THE LAND OF KINGS
The Land of Kings is a story or the life of a kid who born and live in difficult conditions but finally rise to rule. The time period of story is very very old, even when the time was not even counted.
Chapter 001 : THE CAVE
Long long time ago, when human society was not so developed, human just started to live in groups, development in science was just started, machine was just invented, human were doing his work by hands, men and women both were equal, no-one was dependent on others, major work in hand was to earn food.. At the edge of Himalayas in a small even very small village of 9 or may be 10 houses a kid was born.
No-one knows the real name of the kid but the village name was Navrang and when the kid was young he get the same name. The village today may not exist on map, but at that time it was a small but very beautiful village surrounded by hills.
North side of village was having a series of snow covered hills and the south side was having a series of hills covered with greenery. Greenery was extended till the human eye can see and snow was extended till the end of hills. But natural conditions toward hill was so difficult that no-one crossed it. Those hills when not covered with ice provide leafs of medical importance. Same time the forest was so dense that no-one dare to enter into that. Still the trees at the edge of forest provide them fruits.
No-one from the village remember if someone entered deep into the forest, still stories circulate about the existence of bad creatures and monsters. No-one saw those monsters, no-one knows the truth but they believe in stories. Rest two sides were human friendly. Third side of village was blocked by river, the river not only provide them drinking water, but also support their fields. This side was most important for village but same time the river also block villagers path. The last side was a plain field, most useless for villagers. Useless because stories tell the end of the plain field was a big village, but it is so far that no-one had traveled in living memories.
We don’t know the name of newly born kid, but his future name is Navrang, so we will use the same right from beginning.
Navrang was a kid, just an ordinary kid but physically stronger then neighbor kids. He is just 10 year old but he looks like 15 year old. Because of his physical strength only he was accepted as a leader in between neighbor kids. The leadership was just limited to playing in river and on hills. It was Navrang’s right to jump into river first, he was first who get right to catch fish from river. But fortunately he never pushed his right, it was just accepted by other kids. No-one remember how and when Navrang was accepted as a leader, but most kid remember one incident which might be first, where he get throne of leadership.
It was summer a little hotter then past few years, even calling it year is not justified because year or month is not the unit of time yet, we can say season, although it is rare to get fish in river, but sometime people get small fishes. It was lucky day for the group of 20 kids when a young kid jumped into river and caught a big fish. Same time it was kid’s bad luck that he could not come out because of water flow. Other kids helped him to come out and that cost him share in fish which he didn’t bother. But issue rise when two kids demanded a larger share just because one jumped into river and second because he made it eatable. The issue was resolved peacefully by Navrang, by sharing in between 18 kids. Two fighting kids didn’t get any share same time they dare not to rise voice against Navrang because of his physical power. Probably that was the beginning of Navrang’s leadership.
One day when it was almost dark, kids back to home, stoves ready for dinner suddenly a loud bang was witnessed by many, unfortunately they didn’t bother just because such sounds was common in hills. Sometime falling ice and sometime creature in forest create such noise, that was the common excuse for villagers. But today was not an ordinary day, today the sound started but never ended for many. The sound was not unusual but it was because of natural disturbance, the end of disturbance was also the end of village. Next morning when nature calm down, the village was under tons of ice.
Nature is cruel enough to end entire village, but same time it allow to survive Navrang and 3 of his friends. The remaining of village is nothing more the four kids. Village is under ice, their food stock is under ice, their field is under ice, river is also missing either changed path or just stopped, in short there is noway to survive further, at-least not here. It is time when Navrang need to extend his leadership from just playing to survive. Other three kids depends on him now.
Although Navrand is also kid but he know he has to find the way to survive and take stand against nature. Here they can survive during day time, but the night going to kill them. It’s time to believe the stories and reach next village, which is somewhere in the end of plain field, very very far. Without food and cloths it is impossible to reach. The only way left is going inside forest, where they can get fruits and they can spend night if they get cave. But what about the creatures living inside forest ?
Navrang choose to enter the forest as usual rest three friends follow him. Well before the evening all four kids entered inside forest. Soon they realize that the forest is so dense that sunlight not even touching ground and as they are moving inside the darkness rising. After couple of hours when Navrang with his friends reached at the top of a small hill, it is almost night and light can’t be seen anywhere near but they see the empty cave to serve them for night. But what if the stories of unknown creatures are true ?
It is almost end of night, when suddenly Navrang saw fog all around the cave, fog he has seen thousands of time, but what he has not seen in past is fog limited in a small region. The fog Navrang witnessed was just around the cave rest of the forest was free. Next morning was good for them because they find almost every necessary thing nearby and cave was enough hot to survive.
It is time to decide, if they can stay here for rest of life or they should go further into forest. As usual Navrang was leader and his decision was accepted by all and his choice was to stay in hot & calm cave and same time he decide to explore the forest. This place was suitable for them because they get food from nearby trees, cave provide them warm and safe stay, for medicine they can visit hills occasionally, and last night was peaceful. His only worry is the regional fog. What he can do if he saw the fog again tonight ?
The place where Navrang saw fog last night was not far from the cave, but the place is separated from cave by a small river, which they can’t cross. Also the place it slightly higher, therefore there is no way to investigate the place. Even I am not sure if the fear allow them to investigate. There was nothing special during that day except they searched nearby places for the foot-steps of creatures, they collected fruits and water for night, also they made few arrangements to cover the cave.
Unfortunately the four kids searched nearby cave, but they didn’t bother to see the end of cave, where someone was waiting for them in dark.
Agyat Sanyasi