The Secret Portal

“Jai Hanuman!” Kailash prostrated himself before the photograph of Lord Hanuman.

He applied an orange tilak to his forehead. He had been an ardent devotee of Lord Hanuman and never missed reading the Hanuman Chalisa every day. There was no Hanuman temple in his town, which was why he had placed a large photograph of Hanuman in his prayer room. He performed special pujas every day, filling his heart with joy and devotion.

“Jai Hanuman! Jai Shri Ram!” Kailash chanted before lying down on his mat to sleep. Until then, he had never experienced a supernatural dream, but that night turned out to be different.

As he sank deeper into slumber, his astral body embarked on a journey to an unknown place. It continued its journey through an atmosphere shrouded in pitch darkness. Eerie sounds echoed all around. His astral body remained steadfast, refusing to deviate from its path until it stumbled upon a mysterious portal.

A digital device with numbered buttons appeared before him. It looked like a puzzle. He pressed a few buttons, but the portal refused to let him in. Instead, an image of a Krishna temple flashed before his eyes.

Kailash suddenly jolted awake. Unable to shake the image of the Krishna temple from his mind, he decided to visit it the following day.

“Jai Hanuman!” he whispered, surrendering himself to the Lord before drifting back to sleep.

The next morning, Kailash walked down the street towards the Krishna temple, eager to discover what surprise awaited him. Despite the hustle and bustle of the town, his mind remained preoccupied with solving the puzzle that would grant him access to the portal.

The devotees at the temple left no stone unturned in expressing their devotion through bhajans and kirtans. Kailash joined in their celebrations, feeling as though torrents of ecstasy were flowing through his heart.

With his mind still tethered to the puzzle from the previous night's dream, he decided to circumambulate the temple. As he walked around it, he noticed a number inscribed on a wall. It read “718.”

“Is this the number I need to enter into that device?” his logical mind wondered.

He meditated for some time before partaking in the prasadam. Out of nowhere, tears began rolling down his cheeks, as though the ice of devotion within him had melted into tears.

He noticed others quickly turning their attention to family matters and everyday concerns. Kailash, however, believed that he had been born with a greater purpose and that it was his duty to fulfil it.

That night, stars glittered across the sky, keeping company with a full moon that glowed like a white halo. Kailash could not take his eyes off the enchanting sky, which seemed to reveal the image of Lord Hanuman.

He could scarcely believe his eyes as he stood transfixed, absorbing the divinity radiating from the heavens. The sight of his favourite deity in the night sky filled him with profound satisfaction, and he soon drifted into a peaceful sleep.

In the middle of the night, his astral body travelled towards the same portal it had encountered the previous evening. This time, he knew exactly which numbers to press to solve the puzzle. He entered “718”, and the portal's door swung open.

Curious to discover what lay inside, he stepped through the entrance. The darkness within seemed to conspire with the eerie sounds to instil fear in his mind. He struggled to comprehend the impenetrable darkness that refused to lift. With no clear path in sight, he found himself gripped by fear.

“Jai Hanuman!” he cried, closing his eyes and reciting the Lord's name.

Suddenly, he heard someone speaking. The voice revealed a plan to rob his house the following day. The shocking revelation sent shivers down his spine, but it also brought him a sense of relief. He had discovered the danger a day before it was due to unfold.

Kailash awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. He realised that people would make him a laughingstock if he shared his experience with them, so he decided to keep it to himself.

Kailash was determined to face the fate that lay ahead. That night, the entire town slipped into slumber, and silence prevailed everywhere. However, Kailash could not afford to sleep, given the warning he had received in his dream.

As expected, a thief stealthily approached Kailash's house, determined to carry out a robbery. Little did he know that Kailash was prepared to catch him red-handed.

The thief began climbing a pipe to reach the terrace. A smile spread across his face at the prospect of stealing enough money to sustain him for weeks.

Kailash spotted the thief's silhouette on the wall. As the intruder began descending the stairs to enter the house, Kailash sprang into action. He threw a large bedsheet over him, trapping him beneath it.

Caught off guard, the thief struggled to free himself as Kailash landed several blows on him. Realising the gravity of the situation, the thief managed to wriggle out of the bedsheet and fled as fast as he could, vowing never to return to the town.

Kailash heaved a sigh of relief, grateful to have escaped the threat posed by the thief.

“Jai Hanuman!” he exclaimed, expressing his gratitude to the Lord for standing by him through thick and thin.

He retired to bed, wondering what he might encounter next. Once again, his astral body resumed its journey through the portal.

Suddenly, a section of the wall was illuminated, stirring his curiosity. It was as though a camouflage of darkness had been stripped away to reveal the truth concealed beneath it.

The scenes that appeared on the illuminated wall sent shivers down his spine. He saw his uncle murdering his own wife and framing his innocent brother for the crime. Kailash believed that the revelation had been entrusted to him so that he could help deliver justice to his innocent uncle, who had been imprisoned for a crime he had never committed.

His eyes brimmed with rage as he thought of the guilty uncle who appeared to be getting away with murder.

Before he could explore the revelation any further, he was abruptly awakened from his dream.

Kailash visited his uncle's house, determined to make him confess the truth he had concealed for so long. He also had a master plan that he was determined to execute flawlessly.

“How are you, Kailash?” his uncle asked.

“I'm fine, Uncle. How have you been coping with life since your wife's death?” Kailash asked.

“My life has been nothing short of miserable. My heart aches for my beloved wife every day. Some of the happiest moments of my life were spent with her. I still cannot believe that she is no more. My body aches as I grow older. Could you please help me?” he asked, pretending to be distressed.

Kailash's eyes darted towards the beer bottles his uncle had stored in the room to enjoy with his friends. He stood behind his uncle under the pretext of massaging his back, then pressed a needle into his neck, causing him to lose consciousness.

Kailash laid him on the bed and waited for him to regain consciousness. Once his uncle was awake, Kailash confronted him about his aunt's death and managed to extract the truth from him. He secretly recorded the confession so that it could serve as evidence before the police.

With the recording in his possession, Kailash hurried to the police station to report the crime. The police were shocked to discover that they had arrested the wrong person in the murder case. Fearing that the case might be mishandled further, they swiftly swung into action and arrested the real culprit.

Kailash offered his heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for helping him secure the release of an innocent man and bring the actual perpetrator to justice.

On Sunday night, Kailash lay on his mat, staring at the ceiling fan as he pondered the mysterious portal. Before long, sleep overcame him, and he found himself inside the portal once again.

He could make out the blurry image of a person in the distance. Straining his eyes, he tried to identify the mysterious figure. Gradually, the image became clearer, revealing a seer whose face radiated a gentle smile.

“Your town lacks a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Who could be better suited than you to build one? You have been granted access to this portal so that you may fulfil your duty of constructing a Hanuman temple in your town. Make sure you do not step on the carcass of any animal until you have completed this task. May Lord Hanuman strengthen your courage and confidence so that you can fulfil this responsibility without obstacles.”

The seer slowly vanished from sight, jolting Kailash awake.

Ironically, the thought of building a Hanuman temple had occupied his mind for a long time, but he had never gathered the courage to act on it. This mystical experience, however, seemed to strengthen his resolve.

“Jai Hanuman! I need your blessings to fulfil this sacred task,” he whispered under his breath.

Kailash was now determined to build at least a small temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, even if it meant undertaking an arduous task. He pledged all the gold and other precious possessions in his house towards the construction of the temple.

One day, he rode his motorcycle to meet a sculptor and finalise the design of the Hanuman idol. On his way back, he was captivated by the panoramic beauty of nature against the backdrop of an orange-tinged sky.

He parked his motorcycle by the roadside and hurried to capture the breathtaking beauty of the scenery. Unfortunately, he unknowingly stepped on the carcass of a dog.

It suddenly dawned on him that he had done something he was not supposed to do. His mind clouded with worry, and his mood turned gloomy. The seer in his dream had explicitly warned him against stepping on the carcass of any animal.

He sat on a patch of grass, its blades swaying to the rhythm of the wind. Unbeknownst to him, a snake was lurking nearby. Without warning, it struck him.

Dread welled up inside him, and anxiety spread across his face. He had made all the necessary arrangements to build a small temple, yet here he was, writhing in agony and fearing that he might lose his precious life.

“Hanuman, I hope someone else will build the temple for you. I have failed to fulfil my obligation, and I deserve to die like this,” he lamented.

A strong wind swept through the area, creating a sudden commotion. The snake slithered away, leaving Kailash in agony.

Just then, his mind seemed to access the portal once again. The seer appeared before him, gazing at him with a solemn expression.

“I'm going to die,” Kailash lamented.

“Can you recite the Bajrang Baan?” the seer asked.

Despite the excruciating pain, Kailash began reciting the Bajrang Baan, imploring Hanuman to grant him one final chance to fulfil his sacred duty.

As though in answer to his prayers, a doctor happened to be passing along the same road. He noticed Kailash's desperate condition, stopped his car, and rushed to his aid. He attended to the wound and helped him obtain urgent medical treatment.

A miracle seemed to have unfolded before Kailash's eyes, as he had narrowly escaped death. He thanked the doctor profusely and invited him to attend the inauguration of the temple.

Kailash eventually succeeded in building the Hanuman temple, dedicated to the embodiment of courage and devotion.

Although the temple was small, the devotion and dedication with which it had been built were immense. The doctor attended the inauguration ceremony, which took place without any grandeur or fanfare.

Initially, only a handful of people knew about the temple's opening. Gradually, however, devotees began visiting it. Many experienced a profound sense of peace there, prompting them to encourage others to visit as well.

Day by day, the number of devotees grew, eventually attracting the attention of the town's minister. In response to the devotees' requests, the minister promised to fund an expansion of the temple premises so that it could accommodate more visitors.

A meditation hall and prasadam counters were added, and the temple soon became a renowned place of worship, attracting tourists from far and wide.

Kailash could scarcely believe his eyes as he watched the temple overflow with devotees. Even foreigners began visiting the sacred place, eventually bringing it international recognition.

Kailash offered his heartfelt gratitude to Lord Hanuman for making his life meaningful. He felt a deep sense of fulfilment, knowing that he had served his purpose.

The secret portal he had accessed in his dreams was nothing less than Hanuman's sacred realm of devotion. Only blessed souls could enter this mysterious domain, where ordinary lives could transcend the boundaries of the mundane and become extraordinary.