Kali Yuga: War of Worlds

Arya hated going to the academy. It was not because he hated studying but because he hated certain students of the academy, more specifically his bullies.

Arya was a fifteen year old, attending the Heavenly Principles Vedic Academy and was from a middle class family. He being a kind and soft natured boy would extend his helping hand to almost anyone he would find in distress.

His family name was Josyula and they have been the caretaker priests of a very old temple for generations. Arya was to inherit the duties of the head priest after his uncle. His father chose business as his career path and stuck to it.

Nevertheless Arya would drag himself to school only to get harassed.

"Look, look, it's the godless guy!" a boy screamed, pointing at Arya as he entered the class.

An eraser flew across the classroom and hit him hard on his head. Arya looked in the direction.

"Oi! Godless bitch, how many times have I told you not to come late." the boy said. He was sitting on his desk, his feet resting on the desktop and his hands behind his head.

Arya smiled meekly.

"Will you keep standing there or will I have to smack you into bringing me my breakfast?" the boy said, sneering.

"I will go and get it." Arya replied.

He left without keeping his bag, to the cafeteria to get a Snack set for Pratim.

Yes, the boy's name was Pratim, a boy blessed by the lord of fire. He had a powerful ability and his control was just as good.

"Hah! New day, same routine." Arya thought as he made his way to the cafeteria. "Haha…it gets better when you get used to it I guess. I don't feel much indignation these days when I hear him swear at me."

Being called godless was derogative, for the present society functioned under the influence of divine power alone. Everyday life was driven by the people who had power and if anyone didn't have a God's blessing they were to be treated as the scum of the society, although this was a very rare case.

"Who is this bhavani that our ancestors worshipped?" Arya wondered. "Who is this god, about whom none has heard? We have been worshipping her and yet, I have not been blessed."

There was a strange phenomenon that took place 4000 years ago. All the temples in India that worshipped the Goddess and housed something symbolic of her whether it be an idol or image or even a stone were found empty with no remaining trace of the item ever being there.

It was as if Goddess had left the earth. Arya's family however continued their worship in the temple. The rituals of her worship were lost over time but a very small portion of it had been preserved by Arya's forefathers. His uncle followed this for everyday worship.

Presently, there was no one in the entire city of Amravati who knew anything about this so-called Goddess. And Arya's family worshipped this forgotten deity. This was one of the reasons for Arya getting bullied.

Arya reached the classroom.

"Haha…this little fucker thinks he can take all the time to bring my breakfast." Pratim said to his friends. He walked over to Arya, who stood in the doorway.

*SLAP*

A loud sound was heard. Pratim had slapped Arya.

"Ss-sorry!" Arya whispered.

"Huh? What did you say?" *SLAP* "I could not hear you. Say that again." *SLAP*

"S-s-sorry…I am sorry." Arya stuttered. His cheeks had become swollen and red. His eyes teared.

"LOUDER FUCKER!" Pratim screamed into Arya's ears.

"Sorry…it won't happen again. I am sorry." Arya said as loudly as possible in a stable voice. He was almost on the verge of tears.

"How dare you shout!!" Pratim said aggressively and punched him hard in the stomach.

"UUACK!!!" Arya screamed and saliva flew out of his mouth and he was thrown off the ground and he hit the wall in the corridor.

"WOAAAAHHH!!! SICK MAN!!" the others shouted.

Pratim walked over to Arya who lay on the floor, clutching his stomach as he writhed in agony. Tears were streaming down his eyes as he moaned in pain.

"Oh you little pussy!" Pratim grabbed him by the collar, picked him up and started slapping him again.

"Never. Be. late. To. bring. My. Breakfast. Again. Understood?" Pratim said, as he slapped Arya at the end of each word that he spoke. "Stop lying on the floor and get yourself cleaned up. The day's just begun."

Pratim walked into the class. The bell for homeroom rang and the students started entering the classroom.

Arya's lips and nose were bleeding. He got up weakly and slowly made his way into the class.

His ears were red from shame and anger. His ironed white shirt, creased and untucked even before the beginning of the classes.

He felt embarrassed to even sit at his own desk. His partner tried to edge away, avoiding even looking at his sorry state.

Arya put his head down on the desktop and smiled. He was laughing at his own fate in his mind, until that smile on his bruised face started contorting, slowly turning into an expression of pure pain, grief and anguish.

He kept his tears hidden away from everyone for a long time, but for some reason, today just felt like letting it go. He wept without making a single noise and homeroom began.