Chapter 35 Lost

• There was darkness all around. He strained his eyes but could hardly make out anything. Then slowly shapes of wild bushes and creepers appeared. He discovered himself lying on his back with no sky above his head. How long had he been lying there? He had no idea. He rose up and sat down on the ground with legs straightened before him. He turned his head around in the hope of finding a way around. He didn't feel any fatigue. As if a long period of sleep had rejuvenated his energy. But how strange the shrubs were here. There was no smell in them. He tried to touch them but couldn't. The branches were withered and dry without leaves. Is it winter here? How did he come to such a place? He tried to remember but in vain. Nobody was speaking around him. But there had been people even a little while ago, he could bet. He had felt their presence. Were they too sleeping like him ? Where are they now? He couldn't remember anything before or after that incident. He was feeling very lighter now. Had his weight reduced suddenly? Was that the reason why he was feeling healed? But then why was he unwell before? He nodded his head and smiled. Blank!
• He took a few steps making his way through the bushes. He found that he was having to tread uphill. Had he fallen off a cliff then? An accident ? The bushes swayed but he couldn't feel them. After climbing up a little the shadowy confines of a plateau sprang up before his eyes. As he got lost in the breath-taking scene unfurling before him, suddenly moon arose from behind the mountains, bathing the plateau in it's milky white radiance. Foamy white waves rushed at him, sweeping him over. For sometime he faced the fury of the mammoth waters - now sinking inside, the next moment rising up to take a breath, till his lungs almost burst. How long the fight for survival continued he didn't know, but suddenly his feet got stuck at a hard spot. His body was getting crushed by the waves but he was unable to move his feet. After sometime the waves vanished along with the sea and he found himself standing in front of a pathway which went uphill. There was dead silence all around. The forest surrounded him from all sides. He didn't see any bird flying. Was this a dream? He closed his eyes.
• Where would this path lead to? The dark forest seemed to weigh him down. He started searching himself inside the forest. Soon wild beasts were snarling around him. They appeared to be hiding in the dark, ready to pounce upon him at the right moment . Were these animals representations of his sins of this birth? Or of previous birth? Or previous.. previous? Did he get confined to the circle of sins? Were his greed, ego and selfishness groaning like hurt animals? Suddenly a lion appeared on the road. It's eyes were like burning embers and it measured him with mane lifted high up in the air. After taking position on the ground, It started running towards the target with confidence - paws scraping away the mud with pride. But just at the moment it took the leap he screamed out in pain and the lion vanished.