The Third Eye - A Short Story Part 1 (Aug 2021)
1:43 AM The Beginning
Across the farthest reaches of the universe there only exists a mountain surrounded by streams of water, topped with snow flora and fauna. On the mountain two entities have appeared who sit cross-legged gazing into the endless void. The endless void is pitch-dark like an empty stage lacking, light, actors, stage crew, writers, directors an audience, scenery, backdrop and a play (leela).
One of the entities don a blue shirt, jeans and flats wielding a pen whilst the entity seated beside dons a blue t-shirt, striped wide legged pants, striped flats and wields a paintbrush.
“Are you ready?”, she says.
“Are you ready?”, he says.
“I asked you, first” she says.
“I just love it when we question each others’ questions, but I also know that you always have the final say” he says.
“Its not that but there is form and technicality to this process and this is not the first time we are going through this exercise, and you are well aware of why you need to go first” she says.
“I know, I know and I know we both are all-knowing but sometimes it is interesting to be human and pretend not to know anything and play the part instead of having to always write the part for others to play…well here it goes…then dipping his pen into dark endless void from the furthest reaches of the universe as if it were ink he begins writing and slowly the fathomless void begins to fade away.
Now the void is completely void of darkness and it is now a void of white brightness as if transformed into an empty canvas.
“My turn she says… and begins getting to work. With her paintbrush she begins to paint streams mimicking those on the mountain, waterfalls, oceans, trees, the sun, the moon, animals, insects as if reality were one big painting.
“What should we do now? I have lifted the void of darkness with thought, consciousness, mindfulness, empathy, clairvoyance, intuition, truth and you have painted reality”, he says.
“Well, we can just chill and grab some food, take a little breather, maybe eat some khichdi or thepla with some soda beverage; its good stuff we just have to make sure it has enough gas.”
“What about time?, he says.
“What about it?”, she says.
“Well since we have the power to create reality as we see fit. Perhaps we can tinker with the time, so that instead of it starting at 12:00 as it has been for eons, just in this reality, maybe, just maybe it can start at 1:43 AM?"
“Why 1:43 AM?”, she says.
“Well, it is just a random number I came up with can it be done?”
“So you are saying that you want to revise the schedule of all the back drops, sunrise, sunset etc. including revising the normative understanding of time, aging process and all the knowledge hat you have written pertaining to astronomy, astrology, mathematics, all of that and you are willing to put in the effort to revise all of just so that the time can begin at 1:43 AM?”
“No…just so that this reality can commence at 1:43 AM. Our reality can commence at the stroke of 1:43 AM”
***
From a distance, the sound of lightening is heard and a Bearded Man and a Woman with long hair appear. The Bearded man is donning a leopard skin garb whilst the woman is wearing a saree. They make their way towards the painter and the writer.
"Alright you two… we picked you as our successors and we admire the way your reality is coming together. Enough for today, well I guess today and tomorrow does not exist, not yet or not at least for us. Let us go and make some music but before we must have some foods. Take a breather and we will talk about changing the time", says the Woman in the saree.
“Which does not exist”, says the Bearded man in the leopard skin. The Bearded man in the leopard skin and the Bearded man with the pen burst out laughing at the joke, while both the women with the long hair exchange looks and nod. Now a table has appeared at the peak of the mountain with steel plates and bowls. The bowls are filled with basundi, and the plate is containing a Gujarati potato dish (suki bhaaji) and puri (fried bread).
Then the four of them make their way to a table on which they now sit.
“What view would you like, my dear?”, says the Long-haired woman wearing a saree to the other long-haired woman.
“Sunset please”.
***
At 1:43 AM he felt the love of the world enveloping him as if his soul was a letter of love, sealed within hers, stamped, addressed and posted to her hearts abode for an eternity`.
Hmmm…this is indeed nicely written says the leopard skin donning Bearded man to the other Bearded man. I can relate to that.
What inspired the writing of 1:43 AM--The Beginning as part of the Third Eye Anthology?
I really have no clue as to the factors responsible for inspiring the writing of this short story. It is almost like, it just happened, kind of like the way the characters in the story create their reality. I think that creators whether they are painters, writers, graphic designers have control over the realities they present to their audiences .
In this story, I take this idea of creating to a more esoteric or cosmic level whereby the writer and the painter are impressions of Shiva and Shakti (which according to Hindu Scriptures are a duo responsible for the creation of the universe i.e. those who caused creation in the first place).
This story also covers this idea of manifestation which I was made aware of some few weeks ago as it rose out of some deep conversation with a close associate of mine. We will delve deeper into this notion in the next story from this anthology.
As for the time, it is just a random number that first came into my head. But if someone has a different interpretation of the time, then I am all ears.