Chapter 162: Chapter 160: Need To Complain... To Whom... Lord Brahma?
(A/N):
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Guys I hope you put more comments and power stones... Which will encourage me...
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The assembly hall fell into an uncomfortable silence after Sage Narada’s suggestion.
For several moments, Indra remained seated upon his throne, his fingers tapping against the armrest.
The king’s face showed clear reluctance.
Apologizing personally to Devaratha was a path he wanted to avoid if possible.
Very much avoid.
Then suddenly his eyes shifted toward two particular figures seated within the assembly.
Goddess Ganga.
Goddess Bhudevi.
Immediately, a spark of hope appeared on Indra’s face.
Several gods noticed it.
Sage Narada noticed it too.
The celestial sage immediately grinned.
"...."
That grin alone made Deva Guru Brihaspati sigh.
God Indra stood up.
Straightened his posture.
Then looked toward the two goddesses.
"Goddess Ganga."
"Goddess Bhudevi."
The two divine mothers turned toward him.
Indra cleared his throat.
"As his mothers..."
The moment those words left his mouth, Narada’s grin widened.
The king continued anyway.
"You both understand the seriousness of this situation."
Neither goddess responded.
Which forced Indra to continue.
"If the stars are correct..."
"If Pushpasura awakens..."
"If Devaratha is indeed connected to the future..."
He paused.
Then finally reached his point.
"I would like your help in convincing him."
The entire assembly instantly became quiet.
Even the younger celestials understood what Indra was attempting.
The king was looking for allies.
More specifically...
He was looking for mothers.
A very dangerous gamble.
The hall waited.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Goddess Ganga slowly turned her head toward Goddess Bhudevi.
Goddess Bhudevi slowly turned her head toward Goddess Ganga.
The two exchanged a glance.
A very brief glance.
A glance that lasted barely a second.
Yet somehow an entire conversation seemed to happen within it.
Several gods immediately became nervous.
Indra remained hopeful.
Then both goddesses turned toward him.
And answered at exactly the same time.
"No."
The answer echoed through the assembly.
Indra blinked.
Once. Twice.
He was convinced that. Surely he had misheard.
"No?"
Goddess Ganga nodded calmly.
"No."
Goddess Bhudevi nodded as well.
"No."
The king looked genuinely stunned.
"...."
He had expected resistance.
Questions.
Conditions.
Negotiations.
Not an immediate rejection.
The assembly hall became oddly quiet.
A few gods lowered their heads to hide smiles.
Sage Narada immediately looked delighted by the event which was happening before him.
God Indra looked between the two goddesses.
Then spoke.
"Do you understand how dangerous the situation is?"
The king’s voice became more serious.
"Pushpasura is not some minor asura."
"I personally fought him."
"I witnessed what he was capable of."
The memories still haunted him.
"The danger affects mortals."
"It affects heaven."
"It affects all the
The king looked directly at them.
"This isn’t a personal matter."
"This concerns everyone."
Goddess Ganga listened patiently.
Goddess Bhudevi listened as well.
When God Indra finished, neither looked angry.
Neither looked offended.
Their answer remained exactly the same.
Goddess Ganga spoke first.
"We understand."
Goddess Bhudevi continued.
"Very clearly."
The king frowned hearing their words.
"Then why refuse?"
The earth goddess slowly stood.
Her voice remained calm.
Yet carried unmistakable firmness.
"Because the decision belongs to our son Devaratha."
Silence.
The hall became still.
Goddess Bhudevi continued.
"He is not a child."
"He is not a puppet."
"He is not someone we command."
Several gods quietly nodded.
Goddess Ganga then spoke.
"If he chooses to help, he will help."
"If he chooses not to help, that is also his choice."
The river goddess looked directly at Indra.
"And we will not interfere with that choice."
The words landed heavily.
Because everyone present knew they were sincere.
Goddess Ganga and Goddess Bhudevi loved Devaratha deeply.
Which was precisely why they refused.
They would guide. They would support.
But they would not manipulate.
Not even for heaven itself.
God Indra opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"...."
Because he realized something.
The goddesses were not protecting Devaratha from responsibility.
They were respecting him.
As a king.
As a ruler.
As an individual capable of making his own decisions.
Sage Narada immediately nodded in approval.
"Narayana!... Narayana!..."
"Well said."
Several gods agreed.
Even Deva Guru Brihaspati looked pleased.
The guru quietly observed the exchange.
Then finally spoke.
"They are correct."
Indra looked toward him.
Deva Guru Brihaspati folded his hands.
"If Devaratha becomes involved..."
"He must do so willingly."
"Not because his mothers persuaded him."
"Not because heaven pressured him."
"But because he himself believes it is right."
The king slowly sank back into his throne.
His shoulders visibly drooped.
Every possible shortcut seemed to be disappearing one by one.
No mothers.
No intermediaries.
No convenient solutions.
Sage Narada watched him carefully.
Then asked the question everyone was thinking.
"So..."
The sage smiled.
"When are you planning to apologize?"
The hall immediately erupted into laughter.
Even Goddess Ganga smiled.
Goddess Bhudevi hid amusement behind her hand.
Meanwhile Indra stared at Sage Narada.
"...."
Then at the heavens.
Then at fate itself.
For the first time in many centuries, facing Pushpasura sounded easier than facing Devaratha.
The assembly gradually settled after Narada’s latest attack on Indra’s dignity.
At least that was how Indra viewed it.
The king of the gods sat upon his throne with folded arms.
Outwardly, he appeared calm.
Internally...
He was not calm.
Not even slightly.
His gaze occasionally drifted toward Sage Narada.
Then away. Then back toward Sage Narada.
Then away again.
The divine sage noticed every single glance.
Unfortunately for Indra, Narada seemed to be enjoying himself.
A lot.
The king silently replayed the discussion.
Again. And again. And again.
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became.
Something didn’t feel right.
Not the Pushpasura situation. Not the prophecy.
Not Devaratha.
The assembly.
The assembly itself.
Indra narrowed his eyes slightly.
If Sage Narada had arrived later... Just a little later...
Would things have unfolded differently?
The thought refused to leave.
After all, before Sage Narada’s arrival, the discussion had remained practical.
Strategies.
Preparations.
Possibilities.
Then Sage Narada arrived.
And suddenly everyone started talking about apologies.
Relationships.
Trust.
Past mistakes.
And unfortunately... All roads somehow led back to Indra.
The king’s eye twitched.
Again.
He looked toward Ganga. Then toward Bhudevi.
"...."
If Narada had remained absent...
Would he have managed to convince them?
Perhaps.
Maybe not completely.
But at least the discussion would have continued.
Instead...
The moment Narada appeared, the entire battlefield changed.
Indra sighed heavily.
Then immediately dismissed the thought.
What was the point? Narada was Narada.
Trying to blame him for being Narada was like blaming fire for being hot.
The king briefly considered complaining to Brahma.
The thought lasted approximately three seconds.
Then he abandoned it.
Completely.
Because he already knew how that conversation would go.
"Lord Brahma, your son is causing problems."
"Which son?"
"Sage Narada."
"That narrows it down very little."
No.
Absolutely not.
There was no victory waiting down that road.
Indra had known Narada for far too long.
Long enough to understand that whenever the divine sage became involved, events rarely unfolded according to anyone’s plans.
Least of all Indra’s.
For several minutes, the king remained deep in thought.
The assembly continued discussing possible outcomes.
Yet Indra’s mind had already moved elsewhere.
If Ganga and Bhudevi refused... If Devaratha needed to decide on his own...
If heaven eventually required his help...
Then perhaps there was another path.
A path involving beings whom even Devaratha respected.
The thought slowly formed.
Then solidified.
Then immediately made Indra nervous.
Because it involved approaching individuals he generally preferred not to bother unless absolutely necessary.
The Trimurti.
Lord Brahma.
Lord Vishnu.
Lord Shiva.
The moment the idea appeared, several possibilities followed.
And several dangers. Especially dangers.
Indra slowly rubbed his forehead.
Approaching the Trimurti was never simple.
The results were unpredictable.
Lord Brahma might simply smile and tell him destiny would unfold as intended.
Lord Vishnu might answer his question with five more questions.
And Lord Shiva...
Indra wisely stopped that train of thought.
One did not casually predict Lord Shiva’s response.
That was how headaches were born.
Still...
The idea remained.
The Trimurti were not merely connected to Devaratha.
The entire heavens knew the truth now.
Devaratha’s connection to them was unlike anything the worlds had seen in ages.
If anyone possessed insight regarding the future surrounding Pushpasura...
It would be them.
The king finally rose from his throne.
The movement drew attention throughout the hall.
The conversations gradually faded.
Indra looked toward Brihaspati.
Then toward the gathered gods.
"I have made my decision."
The assembly became silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Sage Narada immediately looked interested.
Which somehow made Indra less confident.
The king ignored him.
"For now, we continue preparations."
Several gods nodded.
A reasonable decision.
"We investigate the weakening seals."
More nodding followed.
"We monitor Pushpasura’s prison."
Again, agreement.
Then Indra paused.
His next words drew even greater attention.
"As for Devaratha..."
The hall became quiet once more.
The king exhaled slowly.
"I shall seek guidance from the Trimurti."
Silence followed.
Several gods exchanged looks.
Others appeared thoughtful.
A few looked relieved.
Brihaspati slowly nodded.
The guru clearly approved.
Ganga and Bhudevi remained silent.
Neither objected.
Narada, meanwhile, suddenly smiled.
A very dangerous smile.
The kind that usually preceded entertainment.
The sage adjusted his veena.
Then innocently asked,
"Which one will you visit first?"
The question sounded harmless.
It wasn’t.
Several gods immediately understood why.
Indra froze.
Because Narada had just identified a new problem.
Lord Brahma.
Lord Vishnu.
Lord Shiva.
Which one did he approach first?
And more importantly...
Which one would be least likely to remind him about all his previous mistakes?
The king slowly sat back down.
His expression became tired.
Very tired.
The assembly watched in silence.
Then Narada began laughing.
And somehow, for the second time that day, Indra found himself wishing Pushpasura was the simpler problem.
Narada’s laughter continued echoing through the assembly hall long after he had finished speaking.
The celestial sage rose from his seat.
His veena resting comfortably upon his shoulder.
A smile still lingered on his face.
The kind of smile that always made other gods nervous.
Because whenever Narada looked that satisfied, it usually meant he had planted a seed somewhere.
A seed that would eventually grow into something troublesome.
Or entertaining.
Sometimes both.
The sage looked around the assembly one final time.
His gaze briefly paused on Indra.
Then on Ganga.
Then on Bhudevi.
Then on Brihaspati.
Finally he chuckled.
"Well then."
"It appears everything is proceeding according to destiny."
Nobody liked hearing that.
Especially Indra.
The king’s eye twitched once again.
Narada simply laughed.
Then with a flash of divine light, he vanished from the assembly hall.
The silence that followed felt unusually peaceful.
Several gods visibly relaxed.
Even Vayu released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.
Agni shook his head.
"Every time."
Varuna nodded.
"Every single time."
Meanwhile Indra remained seated upon his throne.
Deep in thought.
The king slowly reviewed everything they had learned.
Pushpasura’s awakening.
The weakening seals.
The prophecy.
The connection to Devaratha.
The refusal of Ganga and Bhudevi to interfere.
And finally...
The possibility of approaching the Trimurti.
The more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed.
If the fate of multiple realms was truly involved, then surely the Trimurti would not ignore the matter.
After all, Pushpasura was not merely a threat to mortals.
His previous rampage had threatened the balance of the worlds themselves.
The heavens.
The earth.
The celestial realms.
Everything.
Eventually Indra rose from his throne.
This time his expression was firm.
The uncertainty remained.
But a decision had been made.
The hall gradually became silent.
Every god looked toward him.
The king spoke.
"We shall seek the guidance of the Trimurti."
Murmurs immediately spread throughout the hall.
Several gods nodded.
Others looked relieved that he didn’t come up with one of his strategical move.
Even those who rarely agreed with Indra found themselves supporting the idea.
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(Author note:)
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