Rajesh Kumar lay on the bed, exhausted from the day's events, and gently responded to his daughter's request for a lullaby. He began humming a soft Indian children's rhyme, "Chanda Mama Door Ke," but his voice, once rough and off-key from neglect, now carried an otherworldly melody thanks to his refined spiritual energy. His throat felt a bit dry after the effort, yet sleep eluded him. The little girl, however, was utterly enchanted. Unlike his previous awkward attempts that had only made her giggle in confusion, this tune wrapped around her like a warm blanket, filling her with a strange, joyful energy that kept her eyes wide open.
"Papa, can you sing another one?" Priya pleaded, her big eyes blinking up at him expectantly.
"No, beta, it's too late now," Rajesh replied firmly, though his heart softened at her pout.
"But I can't sleep anymore," she whined, rubbing her eyes dramatically.
At his wit's end, Rajesh decided to use a gentle technique from his vast arsenal of knowledge. "Alright, Papa will teach you a special way to fall asleep. First, close your eyes, and then start counting stars in the night sky—one twinkling star, two shining stars, three..." He infused his words with a subtle hypnotic resonance, his voice weaving a calming spell that lulled the mind like a soft monsoon breeze. By the time Priya murmured "fifteen sparkling stars," her breathing had evened out, and she drifted into a peaceful slumber. Rajesh smiled to himself, thinking how this voice could pacify even the fiercest street vendor in Chandni Chowk.
With Priya finally asleep, Rajesh's mind turned to more practical concerns. Their current rental flat in the cramped lanes of Old Delhi was a far cry from ideal—too small, too dingy, and utterly unsuitable for his little princess to grow up in. Tomorrow, he resolved, he would scout out some spacious villas in the upscale suburbs of Gurgaon. As a man who had just cashed in a fortune from a single diamond, money was no object. His mother, who taught at a government school in Noida, would appreciate the proximity; he aimed for a property right on the Delhi-Noida border, in a serene gated community away from the city's chaos. Quiet gardens, secure walls, and fresh air—that's what Priya deserved.
Moreover, with no job to his name, Rajesh knew he couldn't idle forever. Society in New Delhi had a way of judging the unemployed, whispering behind backs at family gatherings. He needed to find something respectable, perhaps in business or consulting, to blend in while keeping his true powers hidden.
Meanwhile, deep into the night, a clandestine meeting unfolded in a sprawling heritage haveli on the outskirts of Agra. Three long teakwood tables were lined with elite members of the Garuda Force—innate warriors and higher-ranked guardians seated in tense rows. They had gathered to dissect the bizarre anomaly that had lit up the skies earlier that afternoon: the massive wormhole over the capital.
"In my view, it's undoubtedly a hidden realm portal," declared Vikram Singh, the A-class operative of the Garuda Force, rising to address the assembly with a steely gaze.
"I concur with Vikram's assessment," chimed in Arjun Mehta, another Garuda member and an innate master in his early twenties. Born into a lineage of ancient martial artists from Rajasthan, Arjun had been pampered since childhood, his arrogance as sharp as his curved talwar. He basked in the nods of approval from his peers, his ego inflated by whispers of his prodigious talent.
His endorsement hung in the air, sparking a ripple of murmurs among the group. In a shadowed alcove, a stunning woman in a silk saree, Lakshmi Rao, leaned forward and whispered, "A hidden realm? How intriguing." Her lips curved into a enigmatic smile.
"Heh, is Miss Lakshmi intrigued? Ha!" teased Priyanka Desai, the elegant woman beside her, her bangles jingling softly.
"Priyanka, don't stir trouble," Lakshmi shot back, rolling her eyes with mock exasperation.
"Enough, ladies," interjected an elder statesman, Anand ji, his voice gravelly from years of command. "Whether it's a hidden realm or not, its emergence spells calamity for the realm. We must prepare."
The debate raged on, touching on containment strategies, potential threats from otherworldly intruders, and alliances with rival sects. But as the clock ticked past midnight, fatigue set in. The guardians rose one by one, dispersing into the moonlit night with grim resolve, the weight of impending chaos etched on their faces.