2. Meeting the destroyer
Ray slowly opened his eyes. He saw he is in pitch black darkness. Countess thoughts started running in his mind. Like why was he here ? didn't he died and why he was not in Swarg(Heaven) or Narak(Hell).Suddenly he saw a figure of a male approaching him . After coming close he saw that other side of figure was in darkness. The man had profound divinity all over is body. Around his neck there was snake , he had crescent moon adorned on his hair. Upon seeing this Ray suddenly had urge to kneel and worship to man front of him.Why because his lord Shiva was in front of him. The one who is the Destroyer who has several names such as Neelkanth(The one who's throat is blue), Mahadev(God of Gods), Bholenath(The lord of simplicity).
Ray wanted to kneel but he couldn't because he found he had not his physical body. Realising this he started to panic and various emotions like fear was shown on his face. Sensing his reaction the man spoke, "putra, calm down".His voice was smoothing, hearing his voice Ray calm down. Ray spoke with tinge of nervousness, "Lord Shiva, accept your humble devotee's greetings". Lord Shiva said
"Putra , don't be too formal and be comfortable" with hint of playfulness.
"But didn't I died why I am here ?" Ray spoke with hint of fear."Don't worry too much" Lord Shiva spoke these words very casually as if it was not a big deal.But when Ray heard these words he felt like vomiting blood, If not lack of body that is he might really spray blood on ground. He died. That is big news to him but God just spoke like it was nothing to think about.
"Hey don't get me wrong but dying is really not a big deal, You think dying is the end of a journey but it was actually the beginning."
Lord spoke very calmly, His voice smoothly calmed Karan's volatile emotions.
"But Lord, I just spoke those words truthfully, It's not a sin to say truth so Gods don't have punish me". Ray said trembling. He felt like that he is here because he spoke to change the Mahabharata that angered gods because of that they brought him here. After all, he was fan of God of war game and Greek mythology gods knew how easy it was to anger gods.
"No, It was not that reason." Lord Shiva spoke and does not get angry when Ray blames gods but lovingly consoles him."Then what now Lord ? Why am I here and not in Swarg (Heaven) or Narak (Hell)?".Ray spoke weakly, Lord Shiva voice eased his emotions but he still felt sad that he died but he also was a bit happy that he got to meet his most loved god.
He was able to talk this freely because of this reason, Because he knew how soft hearted and simple Lord Shiva actually is, He even got name as Bholenath ,(Lord of Simplicity) because of it. So as long as he doesn't cross the bottom line, He can talk freely whatever was in his mind.
"You can't go there because of the your wish to change Mahabharata ."Then God drop bomb of news on him again, The calmed down emotions also become unstable.
Ray couldn't sit still, He really just spoke those words feeling that gods and destiny were too cruel to Karna. His wish come out because of emotion there was no other intention behind it."Because your wish was with pure emotions that I decided to fulfil your wish. I know why you relate to Karna but I was not unjust towards anyone, Everybody got what they deserve."Lord Shiva said these words in a very caring voice as he knew the pain of the boy in front of him.
"He was abandoned by his own mother, Denied of knowledge, got cursed because of his yearning for knowledge. Even in the end when he died people never got to know the truth of his birth. Please tell me how it was not unjust Lord ?"
Ray got emotional and spoke quickly. Indeed he relates to Karna and feels his pain because just like Karna he was also abandoned by his mother from birth though she had a little decency to drop the newborn at the orphanage. He alway thought that his mother might be helpless and had her problems that she abandoned him. When he grew up he searched all around about her and somehow managed to get information. He was thrilled when he thought he was able to meet his mother but when he met her, The response she gave to him was not what he expected.
But her words shatter his illusion that all mothers are nice and good and teach him a lesson that judges people by their actions not by their relation and their titles.This is the reason why he loves Karna as a character because he can truly relate to his pain. He knows how much it hurts you when your own mother doesn't accept you.
"He got everything he deserves putra (Son), Yes, His mother abandoned him but didn't he get a mother so good that he wore her name as crown over his head?
Yes, He denied of knowledge but didn't my own student, the best guru on the earth, become his teacher?
Yes, He got cursed but didn't my own invincible bow given to after that?
Yes, People do not find out even after his death, his birth secret but wasn't his name immortalised in history because of that?"
God answered his question calmly and slowly as a teacher teaching his student.
"Also no one spared from cause and effect of their actions, The mother who abandoned him, didn't she also have to separate from her five sons?
The eldest son becuse of his right of inheritance she didn't accept karna, Didn't she get cursed by that same son?
The teacher who refused to teach karna for his royal students was killed by those same students by deceit?
The Arjun who killed Karna, didn't he also killed by his own son?
Everybody got their due."
God said in the same calm tone, There was infinite love in his voice as he was more inclined to answer any questions by which the boy in front of him can clear his doubts.
"I-I never thought of it like that."
Ray became ashamed, He never thought of it like that, But still he felt it was unfair for Karna.
"I am not denying that it was not cruel to karna, I am saying I am not unjust."Lord Shiva answered his question with him needing to ask.
"It's time to fulfil your last wish, It will give closure and free you from mortal bounding, I will give you boon for your good karma, Ask anything other than immortality, Putra (Son)."
Lord Shiva saw that it was time, So he decided to send him on his new journey.
"Lord, but I didn't do anything that great to receive boon, So why?" Ray got confused, He know mahadev was easiest to please but he didn't actually did much in his life, Most of his 21 years of life he spend by just trying to survive, He didn't do much of God's work other than just paying respect in the morning and night by folding his hands towards the sky before sleeping and after waking up, That's all he did in name of devotion
"In Kalyug (Period after God's) that was enough, That's why sages were jealous of people who will live in kalyug."Lord Shiva chuckled and answered, Feeling funny about the situation. Sages in the ages of god needed thousands of years praying and meditation but man in Kalyug can get the same things just by little devotion and yet this time consider worst by many.
"Oh, I don't know that prabhu (Lord) , So I can ask anything other than immortality right ?"
Ray heard and understood the reason behind giving him boon. He also heard of that story but he alway thought it was a folk tale. Then he put his focus on the boon. There was infinite possibility for it.
"Yes, You can ask anything other than immortality, You can ask for money, weapons, power, You can even ask me as your servant, So what is it gonna be?". Lord Shiva gave multiple suggestions for the boons, even said that Karan can ask him as a servant in the boon. Lord was not kidding about being servant after all he one time became bodyguard for devoted who asked that as boon.
"No Lord, I don't dare, I always had the answer ready for a day like this, If I am going to become karna then in boon I want a thoun- No wait Ugrade System with fusion function and world hopping function as add-ons."Ray asked very hesitantly, He who used to read lots of novels in free time was very familiar with the systems. There are different varieties of it. Some were weak, some were strong but some were OP. The Upgrade System especially one with critical hits was in OP(Overpowered) category, Any beneficial direct or indirect hits for host will be multiplied upto million times. If he is going to become karna then this system is made for him, as Karna already has superior talent (as being the Demigod) and if you add a million time hit, Then who can stop him? Ray always used to wonder why no one asked the system in boon. These things are to OP.
"System, I have to say no one ever asked that from me, Can you tell me the reason behind it?" Lord Shiva became interested to hear about the reason, After all it was the first time for him to give that in boon.
"Simple Lord, System hits can multiply million times, So if I trained for 1 day then I will receive benefits equivalent to 1 Million days of training, I get something it will also multiple it's effect or things for million time and best part having system is that it can conceal its host presence from others powerful beings, It can also protect it's host when needed too, So that's why i asked you for system." Ray became excited when telling about system functions, After all it was his dream to get a system. So he is like a child who just got a new toy telling all the functions to Lord Shiva himself.
"Fair enough, Then I give you System you desire but because it's power I can't give you all in one go or your soul can't handle it, It will divided into 4 parts like following.
1. You get Prime function of system hits to multiple but limited to 24 hours for each task, This can also hide your presence from everyone unless Trimurti (Tridev)themselves purposely use their power to look into you no one will find out about your truth even lord vishnu's avatar Bhagwan (God) Parsuram and Krishna.
2. system will save your life when you are in danger.
3. Dimensions hoping add-on, Help you go into any world of your desire.
4. Whole system without any limit.
You will receive the first part, Other 3 parts you have to find on your own, though the system will notify you when they are near."
Lord Shiva spoke these words and globe of 4 golden light appear in his hand, Three shot in different direction and one got into Karan soul body, Just as that light entered in him, Ray got sucked by powerful suction force and disappear in blink of eye, He not even get to say his farewell to his lord.
"Remember you will be born as karna with his cause and effect, So be careful not to repeat the same mistakes as him." Those were the last words Karan heard before his consciousness got lost.
"Svami (Husband) did we do the right thing by giving him that boon or do we give him too much?" Suddenly a very motherly feminine voice came out of the golden brilliance figure and brilliance shrouding the figure faded away. Ray was half right as this wasindeed the figure of a man but he was only half right because the other half of the figure was a very beautiful woman.
The body of the lord was separated into middle by two parts, one was a man and the other was a woman. Lord Shiva was not the only one front of Ray but also was a Parvati (Goddesses of power), Their also known as duo of Shiv-Shakti (Power). This sharing body is known as Ardhnarishwar (The lord whose half is a woman). In this form lord Shiva and goddesses Parvati were one.
The Ardhanareeswara represents a constructive and generative power. Ardhanareeswara symbolises male and female principles which cannot be separated. It conveys the unity of opposites in the universe. The male half stands for Purusha (Male) and female half is Prakriti (Nature).
Ray didn't not only gets boon from Lord shiva but also Goddess parvati but he doesn't know about it.
"You are the one saying that priye (Darling)? I just gave him the boon he asked me for but you just gave him the boon without him even knowing."Lord Shiva chuckled and said to his wife in a teasing tone.
"That- H-He was in pain and as a mother I couldn't help it." Goddess Parvati dogged her husband's eyes as the incarnation of Adi Sakti (Adi= Superior/First, Sakti=Power) mother of all couldn't help it when she saw her children in pain. So she given boon on her own to ease his pain.
"Don't worry priye (Darling), No one can get anything more or less from what they deserve, Now we have to wait and see, What path he will choose."Lord Shiva answered, How can he not understand his wife's emotions?'' That's why he gave this powerful boon. Now he just letting him chose his own path.Husband and wife talk sometime more, Then they disappear from the void waiting to see the unfolding of a new chapter of Ray's life.
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[1] Bhagwan Parsuraam : Paru= Axe, Raam= Name of sage, Parsuram means the one who wields an Axe. He was student of lord shiva himself and got all the weapons of lord shiva. Also He was the 7th avatar of lord vishnu. Had boon of Chiranjeevi (Immortal).
[2] Lord Krishna: The mortal Avatar of lord Vishnu. Because of a curse given to a past Avatar of lord vishnu Rama, He was without his Sakti( Power), Avatar of his wife Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of wealth) making him incomplete. Just like how lord Shiva is incomplete without goddesses Parvati).
[3] Ray(stream from the sun )is main character of the book will later known as karna as he will reincarnate as karna.I have chosen name Ray as its matches with karna and sun as he will be suryaputra (son of sun).
(+) It is necessary to share the book with others to give popularity about our book as it is new one.
The next chapter will be Birth of the Karna