The Trail Of The Twelve Signs

THE TRAIL OF 12 SIGNS

Chapter 1: The Theory

PART I

“Mom I am leaving” said Manas. It was 5:30 in the morning, for past 2 months Manas had suddenly started going out for jogging every morning and generally returned quite late. Though this was a good habit but it was showing adverse effects on his health and his mom was really worried about her son’s new habit of jogging. She was quite sure that there was something going on in his mind but what it was, She had no idea moreover she was sure that he was not going to share it either.

‘What’s up in his head, I wish he stays safe and returns back to normal soon. May be once the school starts again things will be back on track’ Thought his mom.

In the outskirts of a suburban Indian town, the mornings are generally slow. Time passed with real ease it feels like the whole world is running at an amble pace. Manas set out for a walk toward an old fort which was about a kilometre away from his home. Now this was his place, his open air laboratory, the place where he rigorously tested his theory. It was about 2 months ago when he was enchanted by this weird concept. Initially he had several doubts but as the time passed and he researched and experimented more, he got more and more captivated by the theory and got firm in his belief that what he has concluded was definitely gettable. Despite continuous and never ending failures, his trust in the theory didn’t seem to shake even the slightest bit. As he was jogging to his destination a brisk drizzle started and was over in a while. But Manas was in a different world all together.

‘I am really close. There is just some minor thing that i am missing. What exactly is it, everything seems to be so logically placed, this should work, either there is a problem with my level of concentration or i have missed some fine link in this ancient chain...  Its gotta work, their is no reason why it should not work unless all the ancient documents are fake and myth and just creation of bored human mind.’  With all these thought running and stirring through his mind soon he reached his place

Brijore city’s fort was situated on an evenly spread and long flat hill with temples and small forts spread all over the hill, unlike one single castle Brijore’s Fort was a group a spaced out ruins temples and castles. An old fort, the last relic of Rajput Dynasty which ruled Brijore (Manas’s City) for hundred of years, It will be an exaggeration to say it a fort anymore as it was nothing more than shattered ruin. However, the fort was a hotspot for early morning joggers but the crowd was generally concentrated towards the lesser ruined places, mostly the temples. At one corner of the fort was a shattered ruin that probably had been a stable for the king’s horses and no one really visited. This was Manas’s laboratory a secluded place with various shattered walls and lobbies surrounding an Open square, at the centre of which was an old tree. Manas went and sat right under the tree and focused on the wall in front of him, about 15-20 feet away. There was a Big Dark Circle etched out on the wall surrounding a thinner white inner circle with a Black dot at the centre. Manas had scratched this circle to concentrate at one point, this was a very essential pre requisite for his theory to work. Everyday he sat for hours in a meditative position, his palms wide open directed at his face and concentrated as hard as he possibly could but nothing happened. He has been sitting in that position for more than 30 minutes now but still nothing seemed to be happening at all. It has been like this for almost 2 months now, He went there sat in that position concentrating, believing that it will work but it never did. Just than a drop of water from the leaves of the tree right above him, fell on his forehead. The Next moment a gust of wind stormed his face blowing all his hairs straight up, for moments he thought his head will be blown as well.

“That’s it I did it” He jumped in exhilaration what was eluding him for 2 months has finally happened.

‘Just what was I missing why didn’t it happen earlier?’  He said to himself. To make sure that it was not a fluke, he decided to check it once again. He stood in front of the tree, moved his hands in an agile sweep, at the same time focused toward the centre of his eyes. After making sure that he has concentrated sufficiently, he channelled the concentration through his arms at the centre of his palm and opened his hands in a move that can be described as an open pawed punch. Next moment a jet of air blow the tree fiercely, shredding a heap of leaves flying all along with the wind leaving the parent tree forever.     

“Yeeeeeeeeha I finally got it and now I know what was missing “exclaimed Manas in triumph.

With happiness swept all across his face he headed back home. Savouring the entire way back home into his memories, after 2 months finally his experiments were over the theory he so fanatically pursued was not just a fluke it really did exist and worked. Once he got back home and finished his daily chores, he decided to meet his best Bud Vivek.

“Mom I am going at Vivek’s place will be home later.” Said Manas and left his home in a hurry. Beside himself, Vivek was the only one who knew his theory but was more than sceptical of its success but as has been Manas’s debating skills, he was never able to defend his doubts on Manas’s hypothesis backed by facts and ancient literature. 

“Vivek!” Shouted Manas at Vivek’s doorsteps.

“Come in man I am in the computer room” ,Vivek has always been confined to his computer room, as far as memory goes, Manas could only picturise Vivek in his computer room with 2 chairs, One for himself and one for anticipated guest and a stool, rather a miniature version of a table to keep snacks.

“Man it worked “Said Manas animatedly.

“What worked?”

“My Theory it worked man it really did “said Manas joyously.

“Which one of your weird theory man? “Asked Vivek rather more plainly.

“Holy-Crap!, The one about the 12 signs. One backed with the ancient literature of many religions. It worked I can do it. “Said Manas with a look of victory in his eyes

“What! You’ve gotta be kidding me. It isn’t possible. “Said Vivek in disbelief

“I knew you would say so. Just see this” said Manas rubbing some white powder on his forehead between his eyes.

“What’s that now some magic powder?”

“Ha-ha! Nopes man just minced peppermint” said Manas “ look at my hand carefully”

He spread out his right hand gently and placed it on the stool between them. Next, he twitched his hand a few times, concentrated all his energies at the centre of his forehead and in a few moments air began to spiral between the outlines of his palm. In another few seconds, the spiralling air turned into a miniature turbulent typhoon. Than he released the concentration through his palms and blow the typhoon at Vivek’s face. The expressions on Vivek’s face and the direction in which his hairs settled were well beyond description.

“Wow! “  Exclaimed Vivek in disbelief

“This is Epic, I mean this is amazing, unreal how did you do that?”

“Well you know the theory and according to it I should be able to manipulate air as I wish, If only I had the will power or concentration. Right” said Manas “ But even after trying for months It wasn’t succeeding. Just when I started having doubts on it, When I began questioning what was I missing? I mean their must be some small thing. Something minute, a small miscalculation or probably I missed something and thought it was insignificant. When I started having doubt, if ever I will be able to fully decipher this theory, Weather the ancient text, which I blindly trusted, was even true or not. It worked, completely out of the blue,   today while practicing that theoretical exercise of concentrating on a point, a drop of water fell at the centre of my forehead from the tree and all my energy and attention was focused on centre and than a gush of wind blew my face. So practically the exercise wasn’t wrong it was just that I was focusing on the wrong point, on the wall instead of my Third eye.” Said Manas with a grin followed by a pause, silence.

“ Now I want to check it with other signs as well and that’s why I am here” said Manas

“Hmm well I am sceptical If will be able to do it, It took you 2 whole months Man!” said Vivek

“Ahhh don’t worry about it I have thought of a way and I know what mistakes I did so for you guys it should come in lesser time” said Manas.

“Hmm as you say and what about the other signs?” asked Vivek.

“Well haven’t found anyone trustworthy from water signs but we will meet a Fire guy tomorrow morning at my Open-air lab” joked Manas.

“Time for me to leave have to plan some convenient training for you guys as well as refine the theory for an easier explanation for Pralay”

“Pralay is the fire guy!!!!, You have gotta be kidding me” asked Vivek in disbelief.

“Yeah! Don’t worry I know him for more than a year and he is the perfect guy for a fire sign” said Manas. Winked and left back for his home.

 

…To be continued

Mayank Rajput

 July 5, 2010

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