All know Temple is a place of worship. But in the background, Temple is a place to show status, wealth and power... Make the powerless fear the powerful….
Home is for freshening the soul and enjoying the bond of family…
THE TEMPLE OF GODDESS MEDHA
The sky was darkening. Melu had finished her prayers. She wished for a younger brother so she could play with him, and prayed for many toys and sweets. Finally, following the common practice in Goddess Medha's temples to make three wishes, she prayed for her parents to live happily together with her forever.
Suddenly, the darkening sky turned pitch black. It felt as if anything that flew would be sucked into the heavens—or perhaps down into hell. The dipas in the temple burned brighter, as if trying to hold back the encroaching darkness. Every fire around the temple grounds flared with intensity. Unnoticed by the crowd, the eyes of the Medha Goddess statue began to shine. When one person looked up, the rest of the crowd followed, staring into the abyss above.
This phenomenon was occurring not only in Dakin District but across the entire world. However, the shining eyes of the statue were unique to this temple; it was as if the Goddess was expecting something to arrive within her sanctuary.
The temple was vast, covering hundreds of acres. During festivals, the crowds were so dense it was difficult to meet the same stranger twice.
While everyone gazed at the sky, five-year-old Melu walked forward, distracted, holding a sweet. She accidentally bumped into someone, smearing the sticky treat onto the person's clothes.
"Sorry... sorry, uncle, I didn't see you," she stammered, anxious and apologizing immediately.
Hearing the apology, Kajil turned around, only to find her daughter wiping the smeared sweet on the robes of the man she had bumped into.
It was Chendayan. He looked down at his soiled robes and shoved Melu aside. "Dirty thing! Get away from me."
Kajil's heart stopped. She rushed to pick her daughter up from the ground, then knelt before the merchant, begging for mercy. "Sorry, sir! Please, forgive my daughter!"
Masi rushed to the commotion, finding his wife on her knees. "Wife, get up. Sorry, sir, for my daughter's mistake." He tried to help them stand, but Chendayan, fueled by rage, kicked both mother and daughter away.
At that moment, a bolt of black lightning tore through the sky, and rain began to fall. Drop by heavy drop, the downpour began, sending the crowd scrambling for cover. Chendayan, not expecting rain to interrupt his judgment, muttered something to his subordinates and stormed off.
No one noticed that one specific drop of rain was pitch black. It landed squarely on Kajil as she struggled to stand with Melu.
Masi helped them up, and they found shelter from the rain. He knew he was not powerful enough to demand justice for his wife and daughter; he could only swallow his grievances and hide. But seeing Chendayan's expression, Masi knew this was not over. The merchant was a petty man.
The onlookers knew it too. An elder standing in the same shelter approached Masi. "Young man, I advise you to leave Dakin District as soon as possible. Everyone knows Chendayan is a vindictive man."
"I know, uncle. Thank you for the reminder." Masi knew that a powerful man like Chendayan was guarded by Prana Practitioners—warriors far stronger than normal humans. As a father and husband, survival was his only priority.
"Wife, let's go. We leave Dakin tonight," Masi whispered to Kajil. The pain and fear in her eyes told him she understood the danger.
"Yes, let's go."
"A wise decision," the elder added softly. "But I suggest you do not go to your own home. Stay at a friend's house tonight, then leave Dakin at first light."
Masi looked deep into the elder's eyes. He had hoped Chendayan might not be so cruel as to deny them even one night to pack, but the elder's warning was clear.
Melu's family didn't wait for the festivities to end. They fled the temple immediately. It was night, and they had no horse or cart. Their house was only two kilometers away, but to Kajil, the journey felt like an eternity.
SECOND TEMPLE HOUSE COLONY
Masi didn't wait or rest. He immediately began packing emergency utensils, necessities, and food, collecting every valuable item they owned. Kajil, too, refused to leave their fate to chance.
Knock, knock, knock.
Knock, knock, knock.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
Masi realized the elder's warning had been a valuable lesson—they had almost been too late. He looked at Kajil, who grabbed Melu and gestured for the child to stay quiet.
"Who is it?" Masi asked, his voice heavy with dread.
Knock, knock, knock.
"WHO IS IT?"
"Did you think you could hide inside after offending Master Chendayan?" a voice sneered from the other side of the door.
"Kajil, take Melu and hide in the room. Whatever you hear, do not come out. Okay?" Masi whispered into Kajil's ear.
"No, I will not leave you," she whispered back, then turned to the child. "Daughter, go inside the room. Don't come out, and don't make a sound." Kajil spoke with tears welling in her eyes.
Masi understood Kajil intended to stand by his side, but he refused to let her. He shoved Kajil into the room with Melu and locked the inner door. Steeling himself, he went to open the front door to face whatever awaited them.
Five of Chendayan's thugs stood there. But worse, Chendayan's right-hand man, Bhoji, stood among them.
Masi stepped slowly out into the darkness. Seeing Bhoji, he knew the hope for escape was all but gone.
"Master Bhoji, why are you here?" Masi asked, forcing a polite tone.
Bhoji scanned the area and confirmed that none of the neighbors were home. It was tradition to spend the whole night of the festival at the temple, watching plays and performances. The fireworks, which lasted until dawn, were also a major attraction. Bhoji intended to exploit this solitude to finish the family quickly and report back to Master Chendayan.
"Temple fairs are long and full of noise," Bhoji said, a cold smile playing on his lips. "The perfect time to cover up 'accidents'... like a house fire."
Bhoji was in no hurry to strike. He preferred to toy with his prey before the kill. To him, commoners were nothing more than ants, waiting to be crushed beneath his feet.
Bhoji stared coldly into Masi's eyes. Understanding the unspoken threat, Masi suddenly dropped to his knees, begging for forgiveness. "Master, no! Don't do it. Please, spare our lives! I will give you everything we have."
"Oh? And what do you have that is worth the price of a life?"
Masi scrambled up and ran back inside his house, trembling with fear. He returned moments later with a wooden box he had crafted to store his savings. "Master, this is all my wealth. I will give everything to you. Please, just spare my family. We will leave town tonight and never return."
Bhoji opened the box. Inside lay more than 300 copper punch coins and 15 silver punch coins. Seeing the silver, Bhoji realized this was Masi's entire life savings.
Satisfied with the bribe, Bhoji decided to spare the lives of this insignificant family. "I will give you two hours to escape with your lives. If I come back in the morning and find you here... ha ha ha..."
"Let's go," Bhoji signaled to his men.
He turned around and left Masi kneeling in the dirt.
Wiping his tears, Masi stood up and rushed back inside. He unlocked the inner door and let his wife and daughter out. "Let's go. We have to leave Unikur before sunrise."
Kajil, though she knew it was gone, frantically scanned the room for the wooden box that held their family's future.
"I gave it away," Masi said softly. "But I still have a few copper coins in my pocket. Maybe we can hire a cart to get us out of town."