Vimana

'And I suppose that this use of nuclear weapons is also recorded?'

Vishnu shook his head, as if in mock despair. 'Ever the skeptic. But don't take my word for it. This is what the Mahabharata says.'

The holographic display glowed with a new set of characters.

A single projectile

Charged with all the power of the Universe.

An incandescent column of smoke and flame

As bright as the thousand suns

Rose in all its splendor…

…it was an unknown weapon,

An iron thunderbolt,

A gigantic messenger of death,

Which reduced to ashes

The entire race of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.

Aaditya was silent for a while.

'So you didn't retaliate?'

Vishnu began to set a course back to base as he responded.

'Oh we retaliated all right. We obliterated them. First we wiped out their major base in the Middle East-an episode that has gone down in human folklore as Sodom and Gomorrah. They had set up one of their generals in Lanka and we destroyed him, and then unable to break through their defenses, we used nuclear explosions to create giant tidal waves that destroyed their main citadel. And thus the legend of Atlantis was born.'

'And then?'

Aaditya could now see the Himalayan peaks over the horizon, as Vishnu responded.

'And then, we stepped back and looked at what we had unleashed. The Earth was devastated, the nuclear winter brought on a new ice age, and we left, vowing to return when the Earth was indeed more ready in terms of its evolution for us to make contact again.'

'But…'

Vishnu silenced him.

'I cannot give you all the answers in one flight. If you choose to remain, you will get all of them gradually.'

The vimana landed in a few minutes and Aaditya was back in his room, thinking over all that he had seen and heard. There was a knock on the door. It was Tanya.

'I heard about your trip. They must feel for your situation, otherwise I've never seen them take so much effort.'

Aaditya sat down beside Tanya.

'It all sounds so….'

'Crazy?' Tanya volunteered.

'Well, yeah.'

'Sometimes, Aadi, if there is no other feasible alternative than what you see with your own eyes, no matter how unexpected or improbable it seems, it is perhaps the truth.'

Aaditya turned towards her.

'I didn't realize you were a philosopher.'

She smiled. 'Hardly, but I've seen too many people discover this and then not be able to cope with it, or worse, use the knowledge to try and get fame when they go back.'

Aaditya just sat there quietly for a minute, still coming to grips with everything he had just learned. He felt Tanya's hand close over his.

'Aadi, I know just how tough it is to lose one's family, so I can understand your pain. If you do stay, and just want someone to talk to, I'm always here.'

Aaditya looked at her and smiled.

'Thanks. At least I have you to chat with and relate to. It must have been tough for you, being….alone here.'

Aaditya saw her face darken and mentally kicked himself for saying the wrong thing.

'Hey, I'm sorry if I said something wrong.'

Tanya quickly composed herself.

'I guess I'm used to it now. This is the only life I know. So while you were dating girls in college, I was handling lost explorers and half-crazy adventurers.'

It was said with a smile, but Aaditya thought he heard something more.

'That's too bad, if we had been in the same college, or if I had met you somewhere else, I would have asked you out for sure.'

'Why don't you?' she said with a sly smile.

'I mean, where would we go? To the hangar?'

Tanya got up, a twinkle in her eyes.

'The Devas don't just wage war against evil and fly around in their vimanas. They know how to throw a mean party as well.'

'You've gotta be kidding.'

'They'll only let you in there if you're staying.'

Aaditya hadn't yet digested everything he had seen, but he knew here was an attractive girl literally asking him to ask her out.

'Let's go.'

They walked together down a corridor, then entered a room that took Aaditya's breath away. There were flashing lights and music. Aaditya found it surreal, but they were playing Floyd. Tanya nudged him.

'They like this music a lot.'

Shiva was in a corner, drinking from his hip flask, next to Kartik who seemed to be nursing his own drink. Indra was seated at a bar where a small bartender was mixing a drink for him. The bartender was so short that only the top of his bald head was visible above the bar. Narada was sitting by himself in a corner, strumming a stringed instrument.

Tanya grinned. 'Come on, try it.'

The bartender handed Aaditya a glass of cream-coloured liquid. When he took a sip, he realized it was the same drink Shiva had poured for him. It was sweet, but he already knew how potent it could be.

'Welcome to the wonders of Soma,' laughed Indra

Just then the music changed to a fast beat, and Shiva leapt on to the dance floor, moving faster and with more rhythm than Aaditya had ever seen.

'Care to dance?' asked Tanya.

Aaditya, feeling a bit light-headed after his drink, agreed, but as they were about to enter the dance floor, he stopped.

'Tanya, I'm not much of a dancer…'

Tanya hushed him.

'There's more than one way to dance.'

The two of them, oblivious to everything around them, held each other as they slow danced. As Aaditya held her close to him and looked into her eyes, he tried to remind himself. This is not the right time or the right place, and for God's sake, she lives with aliens.

But, in the battle between mind and heart, as usually happens, the heart won out. That evening, they left together. He did not ask her to. They had been holding hands, and when it came time to leave, it just felt right to leave hand in hand. They walked for a long time, talking, and then they stopped in front of Aaditya's room. As he faced her and looked into her eyes, without thinking about it, he leaned down and kissed her, a single tentative kiss. He pulled back, wondering if he had done something wrong. But then she looked up and smiled at him. It melted away all his uncertainties. It told him that in the midst of all the chaos he found himself involved in, this was the one thing that made sense.

The next morning, he went back to the conference room, having asked for a meeting with Brahma. He found Brahma studying something on a small holographic display hovering above his palm. He looked up as Aaditya entered, and the display disappeared.

'So, my son, what have you decided?'

Aaditya spoke with a newfound certainty. 'There is a lot I don't understand yet, and honestly, a lot that does not yet make sense. But it's clear that if I ever want a chance at avenging my father's death, it has to be with your help.'

Brahma beamed with pleasure.

'I am glad you made that decision, but you do realize that you will not be piloting a vimana into combat, don't you?'

'I do, but I will start by helping in any way I can and then one day, earn the trust to do just that.'

Durga came into the room, and stood just behind Aaditya. 'Are you sure there's no other reason for your wanting to stay?'

Aaditya turned around, not knowing what to say, but in her expression he saw no mocking, only a genuine smile of warmth.

'Aadi, we all see Tanya like our own adopted daughter. But one day soon, we will reveal ourselves, and then she needs a life back among humans. I cannot think of anyone better to help ease her into that than you.'