Yamlok: The Realm Of The Dead

Chapter 4

'What do you mean by gone?' Gomedha broke the silence. Her voice was a mere whisper.

None of them would confess to it but Rohini knew that they were scared. The Guru's soul throbbed with pain when she looked into their eyes. They did not deserve this. Her words were chosen carefully, 'Gone, Gomedha. His urja was absorbed by the daanavas.'

She watched as Gomedha burst into tears.

It was strange how souls could weep. Their colour was different from the tears that were shed on the Prithvilok. They were golden. They shone without needing any light. The colour signified the emotion felt was real... It signified the depth of their emotions. It was a colour Anamika couldn't even see. 

As Gomedha cried, fat golden tears rolled down her cheeks. Dhurya held her close but was unable to soothe her. He wanted to cry too. 

Never had they lost a Rakshak to a daanav. All he could do to comfort them was to look at his feet while rubbing circles on her back.

What happened to being indestructible?

Anamika heard the weak sobs. She wished she were half as brave as Gomedha to cry openly, to express herself openly. She couldn't. Instead, she stood staring at Rohini's face feeling like a ghost. She wanted to laugh at the irony. Ghost? Weren't all the Rakshak ghosts on the Prithvilok? Isn't that what made them imperishable? The only one capable of doing that was the Mother- and She didn't destroy the soul, She guided them back home.

Anamika's core ached for the soul who would never meet the Mother.

Laksh looked at her as if to ask her if she were alright.

She wanted to cry, just as Gomedha had but she didn't have it in her. She noticed that Laksh's eyes were sparkling. Anamika hugged him, 'It's alright, bhrata.' She patted his back, 'We will survive this.'

He felt a burst of joy when she called him her brother. He felt he was home. He felt like he had a family. He pulled away and smiled at her proudly. He was glad they had a chance to know each other. Patting her head, lovingly, he said, 'Of course, we will.'

He glanced at the other three souls there. All eyes were on them. He drew his strength from the girl next to him, 'All of us will.'

Gomedha sniffled, 'Are we going to the Astha station?' She wiped her tears with the back of her hands. 'To mourn?'

'No, child,' Rohini replied. 'We are not.'

'So that soul will be forgotten?' Dhurya asked, his tone bordering disrespect. She gave him a stern look. Her demeanour had grown cold in an instant. 'No one will be forgotten.' She walked away after that.

Laksh knew why Rohini had flipped. He had heard from a few Yamdhuts that Rashak Gurus could never forget the souls they have nurtured. He believed Dhurya was unaware of this. He thought of educating him but concluded that it wasn't worth it. He would share his knowledge with someone who would actually listen to him. He looked at Anamika, 'Let's go see Ma.'

Anamika understood immediately who Laksh wanted to see. They sprinted toward the tower that overlooked the Mother River. They scaled the old stone wall. It was a competition, as always. Before they had grown close, Anamika would just take the stairs to reach to the top but after some time she had grown accustomed to the thrill of scaling the big and strong walls of the station.

The Asthdasha station was a fort built by the ancient Yamdhut. It was said to be the Yamraj's first place of residence. 

He was, after all, the First Man to live on the Prithivilok and the first man to die there. Naturally, He became the King of the Yamlok. It was a simple square fort with four towers, one on each corner. Each of these towers had a gigantic torch. It was used as a signal for help at their worst times. There was a huge courtyard enclosed by the thick and sturdy walls where the Rakshak trained. Laksh had told her that all the stations were built the same way, they just differed in size. The Eka station was the largest.