Chapter I
In the ancient kingdom of Yepal, there was a king named Karmadev. He was proud, cunning and ruthless. He was the youngest son of his father Gagandev and he had taken the throne through meticulous plotting and force—resulting in the death of his older brothers. He ruled over his kingdom with an iron fist and would crush any mutiny by making a great example of the insurgents. Few questioned him and those who did, only did it in the safety of their homes, only with their trusted ones and in hushed breaths under the cover of the night. Twenty years after he had taken the throne, Karmadev was starting to see a lot of gray hairs in his head and he started to ponder about his legacy. He wanted to be remembered till the prophesied end of the universe. Back then, Kings would often build temples to appease gods and enshrine their names in history as the temples would still remain after they died and be maintained for thousands of years. Karmadev went with the age-old tradition. He would build the greatest temple to Vishnu in front of his palace and name it Karma Narayan. It would be a masterpiece made of stone with intricate details, employing the greatest artists of Yepal and the neighboring kingdoms. After it would be completed, he planned to chop the hands of the artists so no other king might rival the construction of such a temple—a plan which he kept hidden.
Every day, his loyal minister, Sukhalavya would inform him of the various affairs of the country and ask him for the course of action to be taken. Many times, he would be made aware of plots that were brewing against him. One such plot stood out: Nirabhaya, the son of his eldest brother, had been found in the neighboring kingdom of Bugal. Bugal’s king Shivagupta was rumoured to be aiding Nirabhaya in the campaign of overthrowing him. Karmadev laughed when he heard about the plot. He remembered Nirabhaya; the weak and shy little boy who didn’t even have the courage to speak or look anyone in the eye. Shivagupta supporting a weak mouse, who was somehow of his blood, on a campaign against him was the funniest thing imaginable!
A bigger thorn on his side was the drought that had been ravaging Yepal for the last few years. The people were suffering and the country could not undertake extravagant projects that poured the limited available resources into building a large temple. Many attempts had been made to appease the gods and bring about rain—rituals towards the rain gods, many animal sacrifices but none of them seemed to work. Yepal had to borrow a lot from its neighbouring countries for its general upkeep, including Bugal, which put a big dent in the royal treasury. It was not a good time to make enemies. But Karmadev could not wait. If there was something he wished to do, he would get restless and could not take his mind off it. He employed the astrologers, priests, advisers and ministers to find a way to bring about rain. He meditated towards the gods, hoping to get an audience with them like so many kings claimed to do, but the gods would not speak to him.
After another dry year, he lost his patience. He claimed that the gods were angry at the people of Yepal and that they lacked devotion and that he had had a dream where lord Vishnu had appeared to him and said that he wanted Yepal to build the most beautiful temple dedicated to him and only then would the serpents sing the song of rainfall. And thus, he ordered the work on the Karma Narayan temple to begin at once. Vishnu might have decreed the temple be made but without the water needed, the task was quite impossible. Karmadev ordered for more jars of water to be brought from Bugal and designated seventy percent of the jars to be principally used for the temple, five percent for the palace and the remaining jars for public use. The people were upset but as, according to Karmadev, Vishnu himself had ordained the temple, they kept their discontent to themselves. Sukhalavya dutifully raised concerns about funding the temple to which Karmadev ordered that gold be melted from the other temples in the kingdom and used for Karma Narayan. When Sukhalavya again warned that the priests would not agree to his demand, he told him that it was Lord Vishnu’s commandment that he was carrying out and if they wanted to oppose it, he would become Vishnu’s sword and smite them.
And thus the construction of the Karma Narayan temple began. The people suffered in silence and the few dissenting voices were swiftly dealt with. Karmadev felt relieved—as if he had scratched a nagging itch. The people question me now but they will be quite grateful once they see the magnificence of the temple that I am building, he thought. Two years went by as the construction on the temple progressed, uprisings were quelled and the people suffered through drought and famine. Karmadev became very unpopular. Rumours started spreading that he was possessed by a demon or that he was in fact the incarnation of a demon. Meanwhile, Nirabhaya was gaining fame in Bugal as a compassionate exiled prince. He was taking care of the loose groups of bandits and thieves that were adding to people’s troubles. People started to open up to the idea of Nirabhaya as the rightful king. Karmadev was, of course, not oblivious to the sentiment of the people. He would have to deal with the upstart teenager who had somewhat of a claim to the throne.
News spread that Nirbhaya was going to enter Yepal with an army, consisting of people of Yepal who had fled to Bugal, bandits who he had rehabilitated and had sworn their fealty to, and some who were of Bugal origin. This campaign was a clear threat to Karmadev who could no longer ignore his ambitious nephew. Karmadev, rather than seeing a threat, saw an opportunity for his eldest son, his heir Ranadev, to prove himself and get some experience in combat. He gave some troops to Ranadev and commanded him to wipe out Nirabhaya’s forces. He specifically instructed Ranadev to skin Nirabhaya and parade his skinned corpse around Yepal and finally hang it on the border of Yepal and Bugal. Ranadev loved his father’s ruthlessness.
While Ranadev inherited Karmadev’s ruthlessness, he didn’t quite get his father’s cunning and discipline. He commanded his army according to his whim and would send them on pointless and sometimes impossible errands just for his amusement. He would create trouble wherever he went; taking women and food from the villages in his path, killing and torturing whenever he felt he was slighted, always drunk and sleeping when he should be at command, even ordering the army to go on a long detour because he wanted to see what was beyond some tall hill. His army commanders were fed up with him but they didn’t dare report it back to the king, lest they lose their rank or even their life.
On their journey, when they were just a week away from the border town of Bharampur, the sky got covered with clouds and rain began to pour. All the men danced with joy and so did the whole of Yepal, believing their years of torment had come to an end. Ranadev, in a drunken stupor, claimed that the gods had chosen him and blessed his campaign with rain. But they soon learned of a different theory, one that became more prevalent. Stories spread that it was Nirabhaya who had brought the rain. As soon as he had stepped into Yepal, the gods had smiled and celebrated his arrival with rain. The rightful king had returned to Yepal, the people said. Ranadev was incensed by the story and cut off the tongues of anyone who uttered it. Somehow the dysfunctional unit made it to Bharampur.
The army captains were relieved at somehow finally reaching Bharampur but grew suspicious when they were told that Nirabhaya hadn’t been to Bharampur. Nirabhaya should have reached the town a week earlier if their reports of his march were true. They advised the clueless Ranadev to send an envoy and scouts to the town before they marched their whole army there but Ranadev laughed at the idea. The Pradhan of Bharampur would not dare betray them, he believed and even if he did, he would take the Pradhan’s head as a prize and present it to his father in addition to Nirabhaya’s head. And so he ordered the army to enter the town. The town was quite normal and nothing seemed out of place. The Pradhan welcomed the party with great celebration. But when night fell, Nirabhaya and his army came out of their hiding spots and promptly slit the throats of Ranadev’s men who were too drunk and delirious to retaliate. Ranadev was taken captive by Nirabhaya.
Upon hearing the news, Karmadev was furious. He knew where the Pradhan of Bharampur had found the courage to betray him. He swiftly wrote to Shivagupta demanding that his son be immediately returned along with Nirabhaya’s head. He had had enough of his insolent scheming and the blatant grooming of his rivals. If his demands weren’t met, he would bring his army and crush his skull under the feet of his elephant.
Shivagupta wrote back with a cool and backhanded response, telling him that he couldn’t understand why Karmadev would be so displeased with him fostering his nephew because his court was open to any royalty of Yepal, even him. Also, he had no control over Nirabhaya’s actions and according to accounts he had heard, Ranadev’s capture seemed to be due to his own incompetence and folly. But there was no need for threats or violence, he would meet with Karmadev in Bharampur and sort everything out.
Karmadev tore the letter and immediately rode with his men to Bharampur. When he reached near Bharampur, he demanded that Shivagupta come out and meet him on the top of Gaidaban hill where there was a sole peepal tree. Shivagupta came to the meeting place with some of his men and greeted Karmadev with a smile.
“We rarely meet nowadays, old friend,” Shivagupta said.
Karmadev was fuming with rage. “Where is my son?” Karmadev asked.
“You will meet him soon,” Shivagupta replied.
“Bring him to me now! And where is that little mouse that is puffing his chest nowadays, the mouse who happens to be my nephew?”
“Nirabhaya has gone back to my palace. My daughter has taken a fancy to him and we’re preparing the marriage ceremony. You are obviously invited.”
Karmadev unsheathed his sabre. “Enough with the taunts! I’m not here to play word games. I want my son back and Nirabhaya’s head or I shall take yours.”
Shivagupta smiled. “Your threats are empty. You are incapable of going to war with me. Your nation is weak, your people hate you, your bloodline is weak. Your heir lost his first battle without getting a single kill. If you still have some self respect, you would do well to give up your throne to Nirabhaya and go on exile. That is your best course of action. I’m advising this, honoring our friendship from a bygone era.”
Karmadev was shaking with anger. “Friendship? You back stabbing son of a bitch! Ever since I married your favorite cousin, you have been unable to stand my existence. You are always scheming against me, foul mouthing me, supporting my enemies and detractors. I let it slide remembering that once we were good friends. But even after all these years, you hate me for having stolen your love. But you’ve been living in delusion, my friend. I didn’t steal away your cousin. She never loved you. She hated you. I could never understand why but now I see the pitiful filth I had been blind to.”
Shivagupta frowned. He looked up at the sky and then back at Karmadev. He chuckled. “My friend, you are the deluded one. Your accusations are complete fabrications. It seems you are still living in a childish reality where people hold petty grudges. You might have grown old, but you are still incapable of adult thought. Anyways, we can reminisce on the good old days later. There is something you should know.”
“What?”
“Nirabhaya took real good care of his cousin brother. You’ve been told he was held captive but really, he was given all luxuries befitting royalty. Unfortunately, during his travels I presume, he caught tuberculosis and despite Nirabhaya’s great attempt to get him back to his former splendour, he passed away in his sleep three days before you arrived. I wish I could have brought him back to you alive but alas I could only bring you his body. Such a terrible fate to have befallen a young man! I am dreadfully sorry for your loss.” Shivagupta motioned his people to bring the coffin containing Ranadev’s body.
All the blood drained from Karmadev’s body. Shivagupta’s men placed the coffin in front of Karmadev. Karmadev fell to his knees when the men opened the coffin’s lid. Inside, there was a body covered with a saffron cloth. When Karmadev’s trembling hands peeled the cloth covering the head, his face twitched and eyes became red. His breathing became quick and he felt as if the sky was falling. His hands shook as he gripped his saber hard. He screamed, fixing his gaze at Shivagupta.
Shivagupta’s men unsheathed their sabers. “Don’t do something you will regret, Karma,” Shivagupta said.
Chapter II
A battle began. Both kings and their men engaged in a bloody conflict which would be later named the battle of Gaidaban—the one which sparked the third Yepal-Bugal war. Thirty men died in the battle which included Shivagupta. Karmadev’s men were victorious, Bharampur was razed and Shivagupta’s corpse was paraded around Yepal. Karmadev didn’t get out unharmed—he had cuts and wounds all over his body. It was a miracle he survived. He lost his left hand and two fingers in his right hand. He became dependent on a walking stick.
Yepal was at a disadvantage in the war because of the drought it had been through. The torrential rains that came after added to their misery but also slowed down Bugal’s march into the kingdom significantly. Bugal’s army was led by Shivagupta’s son Vikratananda and Nirabhaya, who was now being hailed as Yepal’s liberator. To keep that reputation, Nirabhaya didn’t let Bugal and his army plunder or ravage the villages of Yepal that they came across. Instead, he would help the people affected by floods and landslides. But this was also hampering and delaying their long march to Yepal’s capital, Sundrapur. It was rumoured that Vikratananda and Nirabhaya would argue for days and stall the army every week. This let Yepal get back on its footing and make allies who supported Yepal with gold, horses and ammunition. Karmadev was mostly bedridden so his second son Jaidev was operating the military.
Yepal played defence, backing off from open combat and only attacking at points where they had a geographical advantage or good information about the Bugal army’s unpreparedness. With this strategy, they were depleting much of Bugal’s forces without themselves losing too much. They used Nirabhaya’s social work to their advantage—getting spies to pose as helpless villagers who had been suffering from the landslides and Karmadev’s cruelty while sending critical information to the Yepal army. Over time, the relationship between Vikratananda and Nirabhaya soured so much, they split into two factions—weakening their offense. Yepal was making great strides in defending itself but completely defeating Bugal was still quite a massive challenge. The longer the war went, the harder it was for Yepal to sustain itself. Bugal didn’t have that problem as it had resources to extend the war for years.
Karmadev needed to end the war before Yepal’s spirit exhausted itself . After learning of Vikratananda and Nirabhaya’s apparent split, he smelled an opportunity and wrote to Vikratananda. In the letter, he lamented that things had gotten out of hand and he had not wished to become enemies with Bugal. His son’s death had clouded his mind and he repented of killing Vikratananda’s father with whom he used to be such good friends. He explained that the world and circumstances had made them enemies but it was time to let things go and bring back peace to both kingdoms; and stop creating more tragedies—no more deaths of sons and fathers. He proposed that he would give the hand of his daughter Mayadevi to Vikratananda, who he knew, had a fondness for. As a token of renewed alliance, he could keep Bharampur and its surrounding territories. He had also come to learn about Nirabhaya having finally shown his true self to Vikratananda. He had tried to show Shivagupta the same but he never listened. He advised that Vikratanada would do well to stay away from the king pretender, lest he start claiming himself to be the king of Bugal.
Vikratananda received the letter with much amusement. He wrote back that he accepted the terms of Karmadev’s surrender but there were a few more things that he would like to be offered. First and foremost, he wanted Karmadev to leave the throne and go on a pilgrimage. Next he wanted the magnificent Vishnu temple he was building to be dedicated to his father and be changed to a Shiva temple; the temple be named Shiva Shankar and he would even send the required funds to cover all expenses. As for Nirabhaya, he didn’t care what he did or what happened to him. He did not want to come in between family matters. If he accepted the terms, he would withdraw his troops and the uncle and nephew could sort out their matter themselves.
Karmadev read Vikratananda's letter with gritted teeth. “The insolent kid! Shivagupta spawned more of himself… only killing him was not enough!” he murmured. He furiously wrote to the king of Wibet, Drongten. He offered to unite their families by marrying their children—he proposed Mayadevi to be married to his heir. By unifying their alliance, they could push back against the threat of the invading satanic Bugal empire.
After a week, Karamdev received Drongten’s response. He agreed but with a slight change to the plan. He wanted to marry Mayadevi and take her as his queen. Also, he wanted a shrine to Avalokiteshwor and Buddha to be added to the Karma Narayan temple. He would send the necessary funds for it.
Karmadev mulled over his options for a month. There were terrible rumours about Drongten’s treatment towards women. He had heard that Drongten would commit depraved acts upon his concubines and even his queens. All of his previous queens had died mysteriously. Giving him Mayadevi’s hand could mean sending her to death. But then, they were only rumours. Many rumours made Karmadev out to be some kind of demon as well but there was no truth to them. He revealed the proposal to his wife, Shantinadevi, who was immediately revolted by it. She threatened that only over her dead body would she allow Mayadevi to be taken to Drongten. The two quarreled for weeks.
The atmosphere in Karmadev’s court was turning grim. The Bugal army was making headway towards the capital and it was predicted that in six months Yepal would be conquered. Mayadevi hated the current circumstances they were in—her parents weren’t talking, her older brother had died and her second brother was in the battlefield, away from home. Doom was glooming over all of their heads. Even though she hated the idea of marrying Drongten, it seemed to be the only way out of her family’s certain death. And so Mayadevi herself requested her father to marry her to Drongten. She, after repeated attempts, finally convinced her mother that she wanted to marry Drongten through her own volition.
The ceremony was grand and much of the marriage expense was borne by Wibet. Karmadev made sure that no news of Mayadevi’s marriage reached Jaidev. Only when Mayadevi had reached Drongten’s castle and all marriage ceremonies were completed did Jaidev hear of his sister’s fate. Jaidev immediately jumped on his horse and rode back home. He furiously stormed into the palace and demanded an audience with his father. Karmadev gave repeated excuses for being unable to come meet his son while Shantinadevi would deflect all of Jaidev’s grievances with, “Talk to your father.” When Jaidev prepared to go on an expedition to Wibet to get back his sister, he was forbidden from leaving the castle by Karmadev.
While the relationship between the royal family crumbled, Yepal’s was rejuvenated by Wibet’s forces. Yepal could finally go on the offense and win back ground it had lost. Hope returned to the people and soldiers and the tides began to turn. Karmadev even received a letter from Vikratananda asking him to come to the negotiation table. Karmadev was immensely pleased to read the letter and he kept it in his pocket to reread it occasionally when he wanted to cheer himself up. The planets seemed to be aligning for Karmadev because his temple Karma Narayan, the most magnificent temple to have ever been made in all of the Asian continent was finally completed after eight years. The main temple was all gold and studded with jewels while the surrounding structures were made of masterpieces in stone and wood sculpting. Scenes of Ramayan and Mahabharat were carved into the frieze and a huge statue of Garuda with Karmadev’s face kneeled in front of the temple. The temple’s consecration was done with huge merriment with big crowds, songs, dances and multiple days of rituals. From the royal family, Karmadev alone took part in the rituals. Shantinadevi and Jaidev refused to participate.
On the last night of the consecration, when all the rituals were over and the people and the priests went back to their homes, Karmadev sat before the remarkable black stone idol of Vishnu and meditated. He thanked Vishnu for never leaving his side and for saving him in the recent trying times and he hoped that Vishnu would appreciate the temple he had made in his honor. Karmadev would finally experience what his forebears talked of: Lord Vishnu appeared before him in all his glory.
“Karmadev, you have made me immensely happy with your devotion. I am pleased with your gift of this monumental house, befitting of my stature. I shall give you whatever you desire. Name the boon you wish to receive from me,” Lord Vishnu said.
Karmadev wept with joy at the presence of lord Vishnu. His brilliance radiated throughout the whole room. Karmadev fell on the ground and prostrated towards him. With great gratitude he said, “O Lord Vishnu! You have graced me with your presence which is the greatest gift I could have ever received. O Lord! I thank you for deeming me worthy of hearing your voice. I only want to remain beside you forever.”
Vishnu smiled. “I grant you your wish.” Vishnu touched his head and passed great power to Karmadev. All of Karmadev’s wounds healed and his hand and fingers even grew back. “You are blessed with eternal life. Nothing will be able to kill you.”
The next day, Karmadev woke up on the temple floor, feeling better than he ever had in all his life. His body was whole again and he had been blessed by Lord Vishnu himself. He no longer had anything to fear. He was invincible. He walked out of the temple ready to conquer the world. God was on his side and through his blessing, he would take claim of the whole earth and heavens. Who could really stand in his way now?
Chapter III
When Karmadev was outside the temple, taking in his grandeur, planning his next moves, Sukhalavya walked over to Karmadev with a grim gait. He told Karmadev that a messenger had brought news that morning of Mayadevi’s passing through apparent suicide. Karmadev instantly fell back to earth. He started murmuring like a madman and locked himself in the Karma Narayan temple. He begged and pleaded to talk to Lord Vishnu again. He meditated, offered gifts, sacrifices, and did all sorts of rituals to again please Lord Vishnu but to no avail. He would never materialize again in front of Karmadev.
As soon as Jaidev heard the news, he immediately rode to Wibet. The guards tried stopping him but he threatened to kill anyone in his way so the guards were helpless. Taking a band of his closest men, he got to Drongten’s palace and wreaked havoc. It was said that Jaidev and his party went on a maniacal rampage and killed all who stood in their way and Drongten’s personal chamber. But peculiarly, he stopped himself when his blade was on Drongten’s neck. Perhaps he had some powerful realization because instead of killing Drongten, he just left the palace and joined a buddhist monastery, renouncing all titles and belongings. Shantinadevi joined her son and became a buddhist nun herself.
Karmadev was suddenly all alone. Jaidev’s aggressive stunt was not appreciated by Drongten but since he had spared Drongten, the king of Wibet refrained from exacting any kind of punishment towards Jaidev. But he did feel that the alliance between Yepal and Wibet had been broken and retreated his troops from the war. Karmadev could not believe how fast his world came crashing down. While he himself was immortal—something he put to test personally—his army was not. Again his forces started falling back and it became apparent that his kingship would not last long. He was weak, had no allies and no heirs. People did not respond well to the idea of an immortal king under whose rule they had been suffering a lot, even if he claimed Lord Vishnu had blessed him.
Two months later, the capital of Yepal was under siege. Bugal’s forces broke in and took hold of the city. Karmadev’s palace was empty, all of his kin and courtiers had escaped out through hidden passages. Only he refused to leave. Nirabhaya entered the throne room with his army facing no resistance and found Karmadev sitting on his throne alone.
“Uncle, it’s a pleasure to see you again after so long,” Nirabhaya said. He was no longer the puny kid Karmadev remembered but a confident battlehardened man, radiating the aura of a lion in his prime.
“Bow to me,” Karmadev commanded.
Nirabhaya laughed. “You haven’t changed at all uncle. In all these years, you are still the same stubborn old fool.”
Karmadev unsheathed his saber and stood up. “I will not stand for this disrespect. I will have your head under my feet after I separate it from your body.”
“Very well, I knew I would have to teach you humility on your last day.”
Karmadev started laughing. “Come my little nephew, I’ll send you to your father.”
Karmadev and Nirabhaya became embroiled in a duel to the death. Nirabhaya’s soldiers watched the fight with much amusement. He had ordered them to not interfere in their duel. Nirabhaya had the power of youth, augmented by his superior skill. Meanwhile, Karmadev was rusty and recklessly swinging his sword, giving Nirabhaya multiple openings to make slashes at him. Pretty soon, Karmadev had cuts all over his body but not deep ones as Nirabhaya didn’t want the fight to end too soon. He was enjoying playing with Karmadev. Each groan from Karmadev was music to his ears.
“You talk so big but can’t follow through, can you uncle?” Nirabhaya taunted.
Karmadev roared and swung at him but Nirabhaya easily dodged the attack.
“This makes me a bit emotional. I remember you teaching me how to use a sword and playing with me, just like this when I was little. I was really fond of you uncle. That is until you killed my father.” Nirabhaya swung at Karmadev’s leg and brought him to his knees.
Karmadev panted as he supported himself by holding his saber to the ground. “My… pathetic brother. He was too weak… he was unworthy of being king. I did what I had to do to save the kingdom.”
Nirabhaya slashed Karmadev’s back making such a deep wound that the bone was visible. “You didn’t save the kingdom. You plunged it into darkness. You ruined it! You made your subjects suffer, you drove away your family, you sacrificed your daughter… look at your state now. I am the saviour and you are the sickness… the blight… the devil that I must purge from this kingdom.”
Karmadev gathered up all his strength and stood up slowly. His whole body was shaking. He coughed up blood from his mouth. “You… are no savior. You are a filthy bastard. Your father couldn’t have children… so your whore of a mother slept with a beggar… and made an elaborate lie about your conception... You are a beggar’s son. You cannot be king.”
Nirabhaya impaled Karmadev’s heart with his saber with such force that Karmadev was pushed back and landed on the throne with the saber penetrating through and out the back of the throne. “Enough! Stop spewing nonsense and leave this world.”
Karmadev’s body went limp.
Nirabhaya took a long deep breath. He had finally achieved his life’s goal. His men cheered for him, “All hail king Nirabhaya! Long may he reign!!” He put his palms together and prayed to God. He then ordered his men to go to the newly built Karma Narayan temple and destroy the garuda statue made in the image of Karmadev. He also wanted all clothes, paintings, statues and other memorabilia of Karmadev burned and destroyed.
Nirabhaya walked over to the room that used to belong to his father. The paintings depicting Mayadevi on the walls suggested that it was repurposed to be Mayadevi’s room. He searched all over the room for any memorabilia that remained of his father but could find none. He looked out a window and breathed a heavy sigh. All that remained of his father was his saber.
He walked back to the throne room to retrieve it but, surprisingly, it was missing along with Karmadev’s body. He assumed that his men had removed Karmadev’s body from the throne. He walked up to the throne and touched the bloody chair. He felt no attachment to it. There was a blood trail from the throne, going out of the room. He followed the blood trail hoping to find soldiers carrying away Karmadev’s body. But instead, he found quite a perplexing sight. Karmadev was still alive. Nirabhaya’s saber was jutting from his body, blood was dripping on the floor, with heavy steps, Karmadev was limping on the corridor leading out of the throne room.
“Did you really turn into a demon old man?” Nirabhaya asked. “How stubborn can you be, you old idiot!” He walked over towards Karmadev.
When Nirabhaya was just behind him, Karmadev turned around and planted a knife straight into Nirabhaya’s throat.
Nirabhaya was shocked. He pulled out his knife and started stabbing Karmadev. Karmadev fell to the floor. Nirabhaya stabbed all over Karmadev’s body, trying to kill him but Karmadev kept staring and smiling at him. Soon, Nirabhaya lost all his strength and felt lightheaded. He fell back on the floor as the world around him turned black. “Die… die… die…” he whispered under his breath.
Epilogue
When Vikratananda reached the palace, he could not believe what had happened. Nirabhaya was dead while Karmadev was still alive despite having his whole body and vital organs impaled. The rumours of Karmadev having transformed into an immortal demon were true. He tried poisoning Karmadev but even the strongest poisons were ineffective. He tried cutting all of Karmadev’s body parts into pieces but each of his parts remained alive and could even be joined back with time. He tried burning Karmadev but the body would only get charred and wouldn’t burn completely. Drowning didn’t kill him either. Karmadev was truly immortal but not immune to pain. He would scream and cry and begged to be let go.
Vikratananda found Karmadev’s condition to be quite amusing. He made a chamber under the Karma Narayan temple and imprisoned him there. He told Karmadev that he would let him go if he told him the secret to his immortality. Karmadev had never kept it a secret and told him the truth about how he had gotten the boon but no one else was able to replicate it. So he remained caged as a freak of nature that the future kings of Bugal kept around to experiment on and scare their children.
Two hundred years later, a big earthquake shook all of Yepal and destroyed the Karma Narayan temple. The temple was rebuilt and given a different name but the underground chamber wasn’t dug up. With time, Karmadev was forgotten and recounted only in legends as a demon king. But he is still alive to this day, buried underground, unable to move, see or hear, whispering forever, “I’ll kill them all.”
The End