spread 1-2-3-4-5 with text

ONE

They were young. And they were lost.

Some stories about other worlds begin with 'Once upon a time', others with 'In the beginning'.

In this world the beginning is forgotten, and sometimes vaguely remembered, by the children and Elders as Khoya – that which was lost.

The elders in Khoya told tales of What-Once-Was - a fleeting whisper of the past. They spoke of a world not constructed and constrained. A world devoid of tall glass buildings. They spoke of other beings and half beings as fluid as water and as light as breath that they called spirit. They spoke of these spirits and life that existed beyond experiments in laboratories. They spoke of colour - strange hues and pigments that spread like honey across the earth. They spoke of other life: creatures with four legs and a will of their own, wild creatures with gossamer wings that danced in the gentle wind.

To the children of Khoya the idea of a will of their own seemed unimaginable. The possibility of a natural world not created by man seemed like a myth. To try and imagine spirit felt impossible. These stories were like a jigsaw puzzle of fantastical mumbo-jumbo muddled up in the elders' memories. And soon no one listened to these tales anymore.

There was no room for fantasy here. Only routine. And magic disrupted routine.

“And what's the point of a story if it isn't even real?” they said.

TWO.

However, if one is to try and rediscover What-Once-Was, if one is to attempt to pinpoint when Khoya was lost, it was possibly when the first glass box was created.

In those distant days man had lived in harmony with the spirit flowing through all things. He resonated with the spirit and recognised it in every rock, every river, every insect, every tree, every bird and every animal.

He was connected to the Great Spirit by a network of light - the Noor. The Noor was invisible to the eye but well known and seen only by the heart. And sometimes would appear to man as waves of gold dust. Other times, it would reveal itself in the sudden shimmer of a star or the shapes that clouds in the sky became. Sometimes one could see the Noor in a dancing leaf carried to it’s resting point by a curling wind. And mostly, it would reveal itself in Love.

Everyday on earth was a celebration of this love. And man's voice (strong and sweet then) was part of this great cosmic orchestra.

They would sing in crystal voices into the far reaches of space. They would spin round and round with the stars, whirling in ecstacy and complete abandon.

And yes, they were intoxicated by the Noor.

One day man and woman were inexplicably distracted while singing. He was looking up at the great expansive skies, his heart was connected by a hundred strands of gold to the Noor. When suddenly his eye caught something glimmering and hovering in the distance.

It was a firefly.

'Light that is worn by something apart from the stars', he thought. The idea of possessing light was interesting to him and he thought about it for days on end.

He wanted it. And then on, when he sang with the orchestra, it wasn't a celebration of love. It was a song of longing.

Having always lived by his need, this want was new and exciting to him. Seven days and seven nights later he saw fire again. One day when all the other creatures were asleep, he snuck up behind the firefly and trapped it in a little glass box.

He labeled this box and it gave him great pleasure that he could see it whenever he wished and it would never ever go away - it had no choice.

Soon he collected more creatures like this. He no longer sang in praise with the rest but instead arranged his collection meticulously in rows, categorically organized in terms of shape and colour.

When the other spirits approached him to ask him why he didn't sing and why he was trapping these creatures and plants he said, 'don't you see? I discovered them and so they are mine.'

The spirits didn't understand this logic at all.

But the truth is that before any Pandora's box was opened, it was first sealed up. And this incessant want to label and claim ownership over was called greed.

And thus was born the race known as the Laalach.

THREE

The men and women of Laalach were well known to be a rather tricky clan. They would, at any given opportunity, go to extreme measures to prove their might over the earth.

Some say these men and women had two faces but there is no historical record to prove this and so it remains just a metaphor in an old history book. Others say these people had an insatiable appetite, an unending desire to own more and more. However, this much is known, they slowly ate away at everything that the earth held within it and all that was left behind was the rotting refuse of an empire. This was the age of Want.

They were intoxicated by this greed and it is this addiction, this misguided intoxication and this blindness that gave birth to a dark powerful force with a life of its own - the Nasha.

The Nasha slowly engulfed man. It started as a small puff of smoke that enveloped his heart and wrapped its long vines around it. This gave him indifference.

It then spread to his chest that swelled up as his lungs were taken over by the Nasha. This gave him pride.

Next it spread to his throat and wound its vines around his neck nearly choking him. This gave him cold silence.

Then to his eyes dilating his pupils into blanks stares making him lose sight of the spirit.

And thus having wrapped itself around every nerve and entered every stream that ran through man's body it finally penetrated his mind. This brought him death. And not death of the spirit (for the spirit lives forever) or death of love (because love exists beyond that) but the death of his compassion. Which is the worst end of all.

FOUR

The spirits were chased out one by one. Poisonous gases were released into the world that punched holes into the layers of Noor that protected and enveloped the earth like a soft glowing blanket.

Homes were destroyed. Forests burnt down. The sky began to fall, the earth began to quake. Spirit fought back. The sky would cry for days, flooding the earth. His greed to control spirit brought terror. Gases that turned generations of children to dust. His greed to possess land brought wars. And soon it wasn't even land anymore. Soon it was oil, then water. and last but most tragically - The Battles of Breath.

With holes in his sky, with a hole where a heart once existed, surrounded by chaos the men of Laalach had to make a choice - either he embraced the spirit and restored it to a magnificence of its own, let go of his control and need to consume and lived in harmony. Or he could build more walls and banish the spirit forever.

And of course, he chose to banish.

So he created a glass globe around the earth to block out the clouds that became animals in the sky. He shut out the stars that looked down upon the earth like eyes.

He created large concrete bottlestoppers that stopped rivers from flowing. He scooped out all the multitudes of fish and life in the ocean and replaced it with plastic that he'd consumed and spat out.

Until nothing was left behind. The elements were divided, and were cursed to stay divided as layers atop the glass globe.

Remember poor Hansel and Gretel who got lost in their woods? The people of Khoya had got lost in their own miniature labyrinths and could find the kingdoms of love no more.

The world faded, diminished and disintegrated into smaller and smaller histories until finally becoming the one we know. Like a crystal prism that had been preserved for centuries to unleash a rainbow but had shattered into tiny fragments.

Cold, brittle and weak, the empires of man-made catastrophe eroded the soul like dirt off cliffs that drift in winds into beautiful tragedies of 'What-once-Was'.

Children were lined up in rows of gray, with glassy eyes of conformity gazing upon nothing. A vacant expression branded upon their faces with no decipherable features of beauty or ugliness. Their minds trained not to think, not to question. This was the age of mediocrity and these were the voices of a forgotten generation of zombies. Jaded and incomplete but told to feel otherwise, these children are laid to rest in an adult frame with the once beating heart of a child.

This was Khoya. A mistake. A generation of alienation. And where our story begins.

Marker designs for augmented reality

Marker 1

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planning O_-

1

They were young. And they were Lost.

Some stories about other worlds begin with 'Once upon a time', others with 'In the beginning'. 

In this world the beginning is not known.

This World, sometimes forgotten and sometimes vaguely remembered by the Children and elders as 'Khoya': What was lost.

The elders in khoya tell tales of 'What-once-was'. A feeble whisper of the past. They spoke of a world not constructed and constrained. A world devoid of tall glass buildings. They spoke of other beings and half beings made of as fluid as water and as light as breath they called 'spirit'. They spoke of these spirits and life that existed beyond experiments in laboratories. They spoke of 'Colour': Strange hues and tones and pigments that spread like honey. They spoke of other life with four legs: creatures with a will of their own. Winged Creatures that would soar into the far reaches of space and dance with stars with painted wings and sing songs that told stories of other lands.

To the children of Khoya the words 'Of-their-own' seemed unimaginable. As did words like 'spirit', 'soul' and 'nature'.

To the children of Khoya this was myth. A jigsaw of fantastical mumbo-jumbo jumbled up in the elders' memories. And soon no one listened to those tales either. 

There was no room for fantasy here. Only routine. And magic disrupted routine.

And what's the point of a story if it isn't even real? They said.

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

But above all, he was intoxicated.He was addicted to power. and it is this addiction, this intoxication and this blindness that gave birth to a dark powerful force with a life of its own

'The Nasha'

It started as a small puff of smoke that enveloped his heart and wrapped its long vines around it. This gave him indifference.

It then spread to his chest that swelled up as his lungs were taken over by the Nasha. This gave him pride.

Next it spread to his throat and wound its vines around his neck nearly choking him. This gave him cold silence.

Then to his eyes. dilated pupils. Nasha swirling inside like dark pools of sorrow. This gave him blindness.

and having wrapped itself around every nerve and entered every stream that ran through man's body:

finally it penetrated his mind. This brought him death.

And not death of the spirit (for the spirit lives forever) or death of Love (because love exists beyond that) but the death of his compassion.

Which is the worst end of all.

redux-ed

minimized

How Khoya was Lost

Disclaimer- all the text is rambled out right now. desperately needs some doctoring by someone who works with words.

Finished 5 roughs and one fair today.

its 2 a4- folded in the middle.

the text needs to be edited but that i will give to an editor in the final week

is it looking too depressing?? :| 

text to be added:

The spirits were chased out one by one. Poisonous gases were released into the world that punched holes into the layers of spirit and protection that enveloped the earth like a blanket.

Homes were destroyed. Forests burnt down. The sky began to fall, the earth began to quake. Spirit fought back. The sky would cry for days flooding the earth. His greed to control spirit brought terror. His greed to possess and consume land brought wars. And soon it wasn't even land anymore. Soon it was Oil, then Water. and last but most tragically- The Battles of Breath. 

With holes in his sky, with a hole where a heart once existed, surrounded by chaos and cacophony- he had to make a choice- 

Either he embraced the spirit and restored it to a magnificence of its own- let go of his control and need to consume and lived in Harmony.

Or

He built more walls and banished the spirit forever.

And Ofcourse, He chose to banish. 

So he created a glass globe around the earth to block out the clouds that became animals in the sky. He shut out the stars that looked down upon the earth like eyes.

He created large concrete bottlestoppers that stopped rivers from flowing. He scooped out all the multitudes of fish and life in the ocean and replaced it with plastic that he'd consumed and spat out.

A Murder of Crows

In the meantime, three crows sat atop a tall tower in Khoya incessantly cawing.

Ofcourse their language is mostly undecipherable for us because it involves great knowledge of semantics. However, if one is to really attempt, their conversations can perhaps be roughly translated.

The Kahoovas are an ancient race from a time before Khoya was lost.

They were given a choice between staying on  or leaving to the land of the skies but after much debate, the kahoovas stayed on.

The reasons for this were long speculated. Some said that perhaps the kahoovas too had been afflicted by the Nasha and therefore their feathers were black.

But this can't be the reason for their return- because sources say they have indeed always been black and this involves an accident of spilled ink and ostriches. But that's another story.

They have also always been shrouded with mystery.

Some believed that the crow could shape shift into a young handsome man, and in this shape- trick people into getting what he desires.

Others say the crows were the spirits of the world's ancestors.

However, the reason for the Kahoovas staying in khoya was simple, having always been the disgruntled minority amongst the birds (the rest of whom were gifted with colour) were given the reservation of being able to fly between all lands as the keeper of sacred law. 

Having been born of ink, their records of the law too were known to be the most meticulously written.

Anyway, so these three crows in question were sitting upon a tall tower in khoya cawing endlessly.

The truth is, they had fallen madly in love with the curling manifestation of the Nasha.

They had always prided themselves on their smooth black tailfeathers.

A blue sheen and shimmer that no creature could replicate.

 Until one day, they saw the Nasha.

Spread 2- Draft1 :)

text to be added-

However, if one is to try and rediscover 'What-once-was'

If one is to attempt to pinpoint when Khoya was lost- it was possibly when the glass sphere was built around the earth.

Before, when the world was a spirit of itself, at first man lived in Harmony with other spirit (because he was intouch with his own).

He saw the network of light. He spoke the language of love, a language without words but only truth.

Everyday on earth was a celebration of this love. And man's voice (strong and sweet then) was part of this great cosmic orchestra.

They would sing in crystal voices about this love. they would spin round and round with the stars. Whirling in ecstacy. Everything was magical.

And I don't mean the mumbo-jumbo sort of magic. I mean Bliss.

one day men and women were distracted while singing. While looking up at the skies and his heart was connected to this great network when suddenly his eye caught something flying glimmering.

It was a firefly. 

'Light that is worn by something apart from the stars' he thought...the idea of having light was interesting to him and he thought about it for days on end.

He wanted it. And then on, when he sang with the orchestra, it wasn't a celebration of love. It was a song of longing.

Having always lived by his need- this 'want' was new and exciting to him. 

7 days and 7 nights later he saw Fire again. One day when all the world creatures were asleep, he snuck up behind the firefly and trapped it in a small glass box.

He labelled this box and it gave him great pleasure that he could see it whenever he wished and it would never ever go away (it had no choice).

Soon he collected more creatures like this. He no longer sang in praise with the rest but instead arranged his collection meticulously in rows.

When the other spirits approached him to ask him why he didn't sing and why he was trapping these creatures and plants he said

'Don't you see? I discovered them and so they are mine'

The spirits didn't understand this logic at all.

But the truth is- that before any pandora's box was opened...it was first sealed up.

and this incessant want to label and claim ownership over was called greed.

Research- Sacred Trees

It is mentioned of the Kalpavriksha and Chaityavriksha in the ancient scriptures indicating that the worship of the tree is indeed an ancient Indian practice. The Ancient Aryans worshiped nature. Plants, Trees and the other elements were always revered and several rituals were connected to them. Tree worship continues to be an element of modern Indian traditions. There are many trees which are considered Sacred. Some of the Sacred Trees are as follows :

Ashoka Tree
The Ashoka Tree is one of the most sacred and legendary trees of India, and one of the most fascinating flowers in the Indian range of flower essences. The beautiful, perfumed flowers of the Ashoka Tree are used in temple decoration. Prized for its beautiful foliage and flowers, the Asoka Tree has many religious significances. This tree is revered by the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. It is said that Lord Buddha was born under this tree in Lumbini. Some says that Lord Mahavira renounced the world under the Ashoka tree in Vaishali. The Hindus worship this tree because it is dedicated to "Kama Deva" (God of Love). The Ashoka tree gets a mention in the epic Ramayana as the "Ashoka Vatika"(garden of Ashoka trees) where Hanuman first meets Sita. Literally meaning "the "sorrowless tree", it is believed that drinking the water in which the flowers have been washed is widely considered a protection against grief among the Indians.

Banyan
Like the Peepal Tree, the Banyan Tree also symbolizes the Trimurti-Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. The tree also symbolizes life andfertility in many Hindu cultures. That is the reason, banyan tree is worshiped by those who are childless and this tree should never be cut. The tree can grow into a giant tree covering several hectares. The Great Banyan in the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, is considered to be the largest tree in the world. Lord Dakshinamurthy, who is worshiped as the "ultimate guru", is usually depicted beneath a banyan tree. He symbolizes Lord Shiva and is seen as the the destroyer of ignorance and embodiment of knowledge.

Bael Tree
In India, Bael tree is considered to be very sacred because it is associated with Lord Shiva. It is said that Lord Shiva is pleased by offerings of leaves from the Bael Tree, also known as bilva or bel tree. Thus, the Brahmanas worshiped Lord Shiva by for a period of one fortnight by offering bel leaves and that way satisfied Lord Shiva greatly. The fruit, flowers and leaves of the tree are all sacred to Shiva. Planting these trees around home or temple is sanctifying and is equivalent to worshiping a Linga with bilva leaves and water. The trifoliate leaf or tripatra of the bael tree is believed to symbolize the three functions of the Lord-the creation, preservation and destruction as well as his three eyes. The offering of the leaves is a compulsory ritual while worshipping Lord Shiva all over India. The Beal tree is also sacred to the Jains. It is said the 23rd Tirthankara, Bhagwan Parasnathji attained "Nirvana" enlightenment under a Bael tree. Besides religious significane, almost all parts of the tree have medicinal qualities Bael is an ingredient in many Ayurvedic and Siddha formulations.

Bamboo
The common names of Lord Krishna-Venugopal, Bansilal, Murali and Muralidhar reflect His association with Bansuri or Venu, His constant companion. Bansuri is actually a flute made of bamboo. That is the reason, bamboo is revered in India because it is associated with Lord Krishna.

Banana
Though banana is not a tree but it is considered a tree because of its structure and size. It is a very sacred tree and all parts of the tree are used for some purpose or the other. For example, the trunk of banana is used to erect welcoming gates. The leaves are used to make the ceremonial pavilion. In some pooja, the leaves are used to serve "prashad". Just as leaves of bel tree are customarily offered to Lord Siva, it is believed that offering of the leaves of banana pleases Lord Ganesa. Banana as a fruit is offered to Lord Vishnu and Laksmi. Infact, the eleventh day of the bright half of Pausa (December-January) is considered to be very auspicious to offer banana to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi and sixth day of the bright fortnight of Kartika (October-November) is considered auspicious to offer banana to the Sun god. In some regions, banana tree is worshipped while performing Kadali Vrata or fast. According to tradition, during Vaisakha, Magha or Kartika sukla caturdasi, a banana tree is planted and nurtured till it bears fruit. It is said that worshiping the tree with flowers, fruit, etc. will help in the welfare of one's family.

Bhang Tree
To all Hindus, the Bhang Tree is a very Holy Tree. There are many beliefs associated with the Bhang Tree. It is believed that a guardian lives in the Bhang leaf. To see in a dream the plant or water or leaves of Bhang is considered lucky as it brings wealth and prosperity into the dreamer's power. To meet someone carrying Bhang is a sure sign of success. Bhang is a popular drink made of the leaves and flowers of the Bhang tree and considered to be a "prashad". It is must for every devotees to have bhang on Mahashivratri. It is also said that nothing good can come to the man who treads underfoot the holy Bhang leaf. A longing for Bhang is a sign of happiness. Since ancient times, Yogis take deep draughts of Bhang so that they can center their thoughts on the Eternal without any disturbance because bhang has that intoxicating power in it. Infact, the students of ancient scriptures at Benares are given Bhang before they sit to study. Bhang has also many medicinal virtues. It is also believed that no god or man is as good as the religious drinker of Bhang. It is also said that to restrict the use of such a holy and gracious herb as the hemp or Bhang would cause widespread suffering and annoyance.

Coconut
In Sanskrit, the name for the coconut palm "Kalpa vriksha", which means"the tree which provides all the necessities of life" or "wish-fulfilling tree". The coconut tree is given a special place in most Hindu households and great care is taken to nature the tree. In the southern part of India, it is a must for every household to plant coconut trees. There is a popular saying, "Water the plant for five years, reap coconuts for life" . The coconut is used for all religious purposes. Infact, it represents the main "sthapana" of any pooja. The whole pot filled with water, mango leaves and coconut, also known as "Purnakumbha" is a symbol of Goddess Laksmi or Fortune and the coconut represents divine consciousness. To break a coconut in the beginning of any event is considered to be very auspicious. Coconuts are offered in Temples to worship to various Gods and Goddesses. The fruit is also believed to represent Lord Shiva and the three black marks on the coconut shell, symbolizes his eyes.

Lotus
The Lotus is always considered as an evocative symbol of beauty, purity and divinity and a highly revered flower by all Hindus. In Hinduism many of the deities are pictured sitting upon a lotus or holding a lotus flower. Rising up pure and unsullied from the depths of the muddy swamp, the lotus represents the manifestation of God. The pure white lotus flower is the only plant to fruit and flower simultaneously. The flower is a symbol of Goddess Laxmi. One of the incarnations of the Mother-Goddess or Devi and wife of the Hindu god Vishnu, Laxmi is the goddess of fortune and prosperity as well as the epitome of feminine beauty. According to Hindu mythology she was born radiant and fully grown from the churning of the sea. Lakshmi is always portrayed as sitting on a lotus flower which is her traditional symbol. That is why this flower held in high esteem. The Lotus flower has also symbolized spiritual enlightenment. It is said that the Lotus in Eastern Culture has a similar symbolism to the Rose in Christianity.

Mango
The mango tree is another sacred tree of the Hindus. The significance of this finds mention in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas. The mango as a fruit is a symbol of love and fertility. The leaf of the tree is used during most religious and social ceremonies of the Hindus. A"Purnakumbha" is a pot filled with water and topped with fresh mango leaves and a coconut and considered to be the "staphna" of the puja. The pot symbolizes Mother Earth, water is the life giver, coconut the divine consciousness and the mango leaves symbolizes life. The whole "Purnakumbha" is symbolizes Goddess Lakshmi and good fortune. On various auspicious occasions, mango leaves are used to adorn entrances at home to signify good fortune. Mango blossoms are used on Basant Panchami day in the worship of Goddess Saraswasti. The tree is also sacred to the Buddhists because it is believed that Lord Buddha performed during his lifetime the instantaneous creation of a large mango tree from the seed at a place called Shravasti.

Neem
It is said that on the first day of Chaitra, after Amavasya, it is very essential to worship the neem and eat its leaves, mixed with pepper and sugar, as a safeguard from fever. The neem tree besides having various medicinal benefits is a highly revered tree among the Hindus because it is a manifestation of "Goddess Durga" or "Maa Kali". That is why the tree is sometimes referred to as Neemari Devi. The Tree is worshiped very intensely. Tamil Ladies, while worshiping Maa kali dress in red, carry branches of the Neem tree, and dance in public places swishing the branches as an act of exorcism and to purify the world. The multi-headed occult goddess Yellamma (a highly revered goddess in south Indiai) sometimes assumes the appearance of a young neem tree. Young maidens worship this Goddess by cladding themselves all over in neem branches. In Bengal, neem is considered to be the tree which is the abode of "Sitala" (the great Pox-mother who can cause or cure disease). The customary treatment of pox is therefore to rub the body with neem leaves while making prayers to Sitala. It is also said that the smoke of burning neem protects both the living and the dead from evil spirits.

Peepal
The Peepal Tree also known as "Ashvattha" in Sanskrit, is a very large tree and the first-known depicted tree in India. A seal discovered at Mohenjodaro, one of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation depicts the peepal being worshiped. According to the Brahma Purana and thePadma Purana, when the demons defeated the gods, Lord Vishnu hid himself in the Peepal Tree and that is why it is believed that the Peepal Tree is a symbol of Vishnu and is worshiped since a long period of time. There is another belief that the tree represents the Trimurti-the roots being Brahma, the trunk Vishnu and the leaves Shiva. Some says that Lord Krishna is believed to have died under this tree, after which the present Kali Yuga started. According to another belief, Goddess Lakshmi also inhabited the tree, specially on Saturday and hence it is considered auspicious to worship it. Infact women worship the tree to bless them with a son tying red thread or red cloth around its trunk or on its branches. According to the Skanda Purana, to cut down a peepal tree is considered a sin. Even Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment under the peepal tree and the peepal is also sacred to Buddhist. Hence it is also called the Bodhi tree or "tree of enlightenment".

Red Sandalwood Tree
Besides being used in fragrance industry, fine woodworking and aromatherapy, Sandalwood is commonly used for incense and religious ceremonies. The Red Sandalwood Tree is considered to be a very sacred tree and is like a sage among many people. It is said that all other trees are considered ordinary trees and are like ignorant men in front of a Red Sandal wood. Popularly known as Chandan, Sandalwood has an extraordinary fragrance. Sandalwood paste is used in all religious rituals. The paste is smeared on the foreheads of devotees of Vishnu and Shiva and it is said that the sandalwood paste is meant to cool and protect the "Agnachakra" present between the eyebrows. In India, the death pyre is made using sandalwood branches for centuries. According to legend, Lord Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. According to Indian mythology, sandalwood tree is depicted as being entwined with serpents. Sandalwood remains cool and aromatic even when the poisonous serpent coils around it. This also has another meaning that the basic nature of an individual cannot change because of outer effects.

Tulsi
Tulsi is always associated with purity and a highly revered and used for all religious purposes among the Hindus. It is considered very auspicious to have a Tulsi plant in the front courtyard of many Hindu households. Tulsi beads can always be seen around the necks of serious yogis and mystics in India, worn to purifying the mind, emotions and body. Dispelling the unwanted influences of others, gross and subtle, is one of the many benefits bestowed by Tulsi plant and hence worshipped by all. Tulsi plants are also prized in Ayurveda, where they are considered an integral part of that sophisticated healing system. In practically every temple in India, no puja can be started without few Tulsi leaves. There is always a special place reserved for this sacred plant. The qualities and amazing powers of this plant are found throughout the oldest writings on Earth, the Sanskrit Vedas of ancient India, where it is stated that simply touching the wood is purifying at many levels. Tulsi plant is most loved by Lord Vishnu and Vrinda Devi, the Goddess ruling Tulsi is known as the personification of bhakti or devotion to the Supreme Being.

Khoya Chapter One- Draft One

They were young. And they were Lost.

Some stories about other worlds begin with 'Once upon a time', others with 'In the beginning'. 

In this world the beginning is not known.

This World, sometimes forgotten and sometimes vaguely remembered by the Children and elders as 'Khoya': What was lost.

The elders in khoya tell tales of 'What-once-was'. A feeble whisper of the past. They spoke of a world not constructed and constrained. A world devoid of tall glass buildings. They spoke of other beings and half beings made of as fluid as water and as light as breath they called 'spirit'. They spoke of these spirits and life that existed beyond experiments in laboratories. They spoke of 'Colour': Strange hues and tones and pigments that spread like honey. They spoke of other life with four legs: creatures with a will of their own. Winged Creatures that would soar into the far reaches of space and dance with stars with painted wings and sing songs that told stories of other lands.

To the children of Khoya the words 'Of-their-own' seemed unimaginable. As did words like 'spirit', 'soul' and 'nature'.

To the children of Khoya this was myth. A jumble of fantastical mumbo-jumbo jumbled up in the elders' memories. And soon no one listened to those tales either. 

There was no room for fantasy here. Only routine. And magic disrupted routine.

And what's the point of a story if it isn't even real? They said.

However, if one is to try and rediscover 'What-once-was'

If one is to attempt to pinpoint when Khoya was lost- it was possibly when the glass sphere was built around the earth.

Before, when the world was a spirit of itself, at first man lived in Harmony with other spirit (because he was intouch with his own).

He saw the network of light. He spoke the language of love, a language without words but only truth.

Everyday on earth was a celebration of this love. And man's voice (strong and sweet then) was part of this great cosmic orchestra.

They would sing in crystal voices about this love. they would spin round and round with the stars. Whirling in ecstacy. Everything was magical.

And I don't mean the mumbo-jumbo sort of magic. I mean Bliss.

one day men and women were distracted while singing. While looking up at the skies and his heart was connected to this great network when suddenly his eye caught something flying glimmering.

It was a firefly. 

'Light that is worn by something apart from the stars' he thought...the idea of having light was interesting to him and he thought about it for days on end.

He wanted it. And then on, when he sang with the orchestra, it wasn't a celebration of love. It was a song of longing.

Having always lived by his need- this 'want' was new and exciting to him. 

7 days and 7 nights later he saw Fire again. One day when all the world creatures were asleep, he snuck up behind the firefly and trapped it in a small glass box.

He labelled this box and it gave him great pleasure that he could see it whenever he wished and it would never ever go away (it had no choice).

Soon he collected more creatures like this. He no longer sang in praise with the rest but instead arranged his collection meticulously in rows.

When the other spirits approached him to ask him why he didn't sing and why he was trapping these creatures and plants he said

'Don't you see? I discovered them and so they are mine'

The spirits didn't understand this logic at all.

But the truth is- that before any pandora's box was opened...it was first sealed up.

and this incessant want to label and claim ownership over was called greed.

Man's greed led him to try and manipulate. Try and consume and control the spirit of the earth.

He was blind when he saw not the sadness in that he killed. He was deaf was he heard not the cries of the earth.

But above all, he was intoxicated.He was addicted to power. and it is this addiction, this intoxication and this blindness that gave birth to a dark powerful force with a life of its own

'The Nasha'

It started as a small puff of smoke that enveloped his heart and wrapped its long vines around it. This gave him indifference.

It then spread to his chest that swelled up as his lungs were taken over by the Nasha. This gave him pride.

Next it spread to his throat and wound its vines around his neck nearly choking him. This gave him cold silence.

Then to his eyes. dilated pupils. Nasha swirling inside like dark pools of sorrow. This gave him blindness.

and having wrapped itself around every nerve and entered every stream that ran through man's body:

finally it penetrated his mind. This brought him death.

And not death of the spirit (for the spirit lives forever) or death of Love (because love exists beyond that) but the death of his compassion.

Which is the worst end of all.

The spirits were chased out one by one. Poisonous gases were released into the world that punched holes into the layers of spirit and protection that enveloped the earth like a blanket.

Homes were destroyed. Forests burnt down. The sky began to fall, the earth began to quake. Spirit fought back. The sky would cry for days flooding the earth. His greed to control spirit brought terror. His greed to possess and consume land brought wars. And soon it wasn't even land anymore. Soon it was Oil, then Water. and last but most tragically- The Battles of Breath. 

With holes in his sky, with a hole where a heart once existed, surrounded by chaos and cacophony- he had to make a choice- 

Either he embraced the spirit and restored it to a magnificence of its own- let go of his control and need to consume and lived in Harmony.

Or

He built more walls and banished the spirit forever.

And Ofcourse, He chose to banish. 

So he created a glass globe around the earth to block out the clouds that became animals in the sky. He shut out the stars that looked down upon the earth like eyes.

He created large concrete bottlestoppers that stopped rivers from flowing. He scooped out all the multitudes of fish and life in the ocean and replaced it with plastic that he'd consumed and spat out.

Remember poor Hansel and Gretel?

Who got lost in their woods and other kingdoms of love we could find no more: miniature labyrinths we no longer find our way back into. 

The world faded,diminished and disintegrated into smaller and smaller histories until finally becoming the one we know.

Like a crystal prism that had been preserved for centuries to unleash the rainbow that shattered into tiny fragments .Cold, brittle and weak empires of manmade catastrophy eroded the soul like dirt off cliffs that drift in winds into beautiful tragedies of 'What-once-Was'. 

Children were lined up in rows of gray and with glassy eyes of conformity gazing upon nothing. A vacant expression branded upon their faces with no decipherable features or beauty or ugliness. Their mind's trained not to think, not to question. This is the age of mediocrity and these voices of a forgotten generation of zombies.  Jaded and incomplete but told to feel otherwise, these Children are laid to rest in an adult tone with the once beating heart of a child. 

This was Khoya. A mistake. A generation of alienation. And where our story begins.

Feedback-

There are two different thing happening. there's the story and then my opinion. It's getting toooooo rambly, the styles of writing change and I'm getting angsty with my opinion.

Crisp-Clear and yet poetic.