A Night of Ashadha : Part 1
"Why did the weather have to be so gloomy today?" he thought. "Especially at this hour, agh!" The night had already turned irritating; he should be under a blanket in his bed with the AC on at this very moment. If not for those words he heard a few years back: "You have done well, I will initiate you into the mantra sadhana." The memory carried the exact voice he had heard years ago. "Look ahead, don't crash into something," he told himself. The national highway next to his house wasn't too crowded at 10:30 at night, but for a mind as aloof as his, riding a bike at this hour was always a gamble. His bag, with its long strap, sat behind him, pushing against his chest. That bag had been Alvis's only true companion over the last few years—ever-present, hanging on his shoulders, carrying whatever was necessary for the occasion. Even at his day job as a consultant, Alvis Rey was expected to bring a laptop to work, but the sadhaka in him ...