chapter 1

"listen Kuval..you gotta get over all this shit," said a girl to a boy sitting at an armchair wearing spectacles and looking at his laptop.

"Sameera, you better stop calling this a shit," he said turning towards her.

"THIS (points towards the blog he's reading), this is shit. or? what do you expect me to call it? You have not come out of your house for a week, You haven't met anyone this whole month, you don't let anyone get into your room except your mother and what is all this assiduity for? A girl writing about something that she read in a library, like are you for real" Sameera was getting miffed "You are living here like a hermit" she said.

"exactly sam, this girl, Afsana, read something way back in time, it was just a preliminary draft, no one knows who wrote it, no one knows how it got into the library, but she just can't stop mooning over it, and I just love reading about it, reading about time no one can surely say that it existed in reality or not. You know, I love reading such stuff. to me, this is like..."

"..like time travel" Kuval smiled at her words " I know Kuval, I know how much you love this...I am sorry for calling it shit, but you have just isolated yourself here and I am just worried for you. Don't you feel like making new friends? meeting people? knowing them?"

"but I already have new friends now, Aditya, Zoya, Urvi, Kunj, and.."

"They are just characters"

"Never tell a reader that these are JUST characters, because then you'll hurt them," he said as if hurt keeping his hands on his heart.

"Shut up, and today get your butt out of this house, get some fresh air and then come here back home for your TIME TRAVEL" she ordered, not in a mood to hear a denial.

"okay fine" he rolled his eyes up " I don't want to face you angry again"

~~~

Kuval's pov-

I was sitting at the stairs on the banks of Hooghly.

"go" I heard a whisper, which dismayed me, it was like the wind curled near my ears

"go, know them" I was unable to react, agitated, couldn't think anything at all

Malaise developed in my body but I had an urge....an urge to jump in the river and so without thinking, I jumped. I didn't feel any control over my body. I came back to senses only to find myself inside the river..far from the banks. I knew swimming but I have absolutely no idea why wasn't I able to. My thoughts were in my control but were it the same my body? NO!

I was trying hard to save myself from drowning but all my efforts were in vain. I was in the river far from lights, then there was a moment I felt my body getting lighter, still in the water. I felt light pass through me.

I closed my eyes.

~~~

"wake up" I heard an unclear masculine voice.

"Wake up brother...Are you fine?" the guy sitting beside me asked as I opened my eyes.

I got up rubbing my eyes, it felt as if I was asleep. I didn't feel any drowsiness as I should have, I was drowning some time ago. I soon noticed the guy beside me. He was tall, (taller than me I am approximately 6 ft)., and wheatish, had great physic, broad shoulders, and was lean. OH! wait...He's wearing a dhoti with probably... is that gold? like for real? had a bow in his hand and a quiver on his back. His long black hair reached his shoulders. I looked around...why? and how? the hell is everything so green, serene, and beautiful?

"WHERE AM I?" I murmured.

I could see the man getting an expression of empathy and helpfulness on his face. Probably he noticed that I am shocked. Wait!... this could be a dream I pinched myself to know that NO it wasn't. Am I dead? Is this heaven? Because this place is absolute tranquility. Is this man a deity? I took no moment before joining my hands and bowing down. I am dead, for sure, and what if I don't pay respects to this divine man, I get sent to the hell!! I don't want to risk that.

But that pinch pained! Pain means life, If I were dead then it shouldn't pain. What is happening? there is no chance that I am on the earth that I know. I have no fucking idea what is happening.

-pov ends

"Brother, please don't," The man said holding his shoulders not allowing him to bow, Kuval looked at him in total surprise he had no idea what was happening with him but by now he'd noticed that he too was wearing a dhoti instead of the pair of jeans and the T-shirt that he wore

"I hope you are fine, what happened to you?" the man continued, his dark green eyes were looking at kuval with concern.

"I...I don't ...I don't know...I don't remember " kuval fumbled, he wasn't able to sink in the situation. " I was..in water....drowning... crying for help...I just.."

"Calm down, You are safe and alive now, I found you lying unconscious here. Devi Ganga didn't let you drown" he bowed to the river with joined hands expressing gratitude and signaled Kuval to do the same.

"Prince" a masculine voice called

"PRINCE!" Kuval gasped

"Prince, I am glad I found you." a man dressed in an armor bowed. "We are almost done with wrapping up the camps, The commander has asked me to inform you about this"

"Okay, Is Kunj awake?"

"Yes, Prince is awake" he answered

"You take care, what was your name?"

"..Hmm?" Kuval was shocked on the mention of Prince KUNJ

"Are you feeling well? I asked for your name brother" the man said

"KU...Kval...Kuval is my name, and you are?" Kuval was struggling a bit with the language

"I am Aditya, Son of King Vishwajeet of Swastnagiri" his words lead to Kuval's stupefaction while The prince and his soldier thought it to be his astonishment to knowing that the Crown Prince of Swastnagiri was standing in front of him but Kuval fainted!

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