Page 1

Josh

“Change is coming, Child of Fire.”

A crack of thunder shatters the desert stillness, followed by a deep, uneasy rumbling. It echoes through the village like a stampede of wild horses, shaking dust from the thatched roof of Grandmother’s one-room home. The night air sizzles with energy, a low hum vibrating through my bones, an electric current running through my veins.

“What do you mean, Nani ?“ I ask.

Grandmother’s eyes twinkle in the candlelight. “I had a dream, my sweet one. You will marry a prince someday.”

“But boys don’t marry boys!” I laugh. Maybe in ancient legends, but now? The gods of Vedic mythology could marry anyone—men, women, spirit beings, whatever . But this is the real world, as Father says, and I need to learn to live in it.

“You doubt me, Nati ? Have you outgrown an old woman’s visions?“ The wrinkles in her forehead deepen. “No matter. You do not have to take my word for it. Come see for yourself.”

Grandmother clasps my hand in her weathered grip and leads me to a gap in the mud-brick wall. When she sweeps the hand-woven curtain aside, the stars rush forward to greet me.

“Tell me what you see,” Nani ‘s aged voice whispers in my ear.

Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? The night sky looks like fine black silk embroidered with the gold thread of moonlight. Shooting stars light up the night like cosmic fireworks. The darkness sparkles with the white-hot glow of a trillion star-lanterns, shining brighter than the Pink Palace itself. There’s only one word to describe it.

“Diwali!” I gasp.

“The Festival of Lights?” Her eyes widen as she searches the darkness for clues. “Are you certain?”

“I’m sure, Nani . Don’t you see it?“ It looks just like my favorite holiday in all of India! The time of year when we dress up in our fanciest clothes, cheering as fireworks burst overhead. When we dance in the glow of a thousand lanterns, celebrating the ultimate victory: good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance. What else could it be but Diwali?

“Oh, my,” Grandmother murmurs. “That is a most auspicious sign. Your prince is a seeker of light, like you.”

I blink in surprise. “He is? I am?”

“Of course,” she says. “Now look closer. What else do you see?”

The constellations rearrange before my eyes, turning into a shining pathway that stretches across the solar system. The starry trail leads to a fork in a distant galaxy. “There are two roads, but I can’t see where either of them lead. Can you tell me which way I should go?”

“No, my child. The choice is yours and only you can make it.” Her fingers, bent with age and experience, rub the smooth back of my hand. “But do not forget the Law of Karma: ‘As one acts, so does one become’ . Your deeds become your destiny.”

Uh oh. How many times have I been told to make wiser choices? “Father says it’s not enough to be smart—I need to act smart. If I choose my path wisely, does that mean I’ll become wise someday?”

“The heart has its own wisdom,” Grandmother tells me. Her gaze wanders to the chair where Grandfather used to sit. Memories drift across her face, softening its deep lines. “Yes, the heart has wisdom and its own set of laws to guide us on our journeys. You must follow the law, Child of Fire, no matter where the road leads.”

W hich law? The Law of Karma? The law of the heart? Some other law I’ve yet to learn? “But, Nani , I don’t understand.”

“Someday you will.” She places a gentle kiss on my forehead, then points once more at the stars. “Tell me again. What do you see?”

The night darkens, hiding its secrets. “Grandmother, I don’t think—“

FLASH.

Ka- BOOM!

Lightning rips the sky in half. It strikes the parched earth outside Grandmother’s window, and the ground explodes in a deafening roar. A second bolt slams into my chest, knocking me off my feet—electrifying me from the inside out.

When I wake up on the floor, I’m gasping for breath, my heart pounding in my ears. I fumble for a lamp, terrified of what I might find. The light clicks on. No Grandmother. No storm. No injuries from the blast. Just my tiny college bedroom, far from any village in India. I crumple onto my narrow bed, my legs too weak to hold me.

What the heck was that ?

A nightmare?

A vision?

An omen?

Thunder rumbles outside my window. What could it possibly mean?