Chapter 4

Garuda suppressed his anger, then closed his eyes, folded his hands, and began chanting the names of the gods.

"Praise be to Surya, the Sun God!"

"Praise be to Agni, the Fire God!"

"Praise be to Varuna, the Water God!"

...

"Praise be to Indra, the Thunder God!"

As Garuda's voice echoed through the heavenly realm, pillars of light rose from various parts of the heavens, shooting skyward and then descending before Garuda, revealing the true forms of the gods.

Surya, Agni, Varuna, Vayu (the Wind God), Soma (the God of Wine)...

One by one, the gods arrived to greet Garuda. However, Indra was not among them.

Garuda lowered his hands, his expression stern, and his sharp, eagle-like eyes scanned the assembly of gods. "I come by the command of my Lord Vishnu to invite you all to meet with Him. Why is the King of the Gods not here?"

The gods exchanged uneasy glances. Finally, Surya stepped forward. "Indra is deep in meditation."

He had intended to begin his own meditation but was too busy with his chariot duties to find the time.

Garuda frowned upon hearing this. He looked towards the emperor's palace and, with a dismissive snort, strode forward. "This is a summons from Lord Vishnu, and Indra dares to ignore it? The state of the heavens is due to his negligence."

The gods remained silent, knowing well each other's faults. Indra had been eager to attend a celestial gathering, which led to him offending the sage Dadhichi. In similar circumstances, they might have acted the same way. Arrogance is a divine privilege, and they could not be too harsh with one another. Besides, should they make a mistake in the future, they would hope for leniency in return.

"Let us wait a bit longer," suggested Surya.

"Indeed, meditation is a sacred duty that must be respected," Soma agreed.

With these two speaking up, the other gods quickly voiced their agreement.

"Yes, I concur. Let's wait a while longer," said Varuna.

"I agree as well," added Agni.

Garuda looked at the gods, his frown deepening. He couldn't overrule them all. "Very well, we shall wait," he said, settling down to meditate.

...

Time passed swiftly in the timeless heavens. There was no day or night, and time flowed like water.

Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap echoed through the heavens.

Garuda's eyes snapped open, his previous serenity replaced by anger. He had been dreaming of Lord Vishnu, about to receive a message, when the thunder interrupted him, jolting him awake.

"Praise be to Lord Vishnu!" Garuda suppressed his anger, offered a quick prayer, and stood up, looking around.

He saw the other gods lying or sitting, their clothes even more tattered, their divine radiance dimmed, and their fragrance completely gone.

The curse had worsened!

"What time is it now?" Garuda exclaimed, immediately calculating the time.

"Two hundred and fifty years!" he shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.

The gods around him also awakened from their meditation, immediately realizing their weakened state.

They looked towards the emperor's palace, where the power of meditation was emanating, manifesting as bolts of lightning that filled the sky with thunderous roars. The earlier thunderclap had come from here!

"Indra, you've truly angered me!" Garuda roared. "Your meditation has caused me to fail my lord's command!"

Without further hesitation, he spread his wings and flew towards the emperor's palace, furious. The gods, sensing trouble, quickly followed.

At the gates of the emperor's palace, Garuda's wings spread wide, casting a dark shadow over the heavens. He summoned a powerful storm, hurling it towards the dilapidated palace.

The Gandharvas, who served the gods, were terrified and fled behind the other gods for protection.

Boom! 

The dark storm, powerful and relentless, halted before the straw-roofed palace. Invisible lightning bolts shot upwards, forming countless writhing dragons and serpents that shattered the storm.

"I come by Lord Vishnu's command, Indra! Show yourself! How dare you ignore the lord's summons! All this ruin is your fault," Garuda bellowed.

Within the palace, Indra yawned lazily, scratching his chest as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. The world around him gradually came into focus—winds, storms, and a furious bird-man glaring at him.

"Garuda," Indra mumbled, recognizing him.

"Indra, Lord Vishnu summoned you, and you ignored Him. This disrespect is intolerable," Garuda shouted, landing heavily and striding forward.

The gods rushed to intervene, but Indra's mighty elephant, Airavata, charged at Garuda, trumpeting a spray of water. Garuda stood firm, raising his hand to strike.

Before he could touch Airavata, the elephant vanished.

Indra blinked in surprise, looking around for his elephant.

"Where's my elephant?" he muttered.

Suddenly, Soma, the wine god, let out a cry. His skin turned translucent, and he vanished from the heavens.

"Garuda, did Lord Vishnu grant you the power to make anyone you touch disappear?" Surya asked, stepping back cautiously.

The gods looked at Garuda with suspicion.

"I didn't touch them!" Garuda protested.

Indra's eyes widened as he understood. "Airavata is gone. Soma represents wealth, just like Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. With her disappearance, they too have vanished into the Milky Ocean."

(End of the Chapter)