~Lankapuram~

There were times when Dashanan, the eldest son of Sage Vishrawa and Asura princess Kaikesi, was happy to be in Lanka, but the bad omens and nightmares wouldn't leave him alone. The island of Lanka was too mysterious and intriguing for him and it was impossible to suppress his curiosity to explore the land despite some bold warnings by her worrying mother.

He was looking at the giant mountain peaks from the high tower window of the palace when the rain washed the city for the third time that day. Rains were an unusual affair in mostly silent and calm Lanka. Even the palace was no more a place of battle talks and war strategies. He liked this tower and the mesmerizing scenery of the Trikuta range which it offered.

In the middle of those hills was a small but well-constructed road, cutting between the wild forests and directly leading to the great ocean. He climbed down and found himself back in the narrow alleys of the royal palace. Though he wanted to go to the Great hall, he changed his mind and went straight to the dungeons to explore more of them.

It wasn't like he didn't know what was beyond the sea, for he'd spend his first 14 years in the land called Saptsindhu, the land of knights and kings and dynasties. He knew about some of the Aryan practices followed on that land and even has met some real princes and princesses, but he never grew any fondness for them. In fact, he despised them.

He couldn't help but recall his dull and monotonous Life in the Ashram of his father Vishrawa where he along with his siblings was born. But he was glad that a few twists in his fate made his arrival on Lanka possible. His half-brother Kubera was the appointed king, who in his opinion was a fine man. He cared for his well being and took care of everything his family needed.

It was an unusual day, and Dashanan wanted something interesting to discover, which was why he was heading towards the dungeons. Unlike his siblings, he preferred exploring the mysterious palace of Lanka. Also, taking them on his secretive expeditions could mean disaster. His sister, Chandranakha, could hardly keep her tongue in place and had the habit of speaking too much without invitation. 

His younger brother, Vibhishan wasn't interested in any task that involved danger. And taking Kumbhkaran, his younger brother, would in itself meant danger. Kumbhkaran, unlike other children of his age, had the body of a giant, almost double the size of Dashanan. Moreover, it was impossible for him to run as he could hardly walk. Anyway, he preferred his own company.

Apart from inviting dangers and troubles, Dashanan also loved spending his time inventing new stuff. He drew a design of a wooden wheelchair for his brother Kumbh and asked Kubera to get it prepared by the Royal Engineers and to everyone's surprise, the structure sustained his weight, and Dashanan's little experiment worked.

Though everyone was surprised at Dashanan's creativity, his mind was still figuring out the engineering of the miracle his half brother Kubera possessed.

The glorious Pushpak Vimana.

He tried his best but he couldn't find the mystic Vimanaa anywhere in the palace. No one except Kubera knew about it and Dashanan had pledged to somehow find it. Vibhishan, his youngest brother, once claimed that he saw a similar chariot near the Water palace but it wasn't there. Chandranakha thought that Vimana was in Kubera's mind and it could only be summoned upon Kubera's wish. Despite his constant failures, Dashanan was adamant that the location of Vimana could be in dungeons.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize he took the wrong turn and has entered uncharted territory. He stopped and was about to return but he heard soft whispers and decided to follow the source. It was a cave-like structure with hardly any light. He tried to figure out the place he was in, but he couldn't. He took the left path and went straight and found the backdoor entry of the chamber of tusks.

He stood close to the door to find out who those strangers were. He was confident that his presence wouldn't be noticed and thus hung close to the window which allowed him better access to their secret conversation. For a moment, he thought he knew one of the voices but he wasn't certain. However, he had confirmed that there were two men, sitting on the staircase, and one of them was covered in dark clothes. The other, as he guessed, was in his royal attire.

"This is the right time to strike," the stranger said. "There is no one to protect them. His sons are busy and..."

"But what you are saying is immoral. It's against the laws of Dharma, Lord. Don't put me in such a grave situation," his half brother said, "I swore an oath in front of-"

"You think I care about your stupid Oaths. Listen, I'm not here to request anything. This is bigger than you and your Dharma. We are fighting a divine war, and what I'm asking you to do is for the greater good."

"What if someone finds out?"

"We'll take care of it, mate. You do what you've been commanded," the stranger said firmly, "Give me a dozen men and I'll do the god's work. All you've to ensure is that no one leaves the city. Take control of the dock and install your personal soldiers there."

"What about my father?"

"Your father," he answered in a flat tone, "No one is fool enough to touch the great sage. Don't worry about him. If it comes to that, we'll rescue him."

"This is wrong, Lord, this is wrong..."

"Oh my dear Kubera, I wish I had the energy to explain what we're trying to achieve. Don't you see, the greater gods are playing their own games. If we don't act, tell me who will? Lord Vishnu?"

"The sages have assured that his Avatar will-"

"They told you and you believed it," he laughed, "It's been twelve years, Kubera. Where is this Avatar? What is he doing? Look around and see, the situation has worsened. Kansa has risen to power, the Asuras have conquered half of the great land of Sapt-Sindhu, where is your Lord Vishnu?"

"I don't know about the politics of gods, but lord, what you suggest will surely go down in history as one of the most cowardly acts."

"Winners write the history, not the dead ones, Kubera. You have to trust me," the stranger stopped in the middle and looked around, "Shhh...someone is here."

Dashanan for a moment felt exposed but quickly brought his senses back. He knew what he heard could cost him his life, and only a safe escape can save his world from crumbling. He could easily hear their approaching footsteps but before they could grab his throat, Dashanan quickly disappeared in the narrow passage in the right and silently walked towards the window and got out of it. He knew the men were only a few feet away and if they lurk outside the window, he'll be dead. So, he started walking on the thin edge of the wall.

For a second he thought that they were looking at him, and he lost his balance. His feet slipped and he failed in grabbing the edge. As a result, he fell into the great depths of city sewers. He felt the gush of winds and the astonishing force that pulled him down, and before he could hit any surface, he lost consciousness.

For a moment, everything went blur. The color of the sky faded and infinite darkness swallowed him in. He gave up all his hopes of survival and accepted his untimely death. But to his surprise, he felt something. It was so cold that he thought he had hit an icy mountain. His entire body was shivering badly. 

He hesitatingly opened his eyes and found himself in an unknown place, full of ice cliffs and pine trees. A few young boys were playing in front of him, occasionally hiding behind the tiny ice rocks and sometimes climbing upon them. He followed them stupidly but none of them looked at him. In the middle of those kids, there was a golden-haired boy who was trying to dodge the other kids and to somehow get his snowball out safely.

Dashanan could sense something unusual about his face and decided to follow him. The boy however was quicker than he thought, and jumped vigorously surpassing the other kids, and reached the upper cliff. Dashanan also climbed the cliff and stood in front of him. For a moment, he thought the boy felt his presence as he turned towards him. Dashanan observed him and was shocked to see that the boy had the face of a little elephant. Another fat man at a distance who was riding a giant yak called him and the boy ran straight to him, climbing up on the yak and ordering other kids to follow his lead.

He wondered why no one was able to see him. Was he dead? Was he in some kind of afterlife? 

He turned and finally saw someone who was looking directly at him, but he wished he hadn't.

The man standing behind him was tall, handsome, and extremely muscular. Unlike others, he had an extra eye in the middle of his head, and a dangerous snake curled around his neck. Dashanan thought he was looking directly at his death, and he lost control again. But before he could fall, the man held his hand and gave him a soft smile.

"Wake up", he heard the voice of his mother somewhere, "Wake up, my son."

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A/N

I know, I know, I know that I took ages in publishing this chapter, but please forgive me, and tell me how was the chapter?

I know you are not supposed to like Ravana but still, I'm curious to know your reactions to his story. 

Did you know all of these characters or did they seem new?

This one here is only Part 1 of Ravana's POV and the next part is also ready. I'll publish it tomorrow.

Do a small favor and add this book to your lists.  And now Vote for it if you liked it. 

Narayan Narayan!