But after the effect of the medicine wore off, my power began to spread throughout my entire body.
If I killed someone at that time, the person would die instantly.
However, after taking the medicine, my physical power was frozen inside my heart.
I became like a normal human being.
Slowly, I started getting closer to the Pradhan.
One day, while I was roaming around the village, a child asked me,
"Uncle, what is the name of our village's Pradhan?"
I started thinking to myself.
I had been here for so many days, yet I still did not know his name.
I said to the child,
"Son, forgive me. I don't know either."
Then I said,
"Son, ask someone else."
The child replied,
"Uncle, I asked many people, but no one knows.
I want to know the name of our village's Pradhan."
I said to the child,
"Son, when I come again, I will tell you."
After that, I left from there.
I kept thinking—how was it possible that no one in the village knew the Pradhan's name?
Then I said to myself,
"Very soon, I will find out what kind of person the Pradhan really is."
From that day onward, I started keeping an eye on the Pradhan.
Where he went, what he did—everything came to my knowledge.
Wherever the Pradhan went, I received information about it.
One day, I saw that the Pradhan was leaving the village.
Before leaving, the Pradhan paid all the laborers.
He called me as well and gave me 300 rupees.
After giving everyone their payment, the
Pradhan said,
"Listen, everyone. I am going out of the village for three days.
Until then, all of you should go back to your homes.
As soon as I return to the village, I will call everyone back to work."
Then he said to the Munshi,
"Munshi Ji, please take care of everything.
If any work comes up, call the laborers and get the work done."
After saying this, the Pradhan left the village.
Once the Pradhan was gone, everyone returned to their homes.
I said to the Munshi,
"Munshi Ji, I want to roam around the village.
I haven't seen the entire village yet.
May I go?"
He replied,
"Yes, you may go, but don't go too far."
After that, I left from there.
I went in the same direction in which the Pradhan had gone.
I kept running continuously for nearly four hours.
Only then did I finally see the Pradhan.
From there, I began following the Pradhan secretly.
After walking for a long time, I saw a very large cave ahead.
The Pradhan went inside the cave.
I stayed outside and waited, thinking that once the Pradhan came out, I would go inside.
Evening turned into night, but the Pradhan did not come out.
Suddenly, I saw a yellow-colored light coming from inside the cave.
I wondered who could have brought a light into such a dense forest.
Then I realized—it must have been the Pradhan.
Night slowly turned into midnight, but the Pradhan still did not come out.
While waiting and watching, I eventually fell asleep there because I was extremely tired.
When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was look toward the cave.
I thought the Pradhan must have left by now.
With that thought, I moved toward the cave.
As soon as I entered the cave, I saw four different paths.
But on the ground, I noticed a line that led deeper into another part of the cave.
I followed that line.
When I entered the second cave, I saw a huge house built on the other side.
The entire house was made of gold.
I kept staring at it in amazement.
I moved a little further ahead, but the Pradhan almost saw me.
Luckily, there was a rock nearby.
I hid behind it and began watching what the Pradhan was doing.
What I saw next left me completely shocked.
I saw the severed head of Dudha Baba—the same man I had met in the village—hanging there.
Then I noticed something else.
The Pradhan was talking to someone.
I couldn't see clearly at first.
Then the Pradhan came out of the golden house.
What I saw next made the ground feel like it slipped from beneath my feet.
I saw a huge demon.
Although he looked like a human, he was not.
He had two heads, and his body looked extremely powerful.
I could clearly hear their conversation.
The demon said to the Pradhan
"On this coming Chandra Amavasya, I want three girls and one boy—
a boy who has the mark of a fish on his body."
Hearing about the mark of a fish, I began to think.
Where would such a boy be found?
I had no idea who that boy could be.
It would be difficult for the Pradhan, but no matter what, he would surely try to find him.
Then the demon said,
"If you give me those four people, I will set you free.
And I will become the most powerful being on this earth.
I will become a god.
Everyone will worship me.
Ha… ha… ha…
All humans will be forced to accept me as God.
Those who refuse to worship me will be killed.
Fear of my name will spread among people.
Only then will they worship me and obey me."
"Now leave this place," the demon said.
"Bring me those four people as I commanded.
Any three girls will do, but the boy must be the one who has the mark of a fish on his body."
After that, the Pradhan left and headed back toward the village.
That demon was extremely powerful.
I could not kill him, so I had no choice but to leave that place as well.
When the Pradhan returned to the village, he behaved completely normal, as if nothing had happened—
as if he knew nothing at all.
I followed the Pradhan back to the village.
After reaching home, the Pradhan called the Munshi and said,
"Munshi Ji, call all the craftsmen."
He continued,
"And spread this announcement in the village:
there will be a swimming competition in the village river.
Whoever wins will receive 5,000 rupees and one year of free ration."
But no one knew that the Pradhan was doing all this to find the boy who had the mark of a fish on his body.