It was dawn,
Viriya slept around the halfway in the train. Makriva was awake the whole night. Not just him some other people were too. It was silent almost the whole ride after everyone slept. Just the sounds were growl and howl of something some times.
The last stand hadn't arrived then, the train was late. At mid way it stopped for a battery change.
Makriva was holding on the glass jar, if it fell down by any chance.
The man next to them moved to an empty seat in middle of journey and slept comfortably on all the empty seats there.
Makriva then woke Viriya up slowly.
She asked something in a broken voice in Hindi. From what Makriva only understands, "Reach"
Makriva asked quietly in Thamaily,"What Viriya?".
Viriya opening her eye up said in Thamaily in that same broken voice,"Stand Reached?"
Then she noticed that Makriva was holding the jar
,"H—how?
why? Ahh—?" watching that her sleep was gone.
"Ehh, the main thing is to not touch the flower inside, the jar isn't much problem. For safety reasons Maam told to carry it, if it somehow broke, so me holding it is better."
"Then, I carry or you?"
"You, with this bag" Makriva said pointing at a bag.
After staying silent for a few moments she asked slowly,"Where the man sitting?"
Makriva pointed at the person sleeping in a empty row.
He said, "we will be reaching the stand in just a while."
Viriya said,"Ok".
After a bit something clicked to Viriya, she asked,"You didn't sleep whole night?"
"How can your servent sleep, The queen?" Makriva said in a tired voice.
"Sure 'Queen'
How long we reach stand? Sleep till then?"
Makriva said with a smile giving the jar to Viriya,"Don't worry, I am ok. And we will be arriving soon."
Viriya took the jar and sat looking outside the door.
___
Twilight dawn has passed. Light from the Sun wearing broken fragments bloomed in the morning sky.
The fragments were only visible near twilights.
Not in middle of the day.
They reached train stand.
Makriva stood up and stretched his arms.
Then he said,
"As I said earlier, won't take too much time."
Viriya stood up with the glass jar.
"Give me my loads" she said with enthusiasm.
"Mhm" He took a bag and gave to Viriya.
Makriva took three other bags, one on each shoulder and one in hand.
"Come on let's go"
"Give a bag? Three might be hard?"
"No, just, keep that bag. And keep the jar safe."
They slowly got off the train with others. The mechanical smell was more potent outside. He saw Viriya was trying to read the name. Makriva seeing that said,"Mraton Train stand."
"Mraton? Mra meaning three. Ton?"
"Ton is ton..? From what water passes by.."
Viriya looked at him confused.
"Ahh, will explain later now come."
In that stand, there were many people of different regions. Viriya was about ask something. Makriva told Viriya, "follow me now, ask later."
Makriva walked beside Viriya in a little faster than normal speed.
This Stand was the biggest train stand in whole Niratin. Almost all trains comes here and leaves from here in Niratin.
Nanadayaka, Ramarana both Situated in Niratin.
The train stand is separated in three big parts by dried out riverbeds. The three parts of stand are connected using multiple bridges.
Those usually identified by, South or South-West, North and East.
They were at the south stand. They have to cross a bridge to get to the north Stand.
They slowly walked towards a bridge connecting to the north stand. Some kind of silent protest was happening near the bridge. No one were paying attention to them. Viriya seeing that asked, "what happening there?"
Makriva told with slight sigh,"They lost their works. Come on, we have to go. Don't dwell on that."
Makriva took Viriya to opposite side of the protest. In that side some people wearing same clothes were standing scattered, trying to look normal. When Makriva and Viriya were going past them, one of them stopped Viriya the person was saying,"Do you know about our lord Antaras?"
Makriva didn't do anything at first. Squinting his eyes a little thought fraud?.
After Viriya shook her head, another lady among them came forward and said,"Lord Antaras may bless you. The tenth incarnation of the harmonizer."
Hearing that, Makriva loudly called out to Viriya,"Train is about to leave let's go."
Hearing that Viriya followed him over the bridge. Both sides of them had very tall side guards. From where the empty riverbed was visible. They were walking fast at start. Then slowed down.
Viriya asked,"Were they talking about Kalki? Tenth incarnation?"
Before Viriya could ask anything Makriva said," I never heard of kalki, he could be one. Maybe we know him by a different name? But those were fraud. That's a way of extortion."
"A cult?" Viriya asked.
The word was in English, which Makriva didn't understand. He didn't asked anything. Just guessed himself that "Cult" could be a word for that in Hindi.
He just said,"Yes."
"Ok, It common thing here?" Viriya asked.
"Common, not common. But you can understand from their behaviour"
"Yea sure, our tenth incrn— whatever Makriva."
"Oh yes, I am the incarnation, I should open a —Cult as well.
Want to be, Lord Makriva, the tenth incarnation's first follower queen?"
"Yea sure, the name, Makriva the Incrn— whatever that is."
They talked like this until they reached the north stand.
___
"So my child. You understood everything?"
Makriva explained everything she asked in a fake leader tone for a while.
After some explanation Viriya understood that meaning of "Ton" is river. And he explained roughly about the train stand layout and significance.
Viriya getting little frustrated said,"Ok, Stop now."
Her face was looking like she wants to tell many things but can't find the correct words.
Makriva said,"Ok, ok stopping."
After a bit Viriya asked,"After how long our train here?"
"Not much time.
Before that," Makriva threw an apple to Viriya.
"Eat this."
Viriya took that and started munching on it. Makriva was eating an apple as well.
While they were eating a man came towards them and said,"Ah— Hi."
Viriya called,"Makra."
After looking up Makriva noticed, it was the man from earlier, who tried to brag a little about his purchased pendant.
The man then said,"S— Sorry for earlier, I wasn't trying to be rude. That just happened."
"Ok, no problems.
But why are you apologizing now?"
"Ah— um, hm. I know .y, future wife wouldn't be happy if she knew about this situation. So thought it might be the right thing to do."
Makriva just nodded and said,"Yes don't worry, it's not a problem."
The man then continued,"I am from 'Shrastin'."
Giving Makriva a card he continued," If anything needed there, I could help within my capabilities."
Makriva acted like reading it. After the man was gone he just gave it to Viriya, saying,"Keep it."
Viriya just kept it inside her bag.
A little later Viriya asked about any place to freshen up. Makriva pointed towards the right from where they were sitting and said to go there she will find it.
The place wasn't far away, so Makriva decided to stay with the bags.
He was sitting alone for a bit. He was observing the people there, he saw a woman and a dog walking by.
Watching that he thought," Should've brought Ridhra, Ownad is huge, he won't be practical but hmm should've brought Ridhra."
While thinking about those, Viriya came and slowly sat beside him. Makriva was still lost in his mind.
Viriya slowly said coming near him and said in a low voice,"Did you remember anything?"
Ahhh! what. why. Makriva had a little shocked face while screaming inside.
He just casually told,"Ehh, nice try. These won't work on me.
Any ways, did you? You are behaving like you, after I told you how you used to be."
"No, Just trying be me.
What thinking you doing?"
"About our pets, Ownad our, More like your dog and Ridhra our, more like my —Ridhra." Makriva said smiling.
"Viri—I got dog?, and what Ridhra?"
"It's, a animal like that, but with legs and thin skin between them" he said pointing at a mosaic drawing on a wall. The painting was a giant snake wrapped a big mountain.
"Snake? Alive? Ehhh..."
The snake was in Hindi, which Makriva didn't recognise, but didn't asked aswell.
They talked more about the pets until their train arrived, both got in and sat beside each other.
The train had seats facing each other, each pair have divider floor to ceiling. Glass rectangular windows at each section.
After the train left the stand, Viriya told Makriva to sleep a little. Makriva said he will sleep but a little bit later.
He wanted to sleep after the Mraton city is passed by. Then they will be no stands for a while.
Which he does after Mraton passing.
After not sure how long, he felt he moved from a place to a different in an instant, more like an instant jolt. That followed with glass breaking sound. Which woke him up.
When he woke up he saw, the crowd around him have a shocked expression and looking at side of him. As soon as he looked beside him. There wasn't Viriya.
He sat there for a moment longer looking at the empty seat, then just got up when he was about to do something — anything.
He noticed Viriya was coming towards the seat they were sitting slowly, little shocked and afraid.
In her hands was a broken glass jar from the top,
Which seemed to be roughly padded. The flower inside was still floating in the little water left in it.
Makriva asked,"What happened right now?"
Viriya replied in hindi,"Everything stopped. I didn't."