(Recap– In the previous part of the story we read, young Alchemist couldn’t muster the courage to enter into his “workshop” after coming from his evening stroll. Since it was the dark of the early night, hence he dropped the idea of late night study session in the workshop (lab.) Instead he chose to go to his abode, next to the workshop. Though whole night there he tossed in fidgety …..)
As we know, in the troubled mind of young Alchemist somewhere the idea to commit the suicide was bubbling up by the mere fictional thought of evil-spirit taken possession over his workshop. The truth was, the last entire night he remained obsessed with the same thoughts. The next day he remained sat under a tree in the court yard of the workshop’s premise. There he engrossed over the mountainous worry to get riddance from the evil-spirit, but had no way out yet. On the one hand he determined himself to commit suicide, side by side, the thought of collateral damage that might stain his life long repute too were eating his mind and heart.
Eventually, he reached to a decision. If he was to die, then why not die by combating with the evil-spirit. There might be some positive chances to win over the evil-spirit. But prior to that, he was to ascertain, how mighty this evil-spirit was? To ascertain that he decided to inspect his entire workshop firstly. Indubitably, he was scared to the extinction, but once he collected himself, it helped generate a “death wish” into him and strengthened his whole being.Now, with nervous hands, he unlocked the doors of the main hall, slammed opened the planks of doors and stood still there. Then with all precautions stepped in, as if, walking on eggshells.
He threw a long keen observational glance across the main hall and scrutinized every thing minutely. He found no any change there. The small furnaces stood as they were. Piles of various kinds of ores too scattered as they were. It seemed nothing sort of tempering was made. It helped console him. A second thought flashed into his mind. Might be, evil- spirit was not so stronger and couldn’t maneuver to come out of the room. He again collected his entire strength and with firm steps moved to the door of the room to unlock that. His pet dog, as usual accompanied him side by side. He carefully unlocked the door and kept himself stationed on the threshold.
Inside the room there was comparatively darkness for planks of only window of the room too were shut from the outside. He came to the main hall side, pulled out the window planks open and again got stationed on the thresh hold of the room. Now room had enough supply of light to have a keen observation. To his great satisfaction every thing was intact and in the same old condition, he had left them behind. He gave a thought , ” whether evil-spirit had departed from the place!” Along with, his dog too maintained a calm and composed posture. Alchemist knew, dogs were blessed with extra- sensory perception by Nature. Had there been present some evil-spirit in surroundings, the dog at once could smell her.
He ordained dog “sit down.” Dog at once obeyed the instruction and squatted on the thresh hold. Alchemist now moved onto the side of the glass sheet (mirror) with utmost caution and sat before the glass sheet. On facing the front of the glass sheet, he experienced the same experience of the yesterday. But today, he was harnessed with the “death wish.” He was ready to grapple with the evil-spirit. He was expecting man inside to jump upon him. But nothing of that sort happened. As much as he gazed at him, as the same, the man inside gazed at him calmly. And suddenly it recalled him, the face inside the glass he was looking at, resembled his face.
He recalled his own obscure image which he happened to watch in the stable water surface of a container. This revelation prompted a reflective action of his one hand to move onto his chin and cup it. The same movement was reflected inside the glass sheet (mirror.) Once it perplexed him but the next moment, he at once identified his own hand squarely. Now he moved his hand onto his chest; inside the hand also moved onto the chest. After all, he was a scientific man laden with wisdom that momentarily had been choked at the preliminary stage of first time experiments. Now when fear was evaporated, his mind worked with lightening speed.
The first thought that flashed into his mind was, “he had succeeded to find the technique to get water freeze as a solid material.” Just to authenticate his findings, he tenderly called his dog to come to him. Dog followed the order. He took the dog into grip of hands and brought him before the glass sheet (mirror.) When dog looked inside he begun to snarl and became grumpy. He put aside the dog and dog became silent. Now he saw inside, dog was not there. This experiment erased all doubts of fear about evil- spirit from his mind and heart. Instead, the heart that was inflicted with heavy dose of panic, now was repleted with ecstasy.
“A unique invention he had brought in the World,” this idea made him to dance. He broke into rapturous laugh and kept on laughing full throated for long. After that he resumed to a composure. Now with a thoughtful process, he carefully lifted up the mirror and made it stand obliquely on the table top by the side of the wall. He peeped inside that. Now his trunk too was discernible. He moved slightly backward up to some distance. To his exhilaration, his entire bodily profile was visible to him. Just Imagine! For the first time in the life, if a man happens to watch his complete body profile with minute description, what kinds of feelings he is supposed to entertain? The same happened with young Alchemist!
He made so many movement in his hands and legs, twisted his neck, distorted his facial expressions for the sake of finding results and every thing gave him an amazing sensational feeling. He looked at his face from different angles and got fascinated by himself. Otherwise also, he was a man blessed with sharp features. Knew he not, how long in that self fascination he was captivated before the mirror. When evening fell, his body clock alerted him to move for the evening stroll. In contrast to the previous evening, this time he was in full swing of felicity. During the entire perambulation he was in rapture.He was smiling by himself. Today he was feeling an extra- surge of affection for his dog. On times he cuddled him by lifting up in the lap.
Even he had long talk with the dog, as if, he was his friend and understood every thing he related him. He was fraught with over joy and intensely intended to share his joy with some one closed to him. It’s human nature. He had only two close fellows in the life. One was this pet dog and another was his better half. He was anxious to let know her about this success. But some where he too was skeptical. Firstly, yet he was not fully ascertained about the various usage of the new invention, just few hours ago he had come to know about.
Secondly, he too intended to keep his invention secret to himself only. Yet he had to make other experiments on it. Along with, he knew women’s nature of not digesting some new information. His wife too was supposed not ably digest the information for long. This fact pressed him not to disclose his attainment for some days to come. Though, he decided to prepare other pieces of this invention in different sizes. That evening he retreated with a constant mind. Naturally, he slept late night owing to rapturous mood but once taken by sleep, he slept like a log and woke late next day . ( End of the part 9th. Cont’d.) Penned by — Vinay Pharasi —–