The Hyderabad city is drenched in the monsoon rain, and the places were locked with rainwater everywhere. The IT employees are struggling to reach their homes and its already Thursday...a little relief for work week. One more day to go...after that it's the weekend! Varshika was returning from her office, while the roads of Hyderabad were no lesser than swimming pools, yet the municipal corporation is working on the potholes, drainage holes, even checking for manholes. But the traffic was heavy and the risk of driving in the congested road of Mindspace area is visible.
"What the heck yaar!" Chandrika groaned and leaned on to Aparna's shoulder, while she jerked off, "Chandu don't be dramatic, it's like every other time in the city, tsk." Aparna said to her friend looking out the auto huffing in frustration. "Still, you are also annoyed as me hmm?" Chandrika commented huffing. "By the way, is that Varshika Akka?" Aparna pointed towards the pavement, where a young woman who is tall, lean and tan skinned walking along the way tightly holding an umbrella. "Oye, it is indeed her! Varu!" Chandrika stuck her head out of the auto in the traffic calling Varshika, who is in knee length-soaked baggy jeans and floral print baby pink kurti. Varshika waved at them and Chandrika and Aparna called her towards the auto.
"Why the hell are you walking in this bloody rainwater Varu? can't you call us or book a cab?" Chandrika said in a genuine concern tone yet a little irritated because Varshika is walking in the contaminated rainwater. "Well, you know the cab or auto rates at this time will be roaring in the skies and I don't have a colleague who stays in our area, so I was walking to the nearby metro." Varshika answered. "Akka, now come and sit in the auto with us" Aparna said taking the umbrella from Varshika; "Don't worry auto anna we will pay extra fare." Aparna said looking at the auto driver, who was about to question but stopped after her words.
Finally, they reached their hostel in Ameerpet. "Hammayya!" Aparna and Chandrika threw their office bags aside falling on the bed. "Vammo! It's an adventure to go around Hyderabad when it rains!" Chandrika sighed drinking water. " What? I disagree, normally it's an adventure but now, this monsoon season it's like playing Squid Game!" Aparna exhaled laying on the bed, while Varshika chuckled and sat on the nearby chair. "Hey, Ritu, what are you working on? it's been nearly ten minutes of our arrival?" Varshika asked looking at Ritu who is seriously working on her laptop, gaze never leaving the screen. " Anthropologist madam is discovering some more civilizations I guess?" Chandrika jabbed and sat beside Ritu who is still adjusting her glasses and intensely studying something on the laptop screen.
"Tsk, I am not on a new discovery but digging into a forgotten place and temple." Ritu remarked showing a creepy old temple picture onscreen to Chandrika and Aparna joined them too. "What is it?" Aparna asked adjusting her thick glasses and staring at the temple surroundings in the picture. "It's an ancient Kubera temple" Ritu said and Chandrika and Aparna looked doubtfully at her, "What so special about it and by the way don't get me wrong as a quantum amateur and a techie, I can tell you that is an AI generated image, these have become common these days." Aparna shrugged off. "Appu?" Ritu shot a mock glare at Aparna and Aparna mock surrendered placing her hands up. "So basically, today evening as soon as I arrived from the university, I started to work on my latest assignment on folklores of our culture. So first it was nice and normal but then suddenly while scrolling, I came across this temple of Kubera. This is forgotten and the temple has a history of supernatural activities, like the benevolent spirits? souls? and after a few days this temple got closed as it is believed that this is not auspicious" Ritu explained in a very excited tone to Chandrika, Aparna and even Varshika joined them too.
"So? what?" Varshika asked looking at the temple image, which is now zoomed by Ritu, that temple looks so ancient, there is a step well nearby, the premises were odd yet there is something captivating. The temple is built in Nagari and Dravida style of Ancient Indian called Vesara style, most popular temple architecture. Its walls have carvings of different sculptures belonging to the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism and also intricated the symbols of demigod of Wealth and supernatural spirits, Kubera.
"This temple is beautiful right?" Ritu said excited while the other girls exchanged doubtful looks. "Ritu, do you think we really need to know about your expedition? I mean don't get me wrong but let's discuss this later now I am feeling hungry...so, shall we?" Aparna changed the topic to dinner. "Welp, let's have dinner and plan to go to this temple in the weekend!" Ritu said excited, "What? are you serious?" Chandrika crossed her arms, standing straight. "Do you even have any idea where the temple is ad it's looking a little eerie to me!" Varshika said softly giving concerning look to Ritu.
"Girls trust me, this temple of Kubera is three hours from our city, it is in the Ananta Giri hills area..I know you will say there is not in those hills, but it is nearly underground. It's just a place of worship" Ritu shown the location of the temple. "No!" Three of them said in unison. "Look ho Anthropologist, we are going to Ananta Giri hills to see their beauty and not your temple exploration on weekend and don't, okay, don't" Aparna warned her, "She is correct...if you really want to you go on one" Chandrika commented cooly. "No one will go to anywhere. We just go to Ananta Giri hills and return by evening on Saturday, now let's eat no more discussions" Varshika said in a finality in voice and the other two agreed while Ritu's interest was still in mind but she brushed it away, because the eldest girlie in the group who behaves like the mother of them, rarely says no and now she did, if she did, then no one in the girls likely to cross it because she is matured enough to understand than them. The girls had their regular banter and dinner, while outside the hostel, Hyderabad's sky is still roaring the thunderstorm....
aTime Skip.........
ANANTA GIRI HILLS......THE TEMPLE OF KUBERA...
It's nearly midnight and the nature in the Ananta Giri hills is resting peacefully lost in the darkness, aftermath the heavy poured thunderstorm. A tall, muscular figure emerged in the forest area just like a dark smoke. That figure started to walk towards a ruined temple in the hills.
He stood in front of the Gopura of the temple, his dark black eyes were looking at the Vimana of the temple intensely...like a bad memory flashing through it. His shoulders which were once adorned with various jewels are now has nothing but an Uttariya (upper cloth on Ancient Indian clothing), his hands which used to have golden bracelets and rings are now with nothing but bruises which looked like resulted from a battle, his upper body was once covered with various pearl and sapphire ornaments is now has nothing except the same Uttariya extending to his waist. His waist and Antariya(lower body cloth) where once emeralds and rubies were just now empty with just a normal loincloth. His finest silk cloths are not even silk now.... the darkness didn't show his face but still a single light lantern in his hand casted little light to the dark path of the temple. He went inside the temple to pray Lord Shiva in those ruins and danger but looks like his entry was forbidden. He sighed deeply, moved out of the sanctum (Garbha Griha) entrance and walked towards the sanctum of Kubera.
"Meeru kuda mammulanu inkanu anumatinchara swamy?" (Will you too don't allow me near you oh lord?) he asked the idol of Kubera in the sanctum with a deep vulnerable yet firm voice that could cut like a diamond. He silently took some water and nocturnal blooming flowers, water lilies from a ragged jute bag. He performed Abhisheka to the idol of Kubera with devotion and respect. "Yennallu naaki siksha Prabhu? Inkanu nenu prayshchttam chesukonaleda?" (How long is this punishment my lord? Still, didn't I get remorse?) he said in a dejected tone and placed the water lilies at the feet of Lord Kubera, silently walked out of the temple, disappear into the darkness of the forest as the lantern he held went off......
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