“The Four Brothers” by R. S. Chintalapati

One sunny morning, a young king who was crowned only a couple of years ago after his father’s untimely death, summoned his council of scholars to learn, as he did every week. Resting in the courtyard on the cotton bed while relishing the scent of the jasmines and lilies, the King queried the nine scholars as they all sat in a circle, “Today, I would like to know as to what we as mere mortals should dictate in our lives to add significant meaning to our existence?”

The very next moment a couple of scholars proposed contentment, skillfulness, ambition and none of these answers made the king happy. He turned to the head of the council for an answer and all he got was silence. Amused, the young king foolishly promised, “Whoever offers me an answer that would please me by tomorrow morning, would be made the head of this council for a year.”

Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada

​Though that promise hurt the head of the council, it instigated Maya, the second in command. For years now, she sought to be the head of the council but was never even offered the chance to compete against her superior. She saw this as an opportunity to prove her worth though she didn’t have a clue as to what the answer could be.

That evening, after having their supper, Maya told her husband about the King’s offer and expressed to him that she would like to make the best of this possibility. As much as he wanted his wife to succeed, her husband could see the aggressive determination in her eyes and calmly replied, “The young king is reckless enough to propose replacing the current head over a single question. Do you really want to compete to gain validation from someone who would replace you just as easily?”

Noticing his wife’s disappointment, the husband held her hand as he assured, “If it is meant to be yours, you will get it no matter the circumstances. However, if it isn’t meant for you, no matter what you sacrifice, it will slip right through your fingers.”

As much as she disagreed with him, Maya chose to instead focus on the challenge at hand and just smiled. It bothered her that she did not receive the encouragement she expected, she still hoped to succeed in being the one to find the answer for the king.

That night lost in her thoughts, Maya closed her eyes before she felt nothing for a moment. But suddenly, she felt like she was falling from the vast nothingness to a world covered in red clouds. When she almost touched the clouds, Maya felt like someone was holding her. Floating above the clouds, she heard a voice from within asking her, “Do you really wish to know the truth?”

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​This story is only available for our Early Access Readers until 15th December 2021.

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Note

​This short story is available as paperback in India through “Lost Thoughts”

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Team

1. ​Contributor:
   R. S. Chintalapati
   
   
2. Editors:
   Manognya Bethapudi &
   Tarun Chintam
   ​​
3. Photographer:
   Pankaj Tottada

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Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada