HOW BLUE IS MY SAPPHIRE
The final days of Kurukshetra war…….
Several millennia ago, Surya Devata forewarned his son Karna
not to part with his Kavacha and Kundala. The intrepid warrior would need them so
that he could match Arjuna, with all the weaponry at his disposal and be a
suitable competitor. However Karna had to live up to his reputation of being
munificent and generous. The charioteer’s son smilingly parted with the protective
gear to the sheepish looking Lord Indra but uncharacteristically asked the Lord
of Thunder and Rain for a missile in return.
As he was dying, Karna mused, “Why did Lord Krishna reveal
the esoteric knowledge of Bhagvad Gita to Arjuna alone?”
Soon, Yama appeared in the form of a dog to carry the soul
of Karna to the heavens. A distraught Karna asked Yama as to why he was singularly
victimised throughout life. Yama
replied, “It is nothing but the Karmic cycle. You were covetous of Arjuna, and also
blinded with rage towards your brother Arjuna. Besides you were lustful and remained
evil eyed to your sister-in-law Draupadi,” added Yama.
“But I was enraged and my self-esteem was constantly
punctured when they referred to me as a SutPutra. A pariah was left with little
choice but to extend support to the Kauravas. I was also indebted to Duryodhana
for crowning me the king of Anga,” replied Karna.
“One day the Karmic cycle will catch up with them too if
they turn torpid,” said Yama.
In a futuristic time, several thousand years later……..
The collapse of the Berlin Wall, advancements in science and
telecommunications, a globalised world, knowledge society which were once
considered epochal events had all been left far behind. It seemed like mankind
had reached the zenith of his development, choosing only one companion to
travel as fast and far into space and time with him, the ever faithful dog.
Man had become virtually ageless and both information and
esoteric knowledge could be transmitted through mere mental focusing or a physical
touch.
The contest to don the mantle of ruler of the Universe had
reached the summit point and the next twenty four hours would decide as to who
would lord over the universe. The victor
would embrace all the powers of the Gods and could fashion the future of the
lives of all the species.
However the intrinsic harmony and equilibrium of the universe
could not be fragmented or violated. The secrets of the Bhagvad Gita were now embedded
in the Blue Sapphire. Lord Krishna, the blue hued one, was on a sabbatical and
had handed over the Blue Sapphire to Yama, who assumed the form of a dog. He
was the sole judge and arbiter of the contest.
Among millions of contestants who participated from across
the universe two remained in the fray, the vivacious and perspicacious Diana
Shapiro from the deep pocketed Boston, who epitomised the American amplitude.
Don Shapiro, her billionaire father was a polarising figure apart being a real
estate developer and arms manufacturer. He was also poised to win the
presidency of the USA as per the latest Gallup polls.
The other contestant was the impoverished Kishen Kumar hailing
from Katihar, a bijou town of Bihar. Kishen’s father Sanjaya, was a mere
driver. While one of the challengers was bold and beautiful, the other was brainy
and brawny. Some harsh realities in the highly advanced world had however not
changed over a millennia and the chasm between the affluent and the impecunious
had only widened.
Seemingly the combat was inequitable. For the misogynists
and sexists it was a battle between a man and one from the fairer sex. But to
the discerning observer it was a struggle between the deprived who dreamed to confront
the opulent. Before the opening of the competition, Yama conducted a life
regression therapy on Don and Diana, revealing their pasts to them. Father and
daughter were stunned to know that once they too were Indian celestials in the form
of Indra and Arjuna respectively.
Don recalled how long, long ago, he thundered and rained
over a hamlet called Gokul to establish his suzerainty. But a small boy called
Krishna came to the rescue of the denizens. He effortlessly lifted the Govardhan
Mountain, protecting them from his wrath.
Even after all these years Don’s ego could not stomach the
ignominy he had undergone at Gokul. After all he was a ‘twice born’ and had faced
defeat at the hands of an OBC, cleverly glossing over the fact that the
celestial song ‘the Gita (the Blue Sapphire) was revealed by Krishna to his son
at that time. And in this age the son reincarnated as his daughter Diana.
If fortune were to favour them once again the gifted
daughter would become the empress of the universe and he, the President of the USA.
In such an eventuality all the Gods would propitiate the father-daughter duo.
In order to clamber that summit the precious Blue Sapphire was to be captured
at any cost- a chip which was the repository of all knowledge and secrets of
the universe and would be extremely useful to win the crown of the ruler of the
universe.
Don and Diana were now aware that Yama (Krishna in Kaliyuga
had delegated this engagement), now assuming the form of a dog was suitably impressed with the years of penance performed by
Sanjaya and Kishen Kumar, an aspiring Civil Servant and had revealed the secret of Blue Sapphire to them. One who
possessed this chip became a master of all crafts and trades. Meanwhile excessive
wealth had made Don and Diana slothful and complacent.
The Sapphire was only the holy key for the contest and was to
be treated with all reverence. According to Yama, the precious knowledge from
the Sapphire was transmitted only to a sacred person who practiced all the
covenants of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Foremost among them were honesty.
Over twenty fours the gladiators were to be physically and
mentally examined under the watchful eyes of a dog who was also aided by a super
computer which tabulated all the data and live streamed and podcast the
proceedings across the universe. Father and daughter attempted to wean away
Yama to their territory in order to acquire the Blue Sapphire by using all the
sophistry at their disposal but remained unsuccessful. “This is an acid test
not Kurukshetra,” ventured Yama.
A euphoric Kumar pipped past Diana in the half marathon by a
mere fraction as Don wrenched his hands in despair. At stake was the crown of
the universe for a hundred years. Diana recovered from the shock defeat and
held back her tears to swim like a fish and win all the aquatic events.
The Indian camp of father and son plunged into despondency.
History had to be rewritten, kept goading the car driver. Opportunity was
beckoning at their doorsteps and the depressed classes had a rare opportunity
to settle scores was his constant refrain.
The super computer announced it was time for track and field
events. Kishen and Diana scorched the tracks like panthers. The female
competitor won the hundred and two hundred metres races, while the male
competitor efficaciously ran the four hundred and eight hundred metres. The
scores were even and both physical and emotional temperatures were rising in
the cauldron. They pushed each other. It was more than a friendly punch. An
impassioned Don thumped his chest like a gorilla, while Sanjaya used choicest
Bihari expletives to browbeat their propertied opponents.
A possessed Diana overcame a stiff challenge posed by Kishen
in games such as tennis and squash but faltered in the cerebral contest of
chess much to chagrin of Don. This thrilled Sanjaya Kumar no end.
At this defeat Diana was on the verge of a mental breakdown,
but her billionaire father elevated her mood through a motivational talk. At some
distance was a dog along with the super computer, watching the events unfolds.
The sun was blazing in Florida as the physical endurance
tests came to an end. Diana was marginally ahead in this regimen. The
overarching made their bodies ache but to emerge triumphant and lift the trophy
inspired and egged them on.
Sanjaya had been banking on a robust display by his son in
the physical examination rounds. But the unexpectedly resolute performance by
Dianna had left him befuddled. His plans for retribution and avenging the
defeat suffered long years back began to haunt him. He tried to goad Kishen for
the remaining rounds. Success meant power for hundred years while failure meant
subjugation to the vanquisher.
Aesthetics and intellectual calibre of the contestants were
now under the microscope after the extreme muscular examination.
To be triumphant was to be the only mantra and Sanjaya had
set sights that his son emerges victorious at any cost. He trained his son extensively
to walk the ramp and emerge as a showstopper. Sanjaya realised that the
enigmatic and vivacious Diana could romp home quite effortlessly. He stealthily
eclipsed himself not to be captured by the eyes of the super computer and
disfigured the extortionate robe which Diana intended to wear.
Dianna floated in wearing a stunning breezy summer outfit
and appeared extremely confident to charm her way to win the round. As she
twisted and turned she was disrobed. In a flash Arjuna (Diana) remembered as to
what had happened to his wife. A sense of Deja-vu prevailed in the cauldron.
She was stark naked and the super computer beamed her nudity across the
universe. Diana wept inconsolably. Her mind was tormented and besot with grief
and she felt like snuffing out her life. The chastity of a woman was at the
chopping block……..she felt she was being physically assaulted.
Meanwhile Kishen Kumar who had spent several hours in the
gym (fruits of positive affirmation over many years later enabled this
development). His chiselled body strode the ramp like a warrior displaying his six
pack abs and emerged victorious.
Don was incensed with anger. The flotsam and jetsam were
once again regrouping. He hankered to sever the torso of Sanjaya Kumar and son
Kishen. At a distant corner of the room the super computer blinked and Yama
soon grasped that the tenets of fair play were surrendered at the altar of
subterfuge.
This was the moment Don had been hankering after, as Yama
directed Sanjaya and Kishen Kumar to immediately surrender the Blue Sapphire.
The father-son duo tried to argue in vain as Yama reminded them of the cardinal
principles of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Don and Diana celebrated, as the mortified father and son
duo capitulated and surrendered the Blue Sapphire. They felt enervated and
powerless.
The super computer initiated the intellectual and reasoning
rounds on a variety of subjects. Kishen was emotionally distraught and could
not comprehend a majority of the questions. His memory failed him; information
and knowledge learnt in the IAS training institute at Katihar were lapsing into
a precipice.
Curse and misfortune always followed him, so he thought.
What was the need for his father to resort to legerdemain? Diana appeared to be
emerging triumphant and gaining an upper hand in the competition.
Dusk had set in, shadows were lengthening and it was slowly
getting dark. Sanjaya tried to re-ignite the drive to win in his son. They
could not afford to be in bondage and slavery for a hundred years again.
The super computer beamed the latest tally, with an ecstatic
Diana marginally ahead. She was at 10,000 points with Kishen Kumar at 9,900. A
mere hundred points separated them. They were now to be examined on writing
skills and the contestants had to write an essay on ‘What would I do if I
become the ruler of the universe?’
Kishen was extremely disturbed and desperately needed some respite.
To recuperate he went to take a shower. He appeared like a dark handsome God,
as water cascaded over his well chiselled, six pack bronze frame.
Dianna too was
subsumed by the frenetic paced events of the day. She was physically and
mentally enervated. And she was singed with her nudity being screened across
the Universe.
She was desperate for some support, a shoulder to lean on,
succour where she could bare her soul. She happened to pass by and was
bewitched by the sight of Kishen under the shower…. Like one of her ancestors
called Pandu, she too succumbed to the flames of passion and disrobed and went
on to embrace Kishen. It was a physical demand propelled more by emotional devastation
and she did not swear by the tenets of Patanjali. They kissed fervidly and
seemed to be in the union for eternity.
“All of us live with our past. All of us allow it to shape
our future. But some of us know how to shrug the past. I think that is who I
am.....,” thought Kishen as he continued to passionately kiss Diana. And soon
he disarmed her intellectually and sucked out all her stimulating prowess. This
was the time for retribution; to rewrite the Karmic cycle. The words of Yama, uttered
in another life time were resonating in his ears.
Diana shrugged off the embrace and unlocked the kiss. She
felt ashamed and tore away from him.
They both were seated in front of the super computer and
wrote down their essays. And Kishen empowered with the kiss was declared the
victor much to chagrin and discomfiture of Don and exaltation of Sanjaya.
Curiously enough the Blue Sapphire lost some of its
lustre…….
