Things got clear as a bell for Sid when he came across yesterday's incident. You see, the truth is multifaceted; someone's reality is another one's illusion. We tend to see only one aspect of reality and think of it as a whole and sole. Sid was under the impression that religion is the cause of violence and division in society. That's what his meeting with Kumar made him realized. But now his brain journeyed to see the truth from different angles.

No doubt, there are certain mindsets as well in the world that create a rift in our mind: Regionalism, nationalism, and communism. To be honest, hardly anyone would find those isms as a contributive factor for schism.

Sid desired to seek the underlying truth beyond all these corporeal identities, something that would unite everyone as pearls strung on a thread. But his mind couldn't pop up with an accurate conclusion. What a waste!

Snapping himself out of this introspection, he increased his walking speed to get a move on to the bus stop. The morning sun rays squinted his eyes as he looked to the left to cross—

A red-colored bus swooshed like a fast train, leaving no option for him, then to run after it. He chased the bus like wind, and when it was about to make a move from the stop, he caught the handle of bus' door and pulled himself inside.

"Man, that was a heck of chase," he mumbled, wheezing.

He took the seat and paid the fare. Buildings and shops passed by his eyes as he shot a glance outside the window now and then. A little later, the bus halted on the third stop, and a group of passengers rushed in. Along came a girl who has given him a nickname: Smart-ass.

It was Nehali. When she caught a glimpse of him, a slow-motion smile manifested on her lips. Sid's cruel no reaction, however, made her eyes narrow and lips pout. He unseen-zoned her, believe it.

Little did he know she wasn't going to be one who would fall for it. Aw, he didn't see me, this thought would never come in her mind. She sat on the lady's reserved seat and dug headphones in her ears. You do not exist for me either. Take that! Smart-ass.

Although she took to her heart this ignoring game, deep inside her heart, she found it to be funny. Both of them alighted from the bus and came to the point where they couldn't avoid each other. So they ended up sending an awkward smile at each other.

"You ... uh—" Sid tried to launch a conversation, but due to nervousness, words couldn't make past his throat.

They didn't miss to catch a glimpse of each other. It kept on happening to the college. None of them cared to talk. Nehali got stuck-up in her girlishness and Sid in shyness.

Overall, Nehali would summarize this interaction as sweet. But as she entered college, her mindset became entirely different. College life triggered craziness in her mind that she goes through daily.

You see, in a country like India, it's not healthy to have a broken family. It's not common here when your parents are divorced, mother dealing with emotional trauma, and your financial crisis is more terrorizing than ISIS. Nehali was one of those uncommon ones.

Whenever she looked at other girls of her college, a flush of self-pity attacks her. Girls of her age always care for their looks (yes, like she doesn't have other things to care). Once a week go for shopping (yeah she would too if her dad wasn't a debauchee, who's in love with her mother's younger sister). Have a boyfriend or have an erotic romance with him. In her life, however, she has been deprived of such blessings.

There was a time when her life was perfect, not many years ago. Her father was the best dad and loving husband, but there had been hassle quite often. Reema (Nehali's mother) used to doubt him a lot, and the basis of her suspicion was miscellaneous expenses made by her husband.

One day Reema chased her husband to see why he never come home in time. She followed him exactly when he made a move from his office. But his steps didn't head towards home. He went to her sister's house. What made Reema's blood run cold was, when she saw her husband kissing and dry humping with her own younger sister.

Things never went normal after that. All that left of her "family" was like shattered pieces which never come together and make a complete picture. Within a month, the tension between Nehali's parents grew so much that everyday quarrel would end up with domestic violence. Once Nehali intervened to stop her father's brutality, but... Push. Slap. Kick. Since that day, Reema decided to live separately, Nehali and her younger sister followed. This series of the event led to further complication. Her father diagnosed with liver cancer due to excessive drinking and passed away shortly.

Nehali wanted to have a problem-free life (at least solvable problems). When anxiety eats her mind, she never ceases to remember the words of her grandfather. Challenges will come and go, but the world will admire you if you respond to it positively.

Her mother's words echo in her mind at a point when problems become unbearable. You know, when God was distributing happiness, we must be off to eat shit.

She reached a closed gate where on the top, bold block letter read, "Science stream," the first lecture already began. No chance to enter now. Mumbling some cusses, Nehali headed to the cafeteria to kill time until the second lecture starts.

Her mind gave a pop up: a good time to complete notes.

To her surprise, she found Sid was already lollygagging there. She hardly likes the person who cut class, but he was late for the first lecture just like her! Don't throw stones when you also live in a glasshouse.

Sid couldn't figure out why nervousness ripple through his heart whenever he sees her, what to speak when she chose to sit on the table beside him. Utter silence fell among them for minutes, but then Sid heard his name being called by Nehali. He turned around to face her.

"Yes?" acting casual.

"I need a pen. Do you have one?" Nehali said, leaning forward.

"Ballpoint or Gel?" Sid asked as his hand went into his bag to grab a pen. Nehali's lips shaped into "o" to say ballpoint. But Sid pulled out a gel pen, making only "ball," past her throat.

Nehali's fingers touched his as she took the pen with a smile.

While she busied herself in writing her notes, Sid heard her mumbling. "If I didn't finish this in three days, I'm dead." Massaging her temple, she muttered. "Problems. Problems. Problems."

Sid felt a philosopher inside him took possession of his mind. He turned to her and said: "Problems give you lemons, right? Have you tried to make lemonade out of it?"

Nehali laughed a harsh syllabus, "ha!" She presented him with a sharp look. "I don't know how to make lemonade. Besides, my problems are like a mad elephant, who would chase me down unless I'm trampled and dead."

"Never saw a mad elephant." Sid jutted his bottom lip as his shoulder raised a little.

Nehali leaned forward with narrowed eyes and put the top of the pen in her mouth. "I have. Back in my hometown. Believe me; you'd never live to see a mad elephant."

Sid felt a lump formed in his throat, he nodded nervously and mumbled only, "Hmm." Both became busy for another thirty minutes. As the second lecture was about to begin, Nehali wrapped up her things, slinging her bag over the right shoulder. She got up as her left hand held a book of physics.

"Cya, Sid." She placed the pen on Sid's table and prepared to walk on, but "hey," from him stopped her.

"You know," he said as his right hand reached to scratch back of his head. He wet his lips and spoke, "I need a favor."

Nehali furrowed her brows, and a quizzical expression on her face made him continue talking. "That day you called me, smart-ass, and now it has become my nickname among my friends."

"So?"

"So, when I'm with my friends. Could you call upon me like this (Sid waved his hand), wisenheimer? I would love this nickname."

Nehali felt a chuckle coming all the way up from her stomach. She didn't want it to show, but it finally broke across her lips. "Sure. I'll do it."

Both of them waved hands at each other. Sid gazed at Nehali till she walked off the cafeteria.

Mad elephant, he thought to himself and shook his head.

When he returned home after college, he took lunch and went straight to his bedroom. What never ceases to amaze him would be, sleep come upon him within minutes while taking a nap. But at night, it just doesn't find the way to his eyes for hours.

He landed in the world of dreams.

In the dream, his eyes drifted at the sky, which appeared like an expanse of blue color. The green grass glistened as sweltering sunlight cascaded upon it. His ears heard the chirping voice of birds. A chilly gust of wind brushed his cheek and swept away dry leaves.

I'm getting late for hunting; this bizarre thought popped up in his mind. Then he realized he was wearing a royal attire-not just his appearance-even his consciousness changed (he forgot his identity as Sid). He walked past the large gate of the palace with two groups of soldiers guarding him. It was so that no one could attack from any side.

As he came out, his eyes caught sight of the mahout, who was grooming a giant elephant — his war elephant. A broad grin split his face; this majestic animal has brought glory to him on several occasions.

One servant inside a tent was assigned to give a bucket of water to that elephant. While doing his duty, the servant was so drunk that he didn't realize his hands picked up a bucket of liquor. In front of the elephant, however, the wrong bucket was brought. He groped his trunk in it and drank it all at once.

The sharpness of arrows, checked; quiver checked; spear checked. Sid felt his ribs thumped with excitement as he climbed the elephant.

"Peasant! You know I hate to speak on obvious things." Sid barked orders at mahout with the best of his egoistic voice. Yes, it was coming from his mouth, though in reality, he wouldn't venture to apply such rudeness in his words. The mahout nodded in fear as if his head could be chop off for not hurrying. Thus, they headed into the dense forest for hunting.

As a few minutes passed, they were wandering in the dense forest. Odd behavior of the elephant made it evident something's wrong. The gigantic beast began to bash whatever plants, hurdles, or bushes came in his way. Mahout tried to gain control of this giant animal, but this time elephant was not in the mood to obey anything. The mahout was thrown off on the ground only with a swipe of the trunk.

Sid's limbs chilled with fear. He leaped off from his seat. It hurt when he fell on the ground; however, that was much bearable than getting killed by a mad elephant. But the show is not over yet!

The elephant's eyes darted at him. Scared to the death, he got up and collected all of his energy to run. He swept through the thorny bushes only to realize there's a dead end ahead.

He fell from the cliff and got stuck on a half uprooted branch of a tree, which didn't seem to be robust enough to carry his weight for a long time.

Just see his luck! That elephant came from behind and started pushing the branch with his trunk.

What horrified Sid most was not above part, but a cobra below the cliff, who was waiting for him to fall. God of death is eagerly waiting for my death.

Still series of tough luck was not yet over. From a hole in a cliff came two rats and climbed on that half uprooted branch-one was white, and the other was black. Worst came to worst, when they started gnawing the branch. The cherry on a cake, isn't it?

Knowing how destiny was playing a nasty game with him, Sid burst out, "Alas! There's no way I'm gonna live." Slowly the roots of that branch started weakening and were drooping downwards.

Meanwhile, a gust of wind waved a tree over his head. Two drops of honey journeyed all way to honeycomb into his forehead, rolling down to his lips. The honey somewhat relieved him from his horror. "Even in this most miserable condition, I'm getting to enjoy these two drops of honey. My Lord, my Lord!" Licking his lips, he relished the fresh taste of honey.

Some holy people wished to lend a helping hand. "I'm enjoying drops of honey here." Sid rolled his eyes. "Falling from the tree above me. No need to save me. Later you can come to save me. Just let these drops of honey stop falling in my mouth."

Then there was a crack in the branch, and it collapsed—

Sid opened his eyes as a groan came out from his mouth. His heart was booming at a tremendous rate, but a grin showed his teeth. He was feeling relieved. Thank God, it was a dream.

His hands searched for his cell phone only to see there were Whatsapp messages from Ravi. The first message was an image of a guy donned in maroon robes, standing next to a highly respected journalist of India.

The rest were text messages.

Let's go to the hub of this spiritual guy. Tomorrow's Sunday.

He teaches meditation for free.

Sid read these two messages, and the face of Swami Mukteswar formed in his mind. The unpleasant experience he had there (in chapter nine) got refreshed as well. He read on further messages.

He's the mentor of many movie stars, sports stars, businessmen, and athletics.

He's free of controversies, I've checked it on Google.

I'm getting positive vibes from this guy.

Don't worry, child, this time I'll tag along.

Sid couldn't understand why some people send so many messages when one can quickly write one single message. But he felt an interest awaken in his heart. He typed.

Yeah, let's go tomorrow.

******

A/N: I hope you guys are looking forward to what's going to happen next. It will be quite important to understand. The explanation of the Mahabharat story will come in the next chapter. Please share your comments.