Praise for The Pataala Prophecy: Son of Bhrigu
‘Doyle creates a world of fantasy and adventure, in which mythology, action and suspense come together to weave a thriller that keeps you spellbound to the very end.’
—The New Indian Express
‘The Pataala Prophecy: Son of Bhrigu, another riveting series which creates an enchanting world of fantasy and adventure, blending mythology, action and suspense.’
—Deccan Chronicle
‘There’s a “chosen one”, there’s a secret society, and philosophical ideas from the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam have been quoted – Christopher Doyle’s latest, The Pataala Prophecy: Son of Bhrigu has it all.’
—Sunday Mail Today
‘The story…keeps you on the edge of your seat…the atmosphere crackles with energy.’
—Sakal Times
The Mists of Brahma
Christopher C. Doyle is a bestselling author who transports the reader into a fascinating world where ancient secrets buried in legend blend with science and history to create gripping stories. His debut novel, The Mahabharata Secret, featured among the top ten books of 2013 and was nominated for the Raymond Crossword Book Award, 2014. His ‘The Mahabharata Quest’ series features the bestselling novels The Alexander Secret and The Secret of the Druids.
Son of Bhrigu, Book 1 of ‘The Pataala Prophecy’ series was published in April 2018. It went on to become a bestseller and won rave reviews from readers.
An alumnus of St Stephen’s College, Delhi and IIM Calcutta, Doyle had a successful career in the corporate sector before embarking on an entrepreneurial journey, running a firm which helps companies to achieve exponential growth. He is also one of India’s leading CEO coaches. He lives in New Delhi with his wife and daughter.
He can be contacted at:
Website: www.christophercdoyle.com
Email: contact@christophercdoyle.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorchristophercdoyle
The Quest Club: www.christophercdoyle.com/the-quest-club
Also by Christopher C. Doyle
The Mahabharata Secret (2013)
The Mahabharata Quest Series
Book I: The Alexander Secret (2014)
A Secret Revealed: The Mini Sequel to the Alexander Secret (2016)
Book II: The Secret of the Druids (2016)
The Pataala Prophecy Series
Book I: Son of Bhrigu (2018)
First published by Westland Publications Private Limited in 2019
1st Floor, A Block, East Wing, Plot No. 40, SP Infocity, Dr MGR Salai, Perungudi, Kandanchavadi, Chennai 600096
Westland and the Westland logo are the trademarks of Westland Publications Private Limited, or its affiliates.
Copyright © Christopher C. Doyle, 2019
Christopher C. Doyle asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
ISBN: 9789387894679
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
This book is dedicated to my mother,
whose strength and determination are an inspiration.
For teaching me to be strong even in the face of adversity.
For all the nights you stayed awake, caring for me,
so I could sleep.
For your love, blessings,
and years of prayers for my success and well being.
For everything you have taught me and given me.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One Terror in Corbett National Park
Chapter Two Where’s Maya?
Chapter Three Kapoor’s New Case
Chapter Four Oh, There She Is!
Chapter Five A Strange Case
Chapter Six Revision
Chapter Seven The Creature
Chapter Eight In the Dorm
Chapter Nine Maya’s Mission
Chapter Ten Dwarka Again
Chapter Eleven Ramganga
Chapter Twelve Visitors
Chapter Fourteen The Sangha Council
Chapter Fifteen Arguments
Chapter Sixteen Farewell, Now
Chapter Seventeen A Plan
Chapter Eighteen Discovered
Chapter Nineteen Satyavachana Explains
Chapter Twenty Shukra Reflects
Chapter Twenty-one The Council Agrees
Chapter Twenty-two Disappointment
Chapter Twenty-three A Decision is Made
Chapter Twenty-four The Rest of the Plan
Chapter Twenty-five Something Special
Chapter Twenty-six Denied
Chapter Twenty-seven Midnight Meeting
Chapter Twenty-eight Trouble
Chapter Twenty-nine A New Angle
Chapter Thirty Kapoor Follows Up
Chapter Thirty-one Arjun Reflects
Chapter Thirty-two Maya Explores
Chapter Thirty-three Dilemma
Chapter Thirty-four A Shocking Discovery
Chapter Thirty-five Unexpected Encounter
Chapter Thirty-six The Mystery Deepens
Chapter Thirty-seven A New Development
Chapter Thirty-eight Grim Possibility
Chapter Thirty-nine Kapoor Has a Plan
Chapter Forty Kapoor Investigates
Chapter Forty-one Frustration
Chapter Forty-two Hopeless?
Chapter Forty-three Maya Makes Progress
Chapter Forty-four Maya Understands
Chapter Forty-five Maya Gets a Gift
Chapter Forty-six A Decision
Chapter Forty-seven A Mystery
Chapter Forty-eight Friends
Chapter Forty-nine Fear
Chapter Fifty A Promise is Made
Chapter Fifty-one Progress
Chapter Fifty-two Happy Birthday!
Chapter Fifty-three Atma Travel
Chapter Fifty-four Discovery
Chapter Fifty-five What’s Happening?
Chapter Fifty-six Preparation
Chapter Fifty-seven Arrival
Chapter Fifty-eight Anticipation
Chapter Fifty-nine Confrontation
Chapter Sixty The View from Above
Chapter Sixty-one The Battle of Bhimbetka
Chapter Sixty-two Pisachas
Chapter Sixty-three Vikritis
Chapter Sixty-four Overwhelmed
Chapter Sixty-five Identification
Chapter Sixty-six What Happened?
Chapter Sixty-seven Oh No!
Chapter Sixty-eight Shukra’s Move
Chapter Sixty-nine Shukra Acts
Chapter Seventy Return
Chapter Seventy-one Shukra’s Cavern
Chapter Seventy-two Graduation Day
Chapter Seventy-three Kapoor Takes Stock
Chapter Seventy-four Arjun Broods
Chapter Seventy-five Farewell
Chapter Seventy-six Parting
Chapter Seventy-seven Update from Allahabad
Chapter Seventy-eight The Boatman
Chapter Seventy-nine Shukra Makes a Choice
Chapter Eighty Shukra Searches
Chapter Eighty-one Recall
Chapter Eighty-two New Information
Chapter Eighty-three A Walk in the Twilight
Chapter Eighty-four Amyra
Chapter Eight
y-five The Test
Chapter Eighty-six Attack
Chapter Eighty-seven Something Strange
Chapter Eighty-eight Shukra Wonders
Chapter Eighty-nine Second Test
Chapter Ninety Inside the Portal
Chapter Ninety-one Briefing
Chapter Ninety-two About the Mists
Chapter Ninety-three The Dark Side
Chapter Ninety-four The Mists of Brahma
Chapter Ninety-five Unexpected Meeting
Chapter Ninety-six Last Instructions
Chapter Ninety-seven Onward
Chapter Ninety-eight The Source of the Verses
Chapter Ninety-nine Maya Asks for Help
Chapter One Hundred Maya Tells Satyavachana
Chapter One Hundred and One That Strange Feeling Again
Chapter One Hundred and Two Inside Dandaka
Chapter One Hundred and Three Missing
Chapter One Hundred and Four The Consequences
Chapter One Hundred and Five Exile!
Chapter One Hundred and Six Plans
Chapter One Hundred and Seven The Search Begins
Chapter One Hundred and Eight A Dead End
Chapter One Hundred and Nine Books
Chapter One Hundred and Ten Confrontation
Chapter One Hundred and Eleven Shock!
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve No!
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen Grief
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen Help Please!
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen Farewell to Arjun
Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen Maya Gets an Idea
Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen Maya Confides
Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen The Journey
Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen Waiting for Maya
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty A While Longer
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-one Maya’s Test
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-two What Next?
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-three Maya’s Story
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Acknowledgements
Have You Joined the Quest Club?
Prologue
Five Years Ago
New Delhi
Maya tossed and turned in her sleep. The nightmare had her in its steely grip and would not let go. Her body stiffened, her muscles tensed, as her brain responded to the horrifying scenes that were playing out in her mind. Her hands clutched the bedsheet as if trying to gain purchase, the movements of her fingers betraying a sense of desperation.
She screamed; a sound filled with terror and despair.
The sound of her own shriek jerked her awake and she sat bolt upright in her bed.
She was sweating profusely.
The door to her room crashed open and a figure rushed in, looming in the darkness.
Maya shrank back against the headboard, cowering under the quilt.
The lights came on, flooding the room with a sense of comfort and assurance, a shield against the darkness and the things that hid beneath its cloak.
‘Maya!’ It was her father, Naresh Upadhyay, roused by her scream. He looked anxious. ‘What happened?’ he asked gently.
Maya closed her eyes. Unbidden, the images from the nightmare rushed back into her mind. She saw the black, shadowy shapes as clearly as if they were real. The intense cold that had permeated the dream still clung to her bones.
And the voice … the voice …
Whispering to her, the words unintelligible. It had been a hoarse rasp with a chilling edge to it that made her hair stand on end even now, when she was awake.
What the dream meant Maya couldn’t fathom, but it had ended with her being sucked against her will into an infinite darkness that enveloped her. She had tried to scream but no sound came out. Desperate to escape the clutches of the living darkness that drew her into its fold, she had scrabbled wildly for something to hold on to, to no avail.
The cold voice had seemed to beckon to her, drawing her deeper into the darkness, wrapping itself around her. Even now, she could feel its slimy touch, as if it were a living thing, folding her in its embrace, stifling her consciousness.
Then, suddenly, she had found her voice. And screamed.
That was when her father had woken up and rushed to her room.
Maya shivered involuntarily. Her eyes were still wide with terror and glazed with confusion. She snuggled up against her father, as he sat next to her on the bed and put a protective arm around her. She struggled to tell him what she had seen.
‘It’s alright,’ Naresh Upadhyay murmured. ‘It was only a nightmare.’ His voice was calm and comforting, assuaging her fears. ‘It wasn’t real. Those things weren’t real. Nothing but a nightmare.’
‘Mmm … hmmm.’ Maya snuggled closer to her father, safe in his protective presence. Her breathing returned to an even rhythm. Nothing could harm her as long as her father was with her. Not even the shapes from her nightmare.
‘Dad, I won’t be able to go back to sleep,’ she said tremulously.
‘Don’t worry, my dear,’ her father told her with a smile, as he stroked her head. ‘I am going to recite a very powerful mantra that will not only help you go back to sleep but will also ensure that you do not have any more nightmares tonight.’
‘Dad!’ Maya was not reassured. ‘How can a mantra help?’
‘It will. I promise you. Now, lie down and close your eyes. I’m turning the lights out.’
Ten minutes later, Naresh Upadhyay shut the door of Maya’s room behind him. His forehead was creased with thought. He made his way to his study and sat at his desk, lost in contemplation.
A little over a month ago, Maya’s dreams had begun. She had had them every night since then, but they weren’t the usual dreams of a ten-year-old’s fertile mind. She had described them to him as slow, lazy dreams filled with peace and happiness. Nice things happened in them, though she never remembered what they were about once she woke up. But she always rose in the morning with a smile on her face and a strange, joyful sensation inside her head.
Then, exactly one month after the dreams began, she had had her first nightmare. Like her earlier, nicer, dreams, she was unable to remember what her nightmares were about, but she would wake up with an unpleasant feeling of unease the next day, and tell her father about it at breakfast.
Tonight was the first time he had been roused by her reaction to a nightmare.
Naresh realised that the nightmare Maya had experienced tonight was no ordinary one. What really worried him was that, for the first time, she had vivid recollections of it.
Why had her dreams suddenly turned? And what was special about tonight’s nightmare?
Naresh hadn’t given much thought to the dreams over the last month, but if he was right, they would continue. Unless he was able to figure out the source of the nightmares, he would not be able to do anything to stop them from recurring.
Still lost in thought, he rose and walked to one of the bookshelves that lined three walls of his study. He studied the books along one of the walls and, after a few moments of searching, found what he was looking for. An old leather diary, well thumbed and worn.
He flipped it open and glanced through the pages which bore inscriptions, written by hand.
When he reached a particular page, he found a loose sheet of paper that was covered with inscriptions. He frowned and sat down at his desk, reading the inscriptions. A few moments later, he closed the book and sat for some time, lost in thought.
The conclusion was inescapable. He had been wrong.
So, so wrong.
Everything he had done had been for nothing.
Now, he had a choice to make.
He had already sacrificed a lot. But the decision that he was confronted with called for something greater.
He knew what had to be done. But he couldn’t bring himself to confront the reality of what it would mean. For him. And for Maya.
Nares
h sat there for a long time, considering the possibilities.
But there seemed to be only one way forward.
He knew Maya would never forgive him for this.
But he had no choice.
Present Day
‘The setback is only temporary, O Wise One.’
Shukra had been lost in deep thought. He stirred and eyed the Naga who had spoken, an enormous being more than ten feet tall and all muscle, who towered over him as he sat brooding in his secret cavern.
Encouraged by Shukra’s silence, the Naga continued, ‘Garuda will not stay at the Gurukul for long. His place is near his Lord, near Dwarka, the place where Krishna lived in Bhu-lok. If he hasn’t returned yet to his island, he will, and soon. There are more Gurukuls spread across Bharatvarsha. How many will Garuda defend?’
‘There are the sadhs,’ a second Naga, equally massive, added. ‘We now know the Sangha is weak. If we spread out among the sadhs, we can take Bhu-lok by ourselves.’ He allowed the hint of a snigger to escape him. ‘We won’t need the Daityas or Danavas or even the Mahanagas.’
‘Kuhaka, Kâlya,’ the third Naga, who had been silent so far, addressed the two Nagas who had just spoken. He was the largest of the trio, standing head and shoulders above the other two giant reptiles, and spoke with a tone of authority and superiority. ‘You do not understand the thoughts of the Wise One. The Gurukul we attacked is where the One of the prophecy resides. We will achieve nothing if we create chaos and panic among the sadhs or destroy the other Gurukuls, as long as Yayati’s scion lives. And Garuda will defend that Gurukul with his life. We have to be realistic. We have to find a way to get the boy.’
‘No, Takshaka.’ Shukra spoke finally, as he rose to his feet. ‘You are correct about the boy from the prophecy residing in the Gurukul. But he is weak. He is not ready. I do not see him as a threat. He means nothing to me.’
‘Then what do you wish us to do, Son of Bhrigu?’ Takshaka asked. ‘The ranks have been restless this past week. They have not taken their defeat well. None of them had gone to the Gurukul expecting to be routed. Shall we mount another attack and finish off the boy before he has the chance to fulfil the prophecy?’
Shukra shook his head. ‘No, Takshaka. If I wish to kill the boy, I won’t need the Nagas to help me. Even Garuda cannot protect the Gurukul if I bring my powers to bear against it. But there is always a cost. Even for someone like me. And, right now, that cost is not worth it. I have much work to do before my plans come to fruition. And I have learned what I needed for now. But you have raised a valid issue. Your troops need to be satisfied.’