult to describe.
"He is the oldest priest serving here," Tanuj said quietly.
"And perhaps the wisest."
Puru's eyes remained fixed on the old man.
For some reason he could not explain, he felt that his journey to Kariamma Temple had truly begun only now.