G – Garuda (Chapter 1)

First, I apologize for not keeping to the schedule. I had A-F planned but not the rest and work just took over my life. However, my brain cooked up a nice little story last night while I was sleeping – I love when that happens. It is longer than the average short story but not long enough to be a full fledged story. It will be told in parts, I don’t know what letter it will end on but for now, I can tell you there are at least two more parts coming.

Disclaimer – The characters are inspired from Hindu mythology. My story is completely different from the original, a retelling if you will. Wikipedia has the full mythological story if you are interested.

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Garuda was still very young and he didn’t understand that he was being abandoned when his parents dropped him in front of the Church. He sat on the steps like the good boy he was and waited for them to return. He didn’t know how long he sat there but the sun had set and his stomach was making funny noises.

Vinata was heading back home after her day of chores for Kudra. She was in lost in thought, walking past the church as she did everyday, without a side glance. When she turned the corner, she stopped abruptly as though hit by an invisible wall. She had the strangest feeling – like a part of her soul had been left behind, stuck at the Church. The same building she had walked past a thousand times without incident. She ran back and the moment she laid eyes on little Garuda, she knew. She knew he was the one foretold, he would be the one to break her shackles, he was the second chance she had been given to prove to Kashyapa and Kudra that she was a good mother.

Kudra was starting to get annoyed, Vinata was over ten minutes late. She had noticed that lately, Vinata didn’t seem to follow her commands with the same fear and loyalty as before. Dinners were late, dishes not washed all the way, laundry only half done, only half the children were groomed. Vinata seemed lost in her own little world, distracted and Kudra had caught her muttering to herself. If Kudra hadn’t known better, she would have thought Vinata was starting to lose it. Kudra decided it was time, once again, to show this woman her place. Kudra heard Vinata’s heavy footsteps coming up the drive and walked out to give her a piece of her mind.

Kudra stopped at the door, rendered speechless, staring at the little boy Vinata was carrying. He was the most beautiful boy she had ever laid her eyes on but she was also filled with an unknown fear. She could tell that her entire life – the life she had built so painstakingly, with trickery and cunning, her wonderful, cozy life was about to come crumbling down around her.

Kashyapa had had a very long day. The new student in his class was particularly difficult. He was well versed with straightening out ‘troubled’ children, that was his specialty, parents sought him out from far and wide to beg Kashyapa to take their children as his students. Kashyapa was very adamant about only teaching five students at a time and he would not teach girls. He had a house full of girls and he didn’t want anymore in his classroom. Kashyapa wasn’t having difficulty with the student’s behavior, he knew what he had to do to discipline the child. The problem was this kid resembled Aruna so closely, Kashyapa was having trouble keeping his wits around him. He had never really mourned the loss of his one baby boy – Aruna had only been a little boy when he had died. Vinata had been negligent, she had caused his death, it had driven them apart, he had remarried and Kudra had given him ten beautiful girls, though none of them would ever be able to take his bloodline forward. Maybe Kudra could have overcome the loss of a child but he could never forgive Vinata for losing his heir. When Vinata and Kashyapa separated, Vinata had nowhere to go. She had nobody and fresh from the grief of their lost child, Kashyapa hadn’t been able to cast her out of his house. It was his new bride who had suggested that Vinata atone for her sins by serving them for the next fifty years – Kashyapa thought the punishment wasn’t harsh enough but he had agreed because he couldn’t think of anything worse. He had been wrong though, Vinata wasn’t just their servant but she was also forced to watch Kudra be a mother to her five beautiful girls – something Vinata could never be.

The reminder of this painful past cemented Kashyapa’s decision. He would no longer teach this student. For the first time in his career, he would call the parents and tell them he had failed. He would refer them to someone else, less adept than him but effective. He would accept his defeat but he was sure this wouldn’t go on his record. This kid resembled his dead son – no one could fault him for letting go of one student. He decided it best to talk to his boss first before reaching out to the parents. He pushed the matter to the back of his mind – he didn’t need to take these worries back home. A hot meal and evening with his family awaited him.

The moment Kashyapa entered the driveway, he could feel the massive shift in the atmosphere around his house. The wind was blowing the wrong way, the house was too quiet and everything around him seemed brighter, sharper and vibrant – almost striking. The Jasmine tree in the front yard had never been so fragrant, the pool next to it had never been so clear and the world had never felt so alive. He walked into the house with trepidation.

To be continued in H.