The Seven Fairies Secrets of Apsara Book 1

The

Seven

Fairies

Secrets of Apsara

Book 1

Dinesh Pillay

Copyright © 2019 Dinesh Pillay

Published by Dinesh Pillay Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Dinesh Pillay using Reach Publishers’ services,

Edited by Bronwen Bickerton for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: reach@webstorm.co.za

In Loving Memory

To the true fairies in my life, my grandmother Chinna Pillay and my brother-in-law Shaun Govender, thank you for being my guides and inspiration in life. You have taught me the true value of life, and that is to love your family.

The Author

Growing up in a multicultural country has its ups and downs, especially during times of transformation. Being part of a minority ethnic group makes things far more difficult because you are often caught in the centre of racial conflict and are forced to pick a side. In many cases people in my shoes often do pick a side, or choose to play both sides, while some of them remain silent and try not to get involved.

Growing up in a community builds your cultural beliefs and you grow up with the local language and lifestyle being part of your identity. However, what happens when you join another society when you’ve grown up? You realise the world out there is very different from your own world; new languages, different lifestyles and different religious beliefs.

How is that a challenge, you ask? Imagine being in an environment where your culture is not the most superior one. Your pronunciation and accent are considered incorrect and primitive. Adapting to the new society makes you a stranger to your original community. Your perfect dialect makes your family and friends feel inferior to you, and because they feel that way you are often excluded from conversation. You don’t entirely fit in with members in your new society so you exclude yourself.

As a result you feel lost, like I did. You don’t feel a sense of belonging anywhere you go. You feel pulled between Easternisation and Westernisation, and you slowly start slipping into depression.

How did I overcome it?

I created the world of the Seven Fairies. It gave me balance by making me remember who I am and where I’m going.

The purpose of the Seven Fairies trilogy is not to discourage other religions, neither does it condemn or discriminate against any religion. It’s purely to strike interest in understanding the decisions we all make as human beings and the way different people interpret the world. We can relate to many characters in the story as they represent the personalities of people we may know.

" The only people who see the whole picture are the ones who step out of the frame"

- Salman Rushdie

Prologue

Lukesh and Vikash entered the first courtyard and the entire courtyard started spinning round, causing the pathways to change and lead to different parts of Apsara. They step onto the main pathway, and try to move quickly across. The speed of the spinning motion increased and they struggled to get to the other side. They took a large leap and landed safely on the other side. A crackling sound came from behind. They turn to see the entirety of the ground being electrified from a distance. They turn to the second courtyard, but it’s spinning too fast. The exit can be clearly seen across the spinning floor.

They hear footsteps running towards them. It’s Reshka, followed by an angry mob. She ran down the bridge and leapt over the entire courtyard. As she leapt, she sprouted clear wings as she twirled in the air and landed firmly on the ground in front of them. The angry mob lead by Guru stopped on the bridge, as the electricity spread down to the courtyard. Follow me, said Reshka, turning into a puddle of water and heading towards the spinning courtyard.

Dude! What’s going on!? Vikash is freaking out. Lukesh freezes and tries to decide what to do. The electricity is getting closer to them and seems to be becoming more intense as it approaches.

From the puddle a hand forms, followed by a voice. Quick! We don’t have much time, says Reshka. The puddle enters a sidewalk that opens into an underground passage. Lukesh and Vikash enter the passage. It’s dark, but there’s a light at the end which leads to the main gates. They run to the end. The puddle sprouts upwards and transforms back into Reshka once again. She helped them up. Vikash was first and he ran out the gates. Lukesh comes up. Go! says Reshka. Go now!

What about you? What’s going to happen to you?

I’ll be fine. Just go now! Lukesh ran through the gates.

Reshka turned around. Her eyes widen as the electricity approached her and she hesitated. Jump! shouted Lukesh. Reshka looked at Lukesh, then at Guru and back at Lukesh. Memories of herself and Lukesh flash before her eyes. She smiled and ran towards the gates. She leapt into the air to her freedom but her leg was struck by a bolt of electricity. She fell through the gates. Lukesh rans to catch her, and he fell to his knees, enfolding her in his arms.

Table of Contents

The Author

Prologue

1. The New Creation

2. The Modern World

3. Tough Choices

4. The Wedding

5. The New King Priest

6. A Working Day

7. New Substances

8. The Search for Apsara

9. Deception

10. Apsara

11. Preparation for War

12. One Nght Only

13. Christmas Preparations

14. Destruction

15. The Fraudster

16. Mystery of the Huts

17. The Ghosts of Apsara Lukesh and Yaksha’s Dreams

18. A Secret Place

19. Escape

20. The Reunion

Chapter 1

The New Creation

Valley of a Thousand Lingas, Cambodia, 7000 BCE

Yaksha stood on a bridge with his eyes closed as he connected with his surroundings. The valley was beautiful and mesmerising, and its river banks consisted of pure rock and clay. The river began with a tall waterfall which flowed down blessedly, radiant at sunrise and sunset. The slightest light falling on the waterfall resulted in a sparkly rainbow essence. Water flowed calmly, meandering around the rocks and sculptures found within it. The air was silent, as the flow of water splashing lightly against the river edges echoed across the valley. The river banks consisted of smooth surfaces with a rich history of deities crafted into them. The fairies were devotees of Hinduism, and even though their main deity of worship was the Hindu god Shiva, they still acknowledged the significance of the other gods. Their sculptures mainly consisted of Lingas, which was an iconic sculpture used to represent the deity Shiva.

Lingam

Over the riverbank was a large wooden bridge made from logs and vines, blossoming with pink and purple bougainvillea flowers that led into a village called Kbal Spean. The entire village was covered in a bed of bright green grass and was surrounded by forest. Along the edges were cotton plants, from which clothing could be woven. The slightest breeze would give off the aroma of fresh coriander and cinnamon. The houses were fairly large and mostly linked together in a circular pattern. On the hilltop stood a tall Banyan tree which was known to the locals as the Ashoka tree. It had a broad trunk with a thick, long covering of branches and leaves with vines hanging down from the treetop. From a distance it resembled the shape of a large mushroom. The centre of the village had a pond with a giant Lingam sculpture partially submerged in the middle. Against a large rock surface was a large house with two wooden staircases on either side leading to a balcony. The house belonged to Yaksha, the king of the fairies. He lived there with his wife Yakshini and they were tasked with the responsibility of taking care of the natural treasures hidden within the earth, along with the secrets that went with it.

Yaksha opened his eyes, content with his surroundings. He walked up to a tree and rubbed his hand against the bark of it, feeling its texture and then examining a green leaf changing to brown. Winter will be coming soon, he whispered as he remained deep in thought. He resembled a 30-year old man and stood six foot five inches tall and was very muscular and bold. He had long hair tied into a bun, as two locks of hair were left to fall over either side of his face. Under his feet he wore sandals made from tree bark and around his waist he wore a cloth known as a dhoti which lengthened over his knees. He boasted a large tattoo which covered most of his back. The tattoo comprised seven large horizontal stripes. His upper body was bare, revealing his masculinity. On his head sat a crown crafted from dry river wood with a round, marble-sized sapphire at its centre.

Yakshini, carrying a basket full of cotton, walked passed him. Talking to the trees again I see, she teased. She resembled a short, plump cheeked 23-year-old woman with an average built body. Her attire consisted of a two-piece white cloth, one piece of which covered and supported her bosom while the other draped loosely around her down to her ankles, revealing her belly button and its black spiral tattoo which almost hid her naval. Her black hair was long in a single plait falling down to her lower back and it shimmered as if she had applied oil all over it. Her forehead was adorned with sindoor (red powder), which stretched down from the centre path of her head and ended with a single red dot in the centre of her forehead. She wore a necklace and had a matching hand chain on her left wrist crafted from stones and reeds.

Why, of course I am, replied Yaksha, playing along.

And what are they saying to you this time? Yakshini asked, placing the basket on the floor and putting her hands on her hips.

Yaksha placed his ear against the bark of the tree. Oh really? Is that so? Okay, I will tell her.

Yakshini stared at him, smiling and curious for his response. Well my dear queen of the fairies…they say…?

Yes? she replied, stepping closer to listen to his answer.

He leaned in to whisper into her ear. They say you are the most beautiful creature they have ever seen, he said kissing her on the cheek.

She blushed as she looked around nervously to see if anyone was watching them. Time to get back to work, she said, playing hard to get as she picked up her basket and headed towards the other villagers.

The villagers wore similar attire, with some males using turbans and females covering their heads with cloth as protection from the sun. Some applied sandalwood paste to their skins because they believed it made their skin more radiant. Fairies were blue-skinned, some a darker shade than others and some seemed more purplish in colour. Their eye colour varied; blue was normal, purple was when they were upset, and yellow was when they were scared or very stressed. However, all fairy children had different shades of brownish eyes. At night all fairies’ eyes glowed brighter under the moonlight, often mistaken for stars by creatures that saw them from afar. They had two pairs of retractable wings that were transparent but had an outline that matched their skin tone. The fairies were known as caretakers of the earth and their sole purpose was preservation. They did not alter their surroundings apart from the houses they had built. There was no need to build fortifications or to harm animals. They lived off fruit and roots.

They had the ability to manipulate the forces of nature as well as to shapeshift into certain natural substances such as earth, water, wind and fire. Fire was considered very destructive, and there was no need to use it. They also healed very quickly from physical injury; a cut or bruise would disappear in a matter of minutes and more severe injuries would heal within a few days. They felt neither cold nor hot. Electricity however was their weakness, a single static shock could severely injure a fairy. Anything stronger could undoubtedly kill one. They could also move very fast, covering hundreds of miles in minutes, but did not have this ability of speed over short distances. This was an essential ability as it required them to travel across a large area of land.

The day of a fairy was very simple. All fairies woke up to the cheerful sounds of birds chirping and monkeys chattering. There was no rush to do anything. Nature followed a daily pattern; flowers blossomed and animals gathered food and cared for their young. The fairies did the same. Their lives were full of joy. They chanted praises for the deities and sang songs of nature. They practised religious dance which was often made during rituals. There was peace and harmony; the children were taught to care for nature just as their parents did, and would take on the responsibilities one day once their parents passed on. The fairy population did not increase or decrease drastically. They had very long lifespans and lived for thousands of years. The village was always limited to 50 villagers. When a fairy died, another was born. No fairy could be born until another one had died. This was one of the limitations that the gods had bestowed upon them.

One beautiful morning the villagers were busy with their daily tasks, some collecting and weaving cotton, while some made tools to aid in their daily tasks. Menaka was giving the children of the village dancing lessons under the Banyan tree. Menaka was five foot, two inches tall and had broad hips with a slim curvaceous body and a large bust with a smooth perfect face enhanced with blushing cheeks. She was without a doubt, the most attractive fairy in the land. All her jewellery consisted of pink bougainvillea flowers and white tree sap.

Menaka demonstrated a dance move in which she raised her right leg with praying hands above her head. Now you try, she instructed the children. Adhira the littlest of the children lost her balance and caused all the other six children to fall down. They all laughed and started jumping onto one another. Adhira was small and light-skinned with plump cheeks. She had two short ponytails and was covered with a single cloth which resembled a nightdress. She had the smile that would make the angriest creature melt. Her eyes were hazel, large and round, and seemed bigger when she opened her eyes fully. Menaka placed her hand on her head in annoyance. This happened quite frequently.

Yaksha walked around inspecting the tasks being done by everyone.

That lemon thorn isn’t sharp enough, he said to a fairy threading a piece of fabric, handing her a new one. He picked up a ball of cotton and inspected it. Nice and soft, he complimented the pickers.

Gangeshwari was applying henna (ink) tattoos to the hands of fairies sitting in a circle. That’s a nice design, he said to her.

Thank you, King Yaksha, she replied.

He noticed Menaka struggling to control the children as she chased them around with a thin bamboo stick.

Children! He called out to get their attention. They quickly stood in a straight line with their hands to their sides, each holding their breath. You need to listen to your teacher. Stop troubling her or else you will be punished. They nodded, accepting the terms, still holding their breath. As he left, they breathed out in exhaustion. He walked to the river. Makara, Gangeshwari’s pet seven-foot long crocodile, lay on the river bank enjoying the sun with his mouth open wide. Yaksha looked up at the sky to spot the position of the sun to tell the time of day.

Saaz, a fairy boy, played his flute as he watched the commotion at the Banyan tree from a distance. He had short, spikey hair and was a light shade of blue. He wore pants made from white cloth and a vest made from reeds and leaves. Around his neck hung a reed necklace with a solid white tree sap pendant shaped in a large dew drop. Saaz! called out Yaksha.

Saaz hurried towards Yaksha. He bowed with his fist on his chest, showing obedience. Yes, King Yaksha, he answered.

Gather the village for me would you, boy? He requested.

Yes King Yaksha, replied Saaz promptly. He raised his flute and played a tune which signalled the villagers to gather around the pond. Saaz was the village signaller. He notified people of gatherings or the beginning or end of their day. He never had to signal any danger because there were no threats, apart from thunder storms.

They all sat down around the pond to discuss the preparations for the Yagna ritual offering. They waited attentively for the king to speak. The Yagna was to be done when the river was at its shallowest, revealing all Lingas. All Lingas were decorated with flowers and fruits were placed on them. Sandalwood paste and kumkuma, which is a natural powder which was available in bright vibrant colours, was applied to all sculptures and engravings to enhance their artwork. This was to worship all the gods for their contribution to the earth; Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer of evil.

Yaksha spoke. "As you all