Rudra Eswar was an 18-year-old orphan who had recently completed his high school studies and was eagerly waiting for the admission order from Pristine University, where he had applied.
Currently, he was lying on the bed in his newly rented house, which he had moved into a week ago after vacating the orphanage.
Before leaving, he had celebrated his birthday with the orphanage kids—his family by heart.
The orphanage was located in Divaldnagar, Krishnagiri, and its caretaker, Minakshi, was a kind woman who had always treated the children like her own.
She had been the pillar of support in Rudra's otherwise lonely life, offering him comfort and guidance whenever he needed it.
Even though Rudra was an orphan, he never felt truly alone.
The bond he shared with the other kids was something that could never be underestimated.
They were his brothers and sisters, bound not by blood but by a love just as strong.
However, life hadn't been kind to him in every way.
When he was 10 years old, an accident changed his life forever.
While attempting a wheelie on his bicycle near an iron railing, he lost control and crashed hard, hitting the back of his head.
The impact caused a nerve injury that robbed him of two vital senses—smell and taste.
To many, it might not seem like a big deal, but for Rudra, it was a silent curse.
No matter how delicious a meal was, he couldn't taste it.
Every bite felt dull, lifeless—just an empty act of chewing.
Even the refreshing coolness of water was something he could no longer experience.
Most people took flavors for granted, but for Rudra, eating was a chore.
The taste of food usually masked the sensation of chewing, making the process enjoyable.
But without it, he was constantly aware of the texture, the grinding, the swallowing.
It was a small thing.
Yet, it made the world feel just a little less vibrant.
Even if a meal had spoiled days ago, as long as it still looked fine, Rudra wouldn't notice anything amiss.
Without his sense of smell, there was no way to detect the rotting stench—he would eat it like any other food, completely unaware.
Sigh~
With a defeated sigh, Rudra lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling as memories of his past drifted through his mind.
Shaking off the thoughts, he sat up and made his way to the kitchen.
Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a packet of milk, intending to make some tea.
He placed it on the counter near the gas stove.
Ding~
Just as he turned on the gas and was about to light the stove, a sudden doorbell ring interrupted him.
Rudra paused. Without giving it a second thought, he left the gas running and walked toward the door.
Click~
Opening the door, he was met with a delivery boy, who gestured toward a large package loaded on a mini truck.
"Sir, you have a delivery… Please sign here to proceed."
Rudra blinked in confusion.
"Bro, I think you've got the wrong guy. I haven't ordered anything."
He shook his head, denying any connection to the package.
The delivery boy frowned, then glanced at his notepad.
"Isn't this your address?"
He turned the notepad around, showing Rudra the delivery details.
Um…
Rudra squinted at the paper, noticing a light smudge over the "E" in his address.
"I think it's a printing mistake. The correct door number should be 12B, not 12 E. You should check there."
The delivery boy nodded in understanding and left to verify the address.
Rudra closed the door and walked back to the kitchen, whistling softly.
By now, the room was filled with gas. But with his lost sense of smell, he had no idea.
Reaching for the lighter, he casually flicked it over the gas stove.
Click~
BOOM!!!
The moment the spark ignited, the leaking gas caught fire.
In the next second, a devastating explosion engulfed the kitchen.
Everything went dark.
When Rudra regained consciousness, he found himself floating in a vast cosmos—an endless expanse of shimmering stars, swirling galaxies, and radiant nebulae stretching in every direction.
"Where…? Where am I?"
His voice trembled with confusion, yet the moment he spoke, his words echoed infinitely into the void around him.
Instinctively, he tried to move, but he couldn't.
No matter how much he struggled, his body refused to respond.
"Why… Why can't I move?"
A sense of panic crept into his mind as he realized something was terribly wrong—he couldn't even feel his body.
It was as if he were falling through an endless abyss, weightless and powerless.
"Calm down, son… You cannot move because you are now in the form of Jyoti."
A deep, soothing voice resonated from nowhere, yet it carried such power that Rudra's racing thoughts instantly stilled.
A strange calmness washed over him, easing his panic.
"Jyoti…?"(Pure Light Drop)
Rudra murmured in confusion.
"Who are—"
But before he could finish, his words froze in his throat.
Right before him, three colossal figures emerged, each one standing beyond the limits of comprehension.
Their forms were woven from countless galaxies, their very essence pulsating with cosmic energy.
Each of them radiated a divine presence that filled the endless void.
Mahadev – The Destroyer, his silhouette ever-shifting, his cosmic body brimming with the raw power of dissolution.
Brahmadev – The Creator, an endless flow of stars and nebulae swirling within him, embodying infinite wisdom.
Vishnu – The Protector, a vast celestial form exuding boundless serenity, his presence harmonizing the cosmic forces around him.
Rudra's very existence trembled before them.
He wasn't just in the presence of gods—he was standing before the architects of reality itself.
Mahadev stood at the centre—tall, infinite, and boundless, a form as eternal as time itself.
His body was a churning cosmos, where blazing supernovas erupted and collapsing black holes pulsed with untamed destruction.
His very existence seemed to bend the fabric of reality.
His eyes burned like twin stars, radiating the raw, unrelenting forces of creation and dissolution.
His locks of hair swirled like the event horizon of a black hole, devouring all darkness yet releasing celestial rivers that flowed across the void.
Each breath he took sent ripples through existence—birthing new stars, extinguishing ancient ones.
In his grasp, the Trishul gleamed—forged from neutron stars, its three prongs pulsing with the power to shatter realities with a single stroke.
A haunting blue nebula glowed at his throat, the eternal mark of the Halahala poison he drank to save creation.
He was Kaal (Time), Rudra (The Roaring Storm), and the Infinite Void.
Destruction and creation were not separate within him; they were one and the same.
On his right stood 🌌 Brahmadev – The Creator 🌌
Brahmadev sat upon a lotus floating on the tides of space itself, his form woven from nebulae, pulsars, and cosmic strings that shaped existence.
His four faces chanted in perfect harmony, a divine symphony that weaved reality into being.
His skin shifted constantly, galaxies forming and dissolving across his body, telling the story of creation.
In one hand, he held a golden quill, writing destiny into the cosmic script.
In another, a luminous sphere pulsed—the seed of yet another universe waiting to be born.
His aura pulsed with the deep crimson of dying stars and the soft glow of newborn planets.
He was the grand architect, the one who conceived existence before handing it to time and balance.
On Mahadev's left stood 🌊 Vishnu – The Protector 🌊
Vishnu stood in divine serenity, his vast form shimmering with the golden glow of a billion stars.
He was the calm within the storm, the anchor of reality, the keeper of balance.
His four arms stretched across time and space, each hand holding a relic of harmony:
The Sudarshan Chakra, spins like a pulsar, glowing with the energy of collapsing suns.
The Shankha resonates with the primordial sound of creation.
The Gada, carrying the weight of dharma. The Padma is a symbol of cosmic purity.
His skin shimmered like the cosmic ocean, a deep, tranquil blue, where galaxies swirled like drifting lotus flowers.
His eyes reflected the past, present, and future, showing glimpses of worlds yet to come.
When he spoke, his voice was the hum of the universe itself, a vibration that held all of existence together.
He was Narayan, the Eternal Sustainer, the force that ensured the wheel of time turned as it should.
Together, Mahadev, Brahmadev, and Vishnu stood as the Trinity of Cosmic Balance, their very forms composed of endless galaxies, their presence spanning all dimensions and time itself.
"Maha… Mahadev! Brahmadev! Narayan!!!"
Rudra's voice shook as he gazed at the three celestial figures towering before him.
His mind struggled to comprehend the sheer grandeur of their existence.
His thoughts spiralled into chaos, trying to grasp what was happening.
Was this real? Or had he already passed beyond mortal understanding?
He had no answers.
Only awe.
"Calm down, kid… we won't eat you, you know."
Chuckle~
With a mischievous glint in his cosmic eyes, Vishnu teased Rudra, who, still in his Jothi form, struggled to keep his composure.
"Sir—"
Cough~
"I mean, Lord… what happened to me? Did I die? Am I going to heaven? Or… could it be hell? Should I prepare myself to be boiled in an oil pan?!"
His voice wavered. Thoughts rushed through his mind, spiralling out of control.
"I knew I shouldn't have stolen those samosas to complete that dare…"
he muttered under his breath.
Fufu~
Vishnu let out a chuckle, amused by the mortal's frantic imagination.
Turning toward Mahadev, who had remained silent, he raised a cosmic brow.
Mahadev's gaze was calm, his eyes kind, as if peering into Rudra's very essence.
"No, son… you will not go to Swarga or Naraka."
Mahadev's voice carried the weight of eternity, yet it was soothing, like the first rain upon a parched land.
"You are special."
Rudra blinked.
"Special?"
Brahmadev nodded, his four heads chanting mantras in unison, filling the cosmic void with a divine resonance.
"Yes. Each soul reflects its true nature… and yours is Jothi, the purest form of light. That is why we have chosen you."
His voice carried the wisdom of creation itself, every syllable echoing through the boundless cosmos.
Rudra gulped.
"Chosen? For what?"
Mahadev answered, his tone carrying both purpose and finality.
"We will grant you four random blessings and reincarnate you into a world unlike your own. All we ask… is that you uphold justice and become the embodiment of hope."
The words struck deep into Rudra's being, sending ripples through his very existence.
Before he could respond, the fabric of space trembled.
A swirling wormhole tore open behind him, its spiralling vortex pulsating with divine energy.
Mahadev sighed.
"It is time for your departure."
Without another word, all three extended their blessings, and before Rudra could fully process what was happening, he was pulled into the wormhole, his Jothi form vanishing into the unknown.
Mount Kailash...
After Rudra's departure, Mahadev, Brahmadev, and Lord Vishnu appeared at Mount Kailash, the sacred abode of Mahadev.
Awaiting them was Goddess Parvati, her arms crossed, eyes narrowed with suspicion and restrained fury.
Beside her stood Goddess Lakshmi, the bringer of wealth, and Goddess Saraswati, the embodiment of wisdom.
The three supreme gods exchanged glances, their eyes betraying their helplessness.
"I sensed a familiar presence just now… one I could never mistake."
Parvati's voice was calm, but the subtle edge of anger and pain in her tone was unmistakable.
"Was it him?"
Sigh~
Mahadev stepped forward, his cosmic eyes filled with understanding, and placed a reassuring hand on Parvati's shoulder.
"Dear… I know you understand. It was for his own good. His duty is calling him."
Parvati's fingers clenched into fists.
"But, Prabhu… why did you stop me when I tried to enter that space?"
There was a sorrowful tremor in her voice.
Earlier, when Parvati had sensed that presence, she had immediately tried to cross realms and see for herself.
But just as she reached the boundary, a divine barrier blocked her path.
A barrier placed by Mahadev himself.
And the next moment, that presence vanished.
"Because I did not want to hurt you,"
Mahadev admitted, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible sadness.
"But the time has come. You will meet him soon. I promise."
Without another word, Parvati stepped forward and embraced Mahadev, resting her head against his chest.
She did not cry. But Mahadev could feel the storm in her heart.
After a few moments of silence, she spoke—this time, firm and unwavering.
"Prabhu, I want to watch over him… even if it is from afar. Because he is our eldest son. I want to see his childhood."
Her determination left no room for argument.
Mahadev smiled gently and nodded.
"As you wish, my goddess."
Parvati's spirit lifted instantly, a glimmer of joy returning to her eyes.
With newfound resolve, she left gracefully, followed by Lakshmi and Saraswati, who eagerly accompanied her.
Not before giving an earful to their respective husbands, of course.
Once the goddesses had left, Brahmadev stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.
"Mahadev… are you sure this is a good idea?"
Mahadev shrugged and turned away.
"Who knows… but tell me, can you stop her?"
Without waiting for a reply, he walked away, his form dissolving into the celestial mist.
Lord Vishnu and Brahmadev exchanged bitter smiles.
They both knew the truth.
No one could stop an angry Goddess Kali from meeting her son.
And that, in itself, was a problem.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N): I hope you guys enjoying the story.
And Sorry for the late update...
Thanks for reading the chapter!
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