In Mahishmati,
Subahu was entering Eiravati's chamber to meet his newborn son for the first time. The feeling of being a father for his first-born was happiness of such magnitude that it could move and animate the bosom of even a veritable monster like him. At moments like this, even Subahu appeared human.

He was stopped in his tracks by Trinetrini who interrupted him saying, "Ag....gggandi...Ag...gggandi..." (W...wwwait.....W...wwwait..)

Subahu's face darkened and clouded for a slight second. His whole aspect as he imperiously stared down at Trinetrini was one of a murderous rage at being interrupted and checked by her. He suddenly swatted something on his left cheek with his right hand, "Ah....these mosquitos....Mahishmati is full of them....They need a very strong mosquito repellent."

Kamaroopi who was just behind glared at Trinetrini, " Have you gone mad, Trinetrini? Do you even realize in whose path you are standing?"

Trinetrini instantly lowered her eyes and stepped out of the path, "Ppp....lease for....ggg...give me, Mm...ahaa..raj." She inwardly cringed while mouthing the word 'Maharaj'. Indicating most of what she wanted to say using her eyes, facial expressions and body language and stammering the rest.

Trinetrini who was usually very voluble, fluent and assertive with everyone else found herself stammering and searching for words while talking to  Subahu alone, "Thee.....se bloodst...tttains.....on the ffff.....face...hhhh...hands....and kkkk...clothes. He is a bbbbb.....baby.....susceptible.....inf...ffffec...tttions....I am a vvv....Vaid.....ssss...so my duty to www....warn"

Subahu instantly cooled down. He clapped his hands to summon the maids to bring some water to wash his hands, face and the blood stains on his clothes. Trinetrini excused herself, "Maharani Eiravati is ttt.....taking a bbb...bath. That's why I was hhh.....here. I will ggg....go now."

Kamaroopi also said, "I will also go now. See your son to your heart's fill. I will not spoil this moment for you by standing in between you and your son."

Subahu stood afar looking at his little son who was sleeping at the present moment. Fatherly love and pride welled up in his dark bosom. He was about to touch him and hold him in his arms. He looked at his own dark, uncouth, ugly and filthy appearance and his little son, white, beautiful and pristine, wrapped in reams of white, spotless sheets. For a moment, it seemed as though he was witnessing his own antithesis in his son.

His son looked so innocent while he looked so evil. He held himself back for a moment. He felt as though his very touch would defile him. He frantically tried to rub and scrub himself so that he would look better. But to no avail. He looked and remained the same.

Just then Narasimha started to cry, kicking his balled fists vehemently into the air. Subahu looked around, still undecided whether to touch and soothe his son or not. Narasimha tightly clutched the scabbard in which Subahu usually kept the knife he used for self-protection, trying to pull it towards himself. This action broke the ice between the father and son duo.

Subahu held Narasimha in his arms. Narasimha instantly stopped crying. He smiled looking at the loving face of his father beaming with pride and affection. Subahu softly cuddled him saying, "You do not look like me....But all the same, you are mine....My own flesh and blood. I love you, Son....."

Narasimha kicked Subahu's chest just the way children do when you hold them in your hands very close to you, "You are kicking your father, are you?.....You look very small and tiny.......Like an atom....The smallest but the most powerful......Narasimha....A Lion Man....Like me...Like you..."
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On the Sea of Ratnasagara,
They were all bound to the Malava islands on hurriedly and roughly crafted self-made boats and canoes rowing against contrary winds and rough and inimical tides and waves. True to his word, Samarth had proved to be an expert seaman and navigator and ably guided the way. After rowing continuously for two full days and one full night, the salty water of the sea spraying against their lips, they sited the Malava islands against the horizon in the evening.

Samarth cautioned, "This is the most tricky part of the journey. Several of our navigating ships and vessels have disappeared in this region before ships and boats were banned from venturing anywhere near here. I was deputed on a reconnaissance mission to chart and map these waters for the sake of one of our military expeditions by Senapathi Bhairava Varma. Only two maps of these uncharted islands exist. One of those documents has been preserved in the Mahishmati Secret Documents Archive and the other...."

"Where is the other map?" asked the others.

"Of course in my brain.....The others who accompanied me on this mission are already dead. The Malava islands are a coral archipelago of islands, coral atolls, tidal sandbars, barrier reefs, tricky inland passages, occasional vicious sea currents, eddies, whirlpools and calm lagoons. From now on, follow my instructions carefully to the letter. Or else you could drown instantly", said Samarth.
"Ahoy.....Careful over there..." shouted Samarth. "You have a submerged sandbar. It is not visible during high tide. Only during low tide, the waters recede revealing it."

Mrithyunjay asked, "Mama....how do you know all this?"

"Ancient oral wisdom of my forefathers..... I chose to be a soldier in the army but I and my family are actually Vaishyas by caste. All my ancestors were merchants and are said to have travelled all the seven dvipas (islands) and seven seas for trade and business. One of them, Meghanadha, is reputed to have even visited and returned back from Ramanaka Varsha of the Krauncha Dvipa on one of his trading expeditions."

Everything was going on fine when suddenly disaster stuck from unexpected quarters, "Watch out Princess.....That is Shunya, the whirlpool...." Even before he could complete the sentence, Aparaajitha who was playing with the water around her boat by splashing it got sucked within.

Annapoorna shrieked, "No......" Horror was writ on everyone's face. Before anybody could move a limb or shake a facial muscle, Mrithyunjay too jumped into the water right after Aparaajitha.

"Mrithyunjay...." shouted Samarth but to no avail as Mrithyunjay had already gone behind Aparaajitha into the whirlpool of Shunya, which in the local tongue meant zero or nothingness.
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