THE BROKEN SEAL

THE BROKEN SEAL

PROLOGUE

When the great king Ashoka died India was scattered into many little parts, never to be reunited again. But few do know that when he lived an order of men formed a bunch of mystic circle. A seal was delivered to them and broken into thirteen parts for its safe keeping. It is said the seal contained eternal power for anyone who possessed it and yet not one single man not even the great warrior turned monk could wield it. Nor that he needed to , he already was a mighty ruler. The seal was forgotten as India descended into chaos under the British Raaj. The saga that follows is of those seals ever reuniting and threatening the very order of the world.

THE LOST CITY

“Can any one tell me the name of an Indian city which was approximately 33.8 square kilometres and 25.5 square kilometres in dimension, had 64 gates arranged across 500 meters distance?” professor Uday Shankar looked upto the class and asked. He paused for a moment and again asked “Anyone....” he humoured them. “Can we get more data please?” a student wearing round specs and blue sweater asked back. ”Why to get more input for your laptops?” Uday smiled, back and just as he was about to answer his own question, a round faced girl from the back bench responded.”Pataliputra”. “Right youre” the professor gave a hint of a smile to the fresh face in the class. “ Looks like somebody has been looking up their history books” . The girl grinned back.

In another place at another class there was some thing sinister going on, at the very moment. A group of men had gathered around a table, all masked. “Do we have the final peice?”. One amongst them looked out of the Jadavpur university campus, skywards to the dusking day. “ unfortunately its still located somewhere in Patna.” “ But we need the final peice to wield the power and raise...”” Shh..here we might not be safe stopped another man , this fellow from responding half way.

“Pataliputra or modern day Patna is not just the capital of Bihar but once was the capital of the Mauryas, Palas, Nandas, Shungas and last but not the least Ashoka and many more. Now can you tell me why was this city the only one chosen?”. Asked the mid-thirties professor, swooping his hairs on his left scalp. This time the class was dumb founded, but that same student with the blue sweater responded. “ Budhdha died here may be..” Udayan smiled having done research on this topic previously for one year under professor Lamba of than IIT Kharagpur.” Not at all.” He looked inquisitively thorugh the whole class of IITians. “ But because it was a major center for trade and commerce along the river banks, easily defended, fortified, I thought you would have guessed it by now by the mention of sixty four gates and the parallelogram shape of the city on your smart screens.” “But sir here it also says on the wiki page of the two Buddhist councils forming here” said the girl of the back bench, as the entire class swooped in to take a look at it.”

“You sure he can help?” asked the masked man returning gaze from the skyrise to his other Budhdhist companions. “ i am positive but how to get him onto our side thats the biggest question here?” “ We should offer him money?” One of them spoke. “ Yes but if not I think I have just the bargaining chip” Smiled their leader and again looked back atop the sky rise. As the rest looked on.

“Yes but thats a different matter altogether , its the culture part of the city that stupas were built in the city. Some still remain, many try to understand the meaning of the stupas although no big mystery to modern day Delhi university scholars. But remember people without offering money provided to the temples priests of any city in ancient city Gods cant even give blessings to their devotees. I belive Athenian temples of Greece is the biggest example of that....” Uday was about to continue his lecture when a text message caught his eye on his smart phone. Truecaller couldn’t identify the number, as the number was part of a regular IVR. The message read.

“Professor please meet me its of urgent need ,

I have little time. They are tracking me and

targeting you. Leave the class immeadiately.”

At first Udayan did not take this message seriously but the next message literally made him pale as he dismissed the class in a hurry and left the class room.” Class dismissed”

“ Dont worry brothers my plan is already in motion to get our man, the fish should be netted any time soon.” Said the leader breaking silence, of the group of Budhdhist planners. “Lets Disperse we have little time left till the communion.” He Ordered raising his eyes back from the skyrise. The meeting adjourned.

THE FRIEND IN D/NEED

Amidst the setting Sun a train stops somewhere in the suburbs of the bustling metropolitan of Delhi. The announcement had been made just a few minutes earlier “Stoppage Chandni Chowk”. There were only three persons were on this trains this boggie. Even though it was peak hours the day was a Saturday and most people had unexpectedly got off just the previous stoppage. A love couple were romancing on one corner holding hands and grinning at each other. Unbenounced to them a dark well built man of mid thirtys masked with a pollution mask and a jacket cap on his head got off on this station. He had been standing in one slightly more gloomy corner of the train contemplating his actions last night all this path. ‘ Was it against God? I just silenced a person. But he was troubling the order and he was propagating propaganda which was very damaging to this democracy. ‘ than again he recalled he was a muslim. Millions of muslims have one thing on their minds, jihad. They are the reason for thousands of suicide bombings. One suffering less’ he thought as he got off the train.

He was wearing an ekmukhi rudraksha mala of hundred and eight beads on his neck and a black jacket. Inside was also a red shawl where was imprinted “ hare Krishna , hare rama” all the way in red. It had been torned by his victim he realized when he was injecting the Indian King cobra venom through his neck, so was his pacnhmukhi rudraksha bead torned to bits as his victim struggled furiously against him. ‘But all in vein’ he thought as a smirk appeared on his demonic face. He was a bald man who had committed to Gods way since the incident that changed his life forever. Only difference being now he had gotten back up. His smart phone suddenly rang .

It was that same ivr number that he had taken instructions from earlier. This number is the reason he was still alive after such a brutal attack on his victim last night. Earlier that week an wired transaction had been made to his account on calling and confirmation done by him on this very number. Walking through the paratha gali, he picked up the phone call. “ X was the mission accomplished? Did you get the files we are looking for?” X instantly replied checking his pockets for small pen drive he was carrying.” Yes sir, mission accomplished, the cleric is silent. Next target please.” X had tried to locate this eerie voice and number and verify it but he had never been able to do so ever. For it seemed to be shielded.”Good ! wait for your next assignment it will be forwarded to you within an hour soldier. Wait for your mail. Till than at ease.” The number went dead. X looked forward to the paratha gali got something to eat and started reflecting on his life till this very phone call.

Uday realized his friend was in need just by checking his sms. The number could not be recognized by true caller but it said only in capital letters three words ‘IVR’. But the picture was unmistakable. Uday searched for his phone once again and took out the phone to recheck the image as he went past the dean office of IIT KGP. Uday Shankar a mid fourtys professor of history, a researcher in archaeology, who had spent his all life studying religion and codes and symbols associated to it was a well built man with lots of stamina, due to his tall fair complexion figure. He had a clean shaved face. He had been borned in Bolpur north of Kolkata city. One professor that had mentored him always was professor Lamba. Thinking his friend was in trouble he checked his phone screen. It was a selfie attached to a message.

It was unmistakable Lamba needed his help he was struggling badly, battered and bruished. The message said only this

‘Come to my college campus only you can help me, please don’t inform the police but i have information I need to share’

Uday couldn’t believe his eyes his mentor in trouble. He ran down instantly. ‘dear God what has this man gotten himself into.’

X closed his eyes and pictured his family and that very unfortunate accident that took place twenty years ago but just that the phone rang. It was IVR.

‘Another target.’

“X you have to be in Kolkata within two hours.” X thought for a moment and than the eerie voice continued which he had taken to be gods voice.”Your private jet will be waiting for you in Delhi airport. Target is Professor Dinesh Lamba , he must be recovered he is in the hands of terrorists. He was last seen in JCC college. He has information we need. Once you retrieved the target eliminate him. Good luck X.” The voice disconnected.

HELP ME

The doctor of Indraprastha Apollo hospital recieved a phone call from a bustling metropolitan hub of Delhi, that there has been a snake biting death in the capital. Two cops went in to investigate and found one of their own doctors dead in broad day light. There were two pin marks on the persons legs. But strangely the person seemed to be clutching his neck tightly. The body had definitely been poisoned as it had a blue complexion over the neck, laying motionless as it was. One side of the room was completely destroyed by the looks of it. As if the person was trying to look for some thing or search out some thing desperately while he accidentally found the snake and it bit him. But the strangest thing was as one of the persons noted the person Doctor Abdullah Hussain was laying at just the opposite side of the study where all these happened as one of the doctors noted. On closer inspection of the body they also found a small cut hole on the epidermis of his neck. They recognised it having used injections a long time in their profession for a long time. And just as they were about to ring the police they also found a small scribbling on the subjects left side, saying

Help m

Uday ran to the station and got a ticket for Howrah and waited a while for the train , wondering what he could make of all of this. What could have possibly happen to his mentor and long time friend? He remembered a long walk with him a few years back in the premises of IIT KGP, when he talked about his research with him. At the time he was the guest lecturer of IIT.

“ So how are you professor?”. The professor smiled and looked back at him. He had blue eyes slightly faded white hair well combed backwards, a black suit on him with a casual trouser on him and a pair of sneakers on him. The suit was Stuart Hughes and by the looks of it the trousers were expensive too. Uday knew his mentor had made millions in his privately owned business, yet he once had nothing. His mind according to most in the field of Astrobiology was and always will be one of the most brightest.

“Fine! Good day isn’t it?” professor Dinesh beamed back. His almost round stark face reminded Uday of a poetry of William Blake. “Glad you like it sir. bHow can I help you?” Dinesh looked back and with furrowed eyebrows replied” Yes , you see I had been researching about some thng in astrobiology a topic you may had have knowledge of, but first take this note and tell me what do you see?” The professor jokingly forwarded a fifty rupee note to Uday.

X had till date never missed a single target, this one however had costed him a shawl. He silently checked out of the hotel and walked towards the terminal. He realized the police may still be onto him, generally his targets don’t struggle so much, but this one did. He couldn’t properly inject the venom and whatsmore he feared some one might have tracked him. The order had many enemies. This days the biggest one scientific research and progress. He however knew the order would save this soldier at any cost. He passed the security of the terminal easily by fooling the cops explaining how he was a doctor and needed a swiss knife in his luggage. He had a small needle hidden in the bala of his hand, which they didn’t even notice.

However just as soon as he boarded the private plane kept for him by the order he noticed a few cops enterning the airport on the other side. ‘Relax’ he told himself youre on Gods mission to protect religious unity and more so the integrity of this very nation. In minutes the flight took off and he breathed a sigh of relief.

WHAT DO YO SEE ?

Special forces commander Shilpa Tomar was a trained veteran in the arts of interrogation and rebuke. She had worked as a para commando for four years , at the CBI for two years, Had lead a team in R.A.W. for some months and now had recently joined the IPS She had a decorated career as a war veteran having served in the war of Kargil and other at the crisis of the Sikh temple Amritsar, helping the than NSA agent Ajit Doval infiltrate the golden temple. She now led her own team in link with all of her offices held till date, easily one of the most influential woman in India under cover. It is a little known fact that both she and the PM late Indira Gandhi had conversations just before her assassination over the phone. What they had talked about was a mystery till date though. She was a forty years old veteran who was borned in war torn Libya , somehow travelled to India passed her graduation top of her class and ascended the ranks of power in the administrative service. She was well built tall but black complexioned, well trained in karate and kungfu having broken half of her bones in action twice over. Today however she was on her first case under the IPS having moved to a quieter life recently. She got the phone call at the commissioners house as a murder had taken place by an unknown person in Delhi, a person having ties to the health of the PM himself. He was a doctor of Indraprastha hospital.

As she went in to investigate the killing she stood at the crime scene for a moment than suddenly moved on her black heeled shoes towards the body she leaned in and noticed a patch of clothing on the nails and reread the scribbling on the floor

Help m

“ Check out if theres anyone on his phone directory named as ‘m’” She yelled at a local constable. “ No mam , last call was to a an organisation named oh wait its a manav dharma sabha”. Shilpa thought for a moment than said urgently “ Send out an escort to the local airport to see if you can find anybody ? and send this body tto the lab”

“ Its a fifty rupee note with all the usual markings, created probably in the era of Indira Gandhi with a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on it, sadly many people still don’t know that there is no blood relation between both the Gandhis. It was issued by the reserve bank of India, it has three places written with the number 50. Its back side has the image of the parliament on it and is water marked on the front. The writings for the most part are in arial black with a special 3d effect done on most. Theres nelumba lucifera flower thereon it which is the national flower of India.” Professor Lamba smiled and said “Now look closer, theres the ahoka stambha on it.” “ yes I forgot to mention that.” He grinned back. “ Well now I have a question why such an abomination is oon the note? Or even created by Ashoka as his national symbol?” “Well its not an abomination, is four lions sitting across each other. Its nothing more than symbolic. So is the bul and the lion on the bottom and the budhdhist symbol there.” “Well now isn’t India a secular country than my question to you is why is there a Budhdhist symbol there on the note and further more adopted as a national symbol ?” Professor Dinesh Lamba frowned.

Argento Gonzalaze a coder in Brazil suddenly got a strange code in the middle of the night. Generally he decrypted strange codes and spotted them right away but this one was different it seemed to be originating from an unknown source and the source was firewalled. He thought for a moment being a security expert in employment of the Brazilian Goverment. He often times worked from home where there was already a supercomputer built by him present, but to detect this code he needed to head back to the office. Soat night nearly two he got out of his rooms locked it and with the car went out for the drive. On his way he was still trying to decrypt tthe code. At first seemed an illogical sequence of unfamiliar letters , but than he realized it was an SOS. It said “ We ____ been ______ be on guard. We meet ________ for immeadiate session. Please __________with caution all __members needed. On reaching his office and seeing the source he was further astounded, by the source. It was originating all the way from outer space it seemed. He was baffled.