Episode 2:
Ganesh on the other hand was in class with his friends, but then suddenly his ears began go ring.
"What happened, Ganesh?" one of his friends asked, when he saw him looking distraught.
"Nothing. My ears were just ringing for a second." Ganesh said. "Don't worry about me."
"Ok."
Afterwards, Ganesh started getting visions of people going into the back of a delivery van.
"What did I just see?" He thought. "Who are these people? And why were they going into a van? Also why do I have an urge to help them."
"Oho Ganesh. you're lost again."
"No no Siddhant. Something just came to my mind."
"Are your ears still ringing?"
"No I'm fine."
"Ok ok. Let's just don't disrupt the lesson, before we end up in detention."
"Yea."
Meantime, at their home, Gauri Shankar were talking to Brahmadev and Indradev, who came to them under a disguise.
"May I get you both anything?" Gauri asks.
"No thank you, Devi. We're good." Brahmadev answered.
"Ok."
"Devi, Devo ke Dev, when will your children find out about their true identity and get all of their powers? The earth needs them." Brahmadev said. "The earth needs all of you."
"Brahmaji, we wished to raise our children in a humble way, on Earth." Shankar said. "They must learn that birthright and heritage doesn't make one a deity, but it's what they do for mankind and nature. If they grow humble, without knowing their divine identities, then they would understand their devotees more."
"Uttam." Brahmadev remarked.
"But what if they don't get their powers and identities in time, and the Asuras take over Swarg? Then?" Indradev asks.
"I won't let that happen." Gauri declared. "Mahalaya is a season that signifies our arrival. Hence, spreading auspiciousness in the atmosphere. And we will definitely do it again!
"As you say, Mata." Indradev said.
"Its not only Mahishasur in this round." Gauri said. "But Narantak, Devantak, Gajasur, Kolhasur, Jambasur, Apsamar, Durgamasur and Tarakasur are also with him."
"However we're keeping an eye on them." Shankar said.
"I think one of Mahishasur's henchmen had held some people captive in a Ganesh Mandir." Brahmadev said.
"Yes Yes. Ganesh will take care of it." Shankar adds. "He must help his devotees. I'll message him, when collage is over."
"We trust you, Gauri Shankar." Brahmadev clasped his hands. "We take your leave. Pranam."
"Pranam."
Later on, school is finally over for the the four of them, yet on the other side, Mahishasur's henchmen Viraj and Charan had held some temple goers hostage. As they're Asuras, they couldn't enter the mandir, so they let their associates drag them into the compound.
"Where's Chanur with the van, Charan?" Viraj asks.
"He will be here shortly. There's a little traffic."
"Ugh! this Kalyug is so difficult!! We can't delay, Charan!"
"Boss, what to do with this mob?" Their allies asked, while they were ushering the crowd with knives in their hands.
"Leave them with us and leave!" Viraj ordered.
"You won't succeed at this!!" Someone said, from the crowd.
"Our Shree Ganesh always saves his devotees!!"
"Enough!" Charan exclaimed.
"Don't say his name! you must surrender to our Asurraj!!"
"Let go of us! please!! We are only devotees of Lord Ganesh. And not your Asurraj."
"I'll see about that." Viraj then put then hypnotized them with his illusionary powers.
"Good job, Viraj!!" Charan laughed.
--
Meantime, Ganesh and the rest were heading home, in Saraswati's car.
"How was your exam?" Ganesh asks.
"It was amazing, Ganu."
"We know that you will pass." Kartikey adds.
"Aww thanks!"
"Our Saru is remarkable." Lakshmi said.
"Yea."
"Don't forget about Priya's function next week." Saraswati stated.
"Right! Her cousin's ear piercing ceremony." Kartikey adds.
"Yep." Saraswati said.
"I'm excited." Lakshmi stated. "I like these kinds of auspicious ceremonies."
"Bubbli, Aniruddh asked if you're coming." Saraswati laughed.
"Uff...does he still have a crush on me." Lakshmi chuckled. "I don't like anyone in that way."
"That's what i told him."
"He's only like a friend to me." Lakshmi said.
"Don't listen to Anu. He's crazy."
"Heehee." Lakshmi laughed once again. "But Saru, will I meet Shree Hari? My heart is only his, and no one else's."
"What does your heart say?"
"It says that one day I would meet him. But this Kalyug."
"Forget about the Kalyug, Bubbli."
"Ok."
"Lakshmi, when you meet Shree Hari, do invite me to the wedding." Ganesh adds. "Or we're katti!"
"Ok ok Ganu. But don't blame me." Lakshmi laughed. "Blame Saru."
"Why me!" Saraswati exclaimed.
"Because you will be in charge of the invitation list."
"Accha Bubbli."
During their conversation, Ganesh got a massage from Shankar, saying:
'Ganesh, you must go to the Ganesh mandir, in order to save some innocent people who are held against their will by goons However those goons are not normal people! Don't doubt your abilities, putr, you're capable of everything.'
"This explains my vision." Ganesh thought. "Saruu. Pitaji have just said that people near the Ganesh Mandir is in trouble. We must help them!"
"What!" Saraswati became shocked. "Yes, we must go there immediately."
"I have just gotten a message from maa." Kartikey adds. "She says that there's a riot in the heart of Lucknow, and it's our duties to help the ones in need."
"Then we must split up." Saraswati suggests.
"I'll go with Kartikey. And you accompany Ganesh." Lakshmi insists.
"Ok. But Kartikey, are capable of doing this?"
"Yea.I practised a bit of martial arts."
--
Minutes later when Ganesh and Saraswati arrived near the mandir, they saw the people that Viraj had hypnotized, helplessly going into the back of the the van.
"Will you be ok, Ganesh? Remember Pitaji had said that they're actually monsters."
"Yes i will, Saru. You can wait here in the car." Ganesh assured.
"No. I want to help you." Saraswati said. "And it's not safe for these innocent people...Look, I'm going to somehow try to drive the the van and carry them to a safer place."
"Goodluck Saru."
"Call me when you are finished. Then i will tell you my location."
"Ok."
Thereafter Ganesh confronted Viraj and Charan.
"Well well. Look who's here. Vignaharta Ganesh." Viraj says with a hint of sarcasm.
"We don't have any laddoos, balak." Charan adds.
"Accha accha. I thought you didn't have any shame." Ganesh laughed. "Where are they?!"
"Who? Your devotees?" Viraj smirked.
"The people who you had hypnotized!"
"Well look behind you, Gajanan."
"Why did he call me Gajanan. I'm not lord Ganesh." Ganesh thought. But then when he turned around, he became shocked to see them sitting in the back of the van.
"Ghungroo! close the door!" Viraj ordered.
On the other hand, Saraswati pushed away Chanur, who was busy getting into the driver's seat.
"Agh!! What?" He looked up, to only see a flash of light which came from Saraswati's true form. "Goddess of knowledge?! Boss!!! She's here too, capture her!"
"Enough of your atrocities!!"
Chanur then got up from the ground, and then tried to capture Saraswati. But fortunately, when Saraswati held back his hand and gave him a fierce stare, Chanur lost his memory and speech.
"Huh?" He held his throat in amazement.
"You Asuras shouldn't have the gift of speech." Saraswati said.
Hereafter Saraswati went into the van and drove off, thinking of how was she capable of taking away Chanur's ability to speak.
"Hahaha!! Look Look! The van is gone! You will never save your devotees!" Viraj laughed.
"So what are you going to do, Ganesh? fight us like how you tackled the Shivgans?" Charan laughed.
"You have mistaken, dusht. I'm not lord Ganesh. But i know Ganpati Bappa teaches us to use intelligence to defeat our enemies."
"We're not here for any lectures Ganesh!!"
"No no, It's not a lecture. I'm just saying that it's not me you're seeking vengeance from. It's Him." Ganesh pointed to the mandir's darbar. "I'm human."
"No you're not!" Charan stated. "And we won't be fooled by you."
"Accha. As you say. I'm half human." Ganesh chuckled. "But you're not looking for a half human, right? It's a waste of time. You want Sakshat Ganesh right."
"You're wasting our time, balak." Charan grumbled.
"Arree, I'm telling you that lord Ganesh is in the mandir right now. His devotees had just came to take his Darshan. Go before he leaves, because if he do, you both will be defeated again." Ganesh said. "Or do you like to be defeated?"
"Never!! We can never accept defeat!"
"We're very strong Asuras!"
"Then what are you waiting for? He's maybe laughing at you now in his Nirgun form." Ganesh laughed.
On following Ganesh's advice, Charan and Viraj rushed towards the steps of the mandir, but when they placed their foot on the mandir's steps, they then burst into black smoke.
"Satyameva Jayate!!" Ganesh exclaimed. "Let me call Saraswati."
Meantime, Saraswati carried them to the warehouse, where she offered them water and food. She also wiped their sweating faces which was deprived of emotion.
"Oh my." Saraswati cried. "These poor people...But, how to break this hypnotic spell?"
Saraswati afterwards touched their foreheads, as she tried to bring them back to normal, but it was no use.
"H...How am I going to safe you all! There's nothing I can do!" Saraswati began to cry again. "I must save you some how! i can't see the innocent suffer!"
"Oh Adishakti! Please help me!!" Saraswati exclaimed. "Oh right! Let me call maa. She will have a solution."
But before she got to call Gauri, Ganesh called her. "Yes! Ganesh? are you alright?"
"Yea Saru. And I had defeated the Asuras." Ganesh said.
"Great. I'm in the old Amul warehouse. You won't miss it."
"Ok. I'll be there shortly, Saru. But now I have to tell Laksh about my whereabouts."
"Ok, but give them a while. They're maybe still trying to stop the riot."
The shortly ended, so Saraswati went on to call Gauri.
"Putri?" Gauri answered.
"Maa, I have saved the people." Saraswati said. "They're safe with me."
"Ok good." Gauri remarked. "Yet Saru, something is bothering you, a am I right?"
"Yes. I have tried to bring them back to normal, but all my attempts have failed." Saraswati said.
"Dear, it's because Viraj had done this to challenge the power of Ganesh. So only Ganesh can help them overcome the delusion." Gauri advised. "Is Ganesh on the way?"
"Yea maa. But." Saraswati paused.
"I understand that question which came to your mind. Dear, Ganesh is a like an Ansha of Ganpati." Gauri said. "When the time is right, then we will explain everything to you all."
"Ok. Thank you."
Ganesh on the other side was looking out for a rickshaw, when a young man (around Ganesh's age) came with a motorcycle. This person however looked innocent, naive and friend- but intelligent and keen.
"Pranipat." He innocently greeted Ganesh.
"Pranipat." Ganesh smiled.
"Let's go Bappa. We're getting late." the guy said in a bubbly manner.
"Wait. Who are you? And why did you call me Bappa?"
"Don't you recognize me, Bappa?? I'm Moos-- I mean Mahotkat."
"Mahotkat?"
Like an usher, Mahotkat devoutly led Ganesh to his motorcycle, and then both of them rode off.
"Where are you carrying me?" Ganesh asks.
"To your destination as always." Mahotkat laughed.
"Then do you know where is the old Amul warehouse?"
"Yea of course!" Mahotkat said. "Thats where I'm taking you, Bappa."
"So please explain, why are you calling me Bappa?"
"I'm a big Bappa devotee! I love my Bappa so much that i can see everyone as a form of Him. Ganpati Bappa Morya!!" Mahotkat said with enthusiasm.
"That's nice!"
"Whew! That was close! Mata Parvati told me not to reveal my true identity." Mahotkat thought. "And my lord Ganesh is asking me these kinds of questions as usual. Nothing can be hidden from him."
"Mata Parvati also said i must stay with Bappa on earth." He thought. "Um, Bappa, I'm your mom's nephew from Maharashtra, that's why you don't know me."
"Waw, small world! nice to meet you." Ganesh said. "I'm Ganesh."
"Oh yes, I know." Mahotkat smiled.
"Huh?"
"We're cousins right? that's how I know."
"Accha. Mahotkat, why don't you come over. Maa will be very surprised to see you." Ganesh insisted.
"I would love to!"
"Hmm. And maa makes these incredible modaks and laddoos."
"Kyaa!! Omg, my favorite!" Mahotkat licked his lips. "But the sweetest part is carrying them to my Ganpati."
"You're a great devotee, Mahotkat." Ganesh remarked.
"I'm fortunate to hear that from you." Mahotkat said.
"Why?"
"Because Ganpati lives in you." Mahotkat said.
They arrived at the abandoned warehouse in a matter of time, and Saraswati's heart became at ease when she saw Ganesh.
"I tried everything, Ganesh. But they're still hypnotized."Saraswati said.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of them." Ganesh insisted.
...to be continued...
in episode 3: See how Ganesh helps his devotees, and how Lakshmi and Kartikey save the innocent!
