"Gurudev… has the time not yet come for the awakening of the next Chiranjivi?"
Andy's question echoed softly through the sacred silence of Kashi.
Mahārishi Kripacharya stood still, calm as ever.
"Andy," he said peacefully,
"everything is governed by time."
"If time desires it, all the Chiranjivis may awaken together."
His gaze drifted toward the distant skies beyond invisible Kashi.
"And if time wishes otherwise…"
"…even years may pass before another awakens."
The answer only deepened the silence around us.
But Andy's curiosity remained endless.
"Gurudev… were you always here?"
"Or were you too immersed somewhere in deep sadhana?"
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Kripacharya's face.
"I was always in Kashi."
The answer surprised all of us.
"I lived among humans as an ordinary man."
"Watching."
"Waiting."
"And when the Divine command arrived…"
"…I concealed Kashi itself."
His eyes slowly moved across the hidden sacred city.
"For the welfare of humanity."
"For the coming age."
A strange weight settled in the atmosphere.
As if every corner of Kashi hid truths humanity was never meant to uncover.
---
Kripacharya then looked toward Andy again.
"For now, help Maan."
"He is practicing within the forest."
"His mind remains unstable."
Concern lingered in his voice.
"The changes occurring within him…"
"…are not something he can handle alone yet."
Andy frowned immediately.
"What kind of changes, Gurudev?"
Kripacharya's expression grew serious.
"The kind that are necessary."
No further explanation followed.
And somehow—
that answer felt more unsettling than silence itself.
---
Nearby—
Hanuman had suddenly gone quiet.
Completely still.
His gaze had sharpened slightly, as though He were sensing something hidden within the air itself.
A scent.
An unfamiliar presence.
Something difficult even for Him to trace fully.
---
Then suddenly—
a voice echoed through the silence.
"Andy…!"
Andy froze instantly.
The voice came again—
weak.
Desperate.
"Help me… Andy… where are you…?"
His eyes widened.
He recognized that voice immediately.
So did I.
Without wasting another second, Andy ran toward the sound.
The three of us followed instantly.
Within moments—
we arrived near Kashi's invisible main gate.
And what we saw there—
left us stunned.
Even Gurudev had followed behind us.
Andy stepped forward urgently.
"Gurudev, open the gate!"
His voice carried panic.
"She's in danger!"
Deep lines of seriousness appeared across Kripacharya's forehead.
His expression hardened immediately.
"No unfamiliar being can be allowed inside Kashi."
His tone was absolute.
Cold.
Unshakable.
Andy stood silent for a moment, staring at him.
Then spoke again.
"Gurudev… she is not a stranger."
"There will be no danger to Kashi because of her."
His voice softened.
"She is our companion."
"Please… allow her inside."
But Mahārishi remained firm.
The invisible gate stood sealed.
Neither emotion nor sympathy seemed capable of changing his decision.
Even Maan and I tried to convince him.
"There won't be any threat, Gurudev."
"We know her."
But Kripacharya remained silent for several moments.
Then finally—
he spoke.
"Very well."
Relief instantly crossed Andy's face.
But Mahārishi continued—
"She is not alone."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
"And only one may enter Kashi."
Silence fell.
The moment our eyes moved beyond the invisible boundary—
we finally saw her clearly.
Clara…
was not alone.