The final, resonant note from Maa Saraswati's veena did not fade so much as it dissolved, becoming one with the very atmosphere of Brahmalok.
It left behind a profound, humming silence. For Angat, this was more than the end of a performance; it was a culmination. As the last echoes of cosmic harmony settled within him, he felt… different. It wasn't a loud or jarring change, but a quiet, fundamental one, like a background process on a computer finally finishing its task, freeing up precious system resources.
His soul, which had felt like a corrupted and fragmented file, now hummed with a clean, optimized energy. A new clarity dawned in his consciousness, a sense of extra "RAM" in his spiritual core that hadn't been there before.
As the Goddess of Knowledge, her divine work complete, glided backstage..the chaotic data streams in the air smoothing into perfect, orderly patterns in her wake, Angat stood in contemplative silence, mentally running a diagnostic on his own newfound peace.
His reverie was broken by the sound of familiar, cheerful chatter. Narad Muni was already deep in conversation with Maa Riddhi and Siddhi, his ever-present holographic assistant hovering patiently nearby.
"So, how is the scene at Kailash these days, Mata?" Narad asked, leaning in with conspiratorial glee.
Maa Siddhi smiled, a glint of amusement in her luminous eyes. "Well, Brother-in-Law Kartikeya is rather in a bad mood these days. You know why, right? You do know all the info in the world."
Narad chuckled, adjusting the rudraksha mala around his wrist. "Ah, the Martial General Kartikeya! Well, he is always strict and ready to march on other pantheons with his divine army. But these days, due to additional bureaucracy, he has to file for proper authentication and budget approval to fight any cosmic-level corporate missions. It's a new protocol. Especially with these new upstart companies and divine startups ...they're all sending agents for corporate espionage against our divine Kalachakra OS. Security is a nightmare!"
Maa Siddhi gasped softly. "Oh my! You are truly up-to-date with all the news, Mr. Narad. Even we don't get these details so quickly."
Narad beamed, then his expression turned more curious. "And what of the big three? How is Shiv ji, the Destroyer, himself?"
Maa Riddhi's laugh was like the gentle chime of digital wind chimes. "Same old, same old, Mr. Narad. Father-in-law is in his usual spot, enjoying his mystic smokes with his crew of Naga Sadhus. The air up there is thick with philosophy and… well, smoke."
She grinned mischievously. "And Maa Parvati is already deep in planning for Maa Lakshmi's Sunday party. You're invited, you know. You're quite the celebrity in our 'Devi Chat ' group. We've dubbed you the 'Divine Gossiper.' ...Hihihi!"
Maa Siddhi nodded, her smile knowing. "She's right, Mr. Narad. We all miss your updates! Ever since Lord Brahma's 'Administration Upgrade,' you seem to have lost your touch. Too busy filing celestial reports?"
Narad Ji looked genuinely flustered, the beads around his neck dimming slightly in what seemed like divine embarrassment. "Narayan, Narayan! My apologies, Mata. You know how it is... the workload since the celestial merger is insane! I barely have time for proper divine whispering these days."
He then leaned in, his voice dropping to a thrilled whisper. "But since you asked… on my way from Yamlok, I caught Indra Dev getting a full-system lashing from Mr. Yam. His aura was flashing error-red! It was quite the spectacle. Here, let me airdrop you the clip." He wiggled his fingers, and a tiny, shimmering data packet zipped from his palm towards the two goddesses. "Narayan, Narayan, the drama never ends!"
From behind him, Angat, having overheard the entire exchange, couldn't suppress a soft chuckle. The contrast between the infinite, cosmic scale of Brahmalok and the utterly relatable, office-style gossip was too deliciously absurd.
Noticing the extra soul for the first time, both Maa Riddhi and Siddhi turned their luminous gazes towards Angat. "And who is this, Narad Ji?" Maa Siddhi asked, her head tilted with divine curiosity.
"Ah! My apologies, where are my manners?" Narad exclaimed, pulling Angat forward by the shoulder. "Ladies, this is Angat. Vatsa, meet the divine embodiments of Prosperity and Success." He then proceeded to give them the sparknotes version of the story: the karmic buffer overflow, the erroneous soul-erasure, the special pass from Yamraj himself.
Both goddesses looked at Angat, their expressions shifting from curiosity to genuine, divine pity. "Oh, Vatsa," Maa Riddhi said, her voice as soft as a comforting algorithm. "You poor soul. To be caught in a system glitch… we truly sympathize. It must have been terrifying."
"But don't you worry," Maa Siddhi added, her tone turning bright and encouraging. "If Lord Brahma's own system flagged you for Narad's custody, then the universe has a bigger build planned for you. It's never just a random bug. There is always purpose in this chaos."
As if on a celestial timer, Narad's holographic assistant emitted a soft, insistent ping. A glaring red notification icon materialized in the air beside his head. "Mr. Narad," it stated in its calm, synthetic voice, "You are now sixty-eight minutes past due for Task Submission #734-B. You are requested to report to the Karmic Administration Hall immediately. A late-penalty protocol is now queued."
Narad's eyes went wide with panic. "Yes, yes, right away!" he stammered, bowing hastily to the two goddesses. "My deepest apologies, Mata, but duty calls! The bureaucracy waits for no one!"
"Of course, we understand," Maa Riddhi said, her smile never fading. But as Narad turned to hurry away, she held up a graceful hand. "A moment,please ... We may be considered minor deities in the grand cosmic architecture, but we would like to grant this one a small boon."
Both goddesses turned their full attention to Angat. They didn't chant ancient mantras or make a grand, theatrical show of it. Instead, they simply raised their palms towards him. Their auras flared, not with blinding, overwhelming light, but with a warm, golden stream of living code that washed over him like a gentle wave. It was a sensation of pure, benevolent potential. As the energy settled into his core, a resonant shloka, ancient and powerful, echoed not through the air, but directly within his soul:
यशस्यं कीर्तिदं पुण्यं धनधान्यविवर्धनम्।
सर्वसिद्धिकरं पुंसां वरदौ ध्येयमीश्वरौ॥
Its meaning imprinted itself upon his understanding: "They are the giver of fame and renown, the bestowers of merit and the increasers of wealth and grain. They are the fulfillers of all accomplishments for humanity, the bestowing goddesses who are to be meditated upon as supreme."
This was followed by a single, definitive system confirmation: Tathastu. (So be it.)
The feeling was instantaneous yet subtle, like a key turning in a lock for which he did not yet know the door.
Smiling warmly, Maa Siddhi concluded, "We hope this boon finds its use at the right time, exactly when you need it most. Goodbye, Angat. Safe travels, Narad."
No sooner had the farewells been exchanged than Narad grabbed Angat's arm and practically shot out of the concert hall, moving at a speed that utterly defied his usual serene and measured demeanor.
"Why are we running?!" Angat asked, his feet barely touching the polished floor as they weaved through startled crowds of deva-clerks and minor officials.
"Why?!" Narad cried out, his robes flapping like frantic wings behind him. "They're going to dock my pay, Vatsa! My divine grace! If I'm late by another hour, the system will auto-deduct a percentage! Do you have any idea how many millennia it takes to accumulate that through good karma and timely report submissions? Narayan, Narayan, the bureaucracy will be the end of me!"