Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma, by Kevin Missal is the second part of a trilogy. It returns to the story of Kalki Hari, the last incarnation of Vishnu. He is on his way to Mahendragiri Mountains to learn the ways of an avatar. Little does he know that he will soon be embroiled in a death match, fighting to stay alive. In the meantime, Kalki’s nemesis Kali journeys to uncover long-buried truths about his past and his race’s history, unaware that Manasa is coming to get him. Will Kalki finally become the avatar he is destined to be? Will Manasa have her revenge? And will the ghosts of his past change Kali’s life . . . and his destiny? A national bestseller, this much-awaited sequel is packed with action and adventure, and tells the tale of an ordinary man with extraordinary abilities.
Below you can read an excerpt from this book. Courtesy: Fingerprint.
An excerpt from the book, Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma
Kalki could feel he was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. The surface had now turned into pastures with leaves and twigs pricking his skin. Though it was a welcome sight after the dust. His friends were groaning. Kalki felt like resting in his bed and slumbering for just about forever, but he couldn’t afford that luxury.
He could hear the mumbles of Darooda while he closed his eyes and thought about Narsimha—the majestic lord of the Simhas who had lived before the Mahayudh, before the Breaking, before Lord Raghav.
He dwelt on the fifth Avatar, whom he had learnt about in the gurukul.
Kripa was right. He was not ready to fight. The only option was to learn how to defeat a Simha from another Simha.
He began to use his Channelling powers, trying to gather his focus as much as he could, while being distracted by the occasional thud from hitting into rocks and dirt. His hair had turned greasy, but he didn’t care. The extraneous distractions evaporated and he let go of the reality that he was living in. His arms slowly began to loosen up and he opened his eyes.
He was in a forest.
It reminded him of the outskirts of Shambala—the lush greenery and the whisper of the birds. There was also the smell of oranges and apples.
Kalki turned to see a strange, fair-skinned man. He was as tall as Kalki, and had a lion-skinned fur over his entire body. Long nails were protruding on his fingers, and upon a closer look, Kalki realized they weren’t nails but claws. They had been fashioned out of blades and wood in such a way that they seemed wearable.
He could not help but be enthralled by the ingenious invention.
Kalki had known from Bhargav Ram, during one of his Channelling sessions, that he could use the power of Channelling and converse with the memories of the other Avatars. But they would be limited and wouldn’t go far. There was little time. Kalki had to ask Lord Narsimha now.
“My lord,” Kalki began, “I need your help.”
Lord Narsimha turned and Kalki saw his heavy beard that covered his face. His beady eyes reminded Kalki of a lion. He had hair over his chest. The way he watched Kalki, the aura around him was making Kalki’s knees go weak.
“What do you want?” he asked.
Kalki thought of the question—how to kill a Simha? Now that seemed stupid to ask from the Simha legend.
“I have been kidnapped by your kind.”
“Must be a good reason for it,” he guffawed.
He was quite civilized for a Simha, which made Kalki realize what they had become now. But his sarcasm was something that Kalki didn’t appreciate.
“How do I defeat the worshippers of the lion?”
“You cannot. We are indestructible.”
Perhaps, the image of Lord Narsimha is of the past—full of pomp and self-confidence. Kalki knew that Narsimha was unaware of their eventual fate. The Simhas were eventually trampled and destroyed.
Kalki had to ask for the solution in a different way.
“I know about you, Nar.” Kalki came forward, his chest heaving. “You saved Prahlad from his own father.”
Narsimha’s eyes softened at the name of ‘Prahlad’.
“You helped an Asura’s son. Why would you do that?”
He closed his eyes, sighing. “Because I believe the sins of a father do not follow posterity.” He paused, eyeing Kalki with deep interest. “It’s always amusing when I think about how I ended up defeating Hiranyakashipu.”
“How did you do it?”
“By anticipating his behavioural patterns. To defeat your enemy, you must first think like your enemy.”
And then the image dissolved. He was back, his head grazing the ground and his mouth filling with dirt. He turned around to see that he was in a forest, with little to no sunlight. They were enveloped in darkness.
To defeat your enemy, you must first think like your enemy.
He knew what he had to do.
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