Whenever a person is born on Earth, they must die someday.
I asked him, "But how will we know if your father's killer has been reborn?"
Then the snake spoke.
"My mind had cursed him — that he would become proud and dangerous," it said.
I replied, "Friend, there is no one like that in this village."
He continued, "Every month, two young men from this village disappear."
"Do you know where they go?" he asked.
"No," I answered. "Maybe they travel to another village."
"No," he said firmly. "I used to live in the nearby forest. I have seen many skulls there… but the bodies are never found."
"Yes," I said slowly. "In our village too, some elders were found dead — but their heads were missing. Only their bodies remained."
"I must find him," he said. "He is the killer. And this is his final birth. If I kill him in this life, my curse will finally be fulfilled. But who is he? I must find him quickly. And I need your help."
"So that is why you kept appearing before me," I said.
"Yes, friend," he replied. "The night I passed over your feet… I sensed that you could help me. That is why I kept appearing in your dreams and then disappearing."
"I understand. But why did you bite me?" I asked.
"Friend, I bit you — but I also gave you a power. My bite made your body as strong as iron. I will give you more abilities in the future. But to control this power, you must strengthen your body. If you fail… the power will tear your veins apart from inside. So you must practice Yoga."
"From tomorrow, I will teach you Yoga, self-defense, and knowledge," he said. "Come to the ruined temple in the middle of the forest. No one will disturb you there. You can practice freely."
I agreed. "Alright. We will meet there tomorrow."
In the morning, my mother woke me up. I got ready, brushed my teeth, and within half an hour I was dressed.
I told my mother, "Mummy, I'm going to play."
"Okay. Be careful and take care of yourself, beta," she said.
I walked toward the forest. I was a little scared at first, but I gathered my courage and moved forward slowly. As I walked, I found a very old temple — it looked abandoned for many years. It looked less like a temple and more like a shelter for wild animals. I saw some birds and animals around it.
I entered cautiously. Inside, there was a beautiful idol of Mumba Devi. Staring at the idol, I felt as if the goddess could speak any moment. I cleaned the place a little and offered my prayers, seeking her blessings. After praying, I continued walking further. The soothing sounds of birds — the koel singing, other birds chirping — made the forest feel peaceful.
Not far ahead, I reached the ruins — about five hundred meters from the temple. I sat there for a while. After some time, the snake appeared and said,
"You are a very determined person. You kept your promise. Now I will train you and fulfill my vow. I will make you so powerful that you could rule the whole town. People will tremble at the sound of your name."
I asked him, "Tell me your name. What should I call you?"
The snake transformed into human form and said, "My name is Yoshihito. What is your name?"
"My name is Rinshiro," I answered.
"Rinshiro… a good name," he said. "It means — one who never gives up. Now, let's begin your training."
"Sit here and meditate. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Calm your mind. At first, your thoughts will wander — but learn to control them. If you can control your mind, you can control yourself. Sit under that banyan tree."
He gave me the first instruction: "Sit quietly and straight. Your spine must be erect, chest slightly forward, neck straight. Keep your eyes open and focus your gaze at the tip of your nose. If you feel a slight pain in your head — that means you are doing it correctly."
"You will practice here — not inside the Mumba Devi temple. The birds will keep your mind calm here. I will meet you again in two days. Practice sincerely."
I practiced for two hours that day, then returned home.
But it did not take two days to master it — it took a full week to truly control my mind.
On the day he told me to meet him again, a man came and said,
"Until you truly learn… you cannot see me."
And Yoshihito disappeared again.
I continued practicing every day — with complete focus and dedication.
After one week, Yoshihito returned and asked,
"Rinshiro, have you learned it? Shall we move forward now?"
"Yes, Yoshihito. I have learned it," I answered. "Tell me what is next."
"You must become far stronger," he said.
"And remember — the Goddess's temple must be cleaned only by you."
"When I return next time, I want the temple spotless and pure."
"You will come daily and worship the Goddess. With Her blessings, you will grow stronger."
"You must make yourself powerful — alone.
So that you can protect yourself…
and also protect others."
A few days later, when I returned, he said to me,
"In the coming days, increase your strength even more.
Talk to the animals here… learn from them, understand them."
"Alright," I replied. "I will try my best to improve myself."
From that day onwards,
I would go there every single day and try to become better and stronger than before.
I used to lie at home and leave secretly.
I told my mother that I was going to play with my friends — but instead,
I went to the forest for my training.
One day, I used the same excuse and went to the jungle again — to the temple of Mata Mumba for my practice.
After a few days, my friends came to my house and asked my mother:
"Aunty, where is Rinshiro? He hasn't been coming to play with us for many days. Is he okay? Is he sick?"
My mother replied, "Rinshiro goes to play with Roasto Tomar."
But my friends said, "No aunty, he hasn't come to play with us for the last 10 days."