Chapter 2: Secrets of the Forum

After the morning’s lesson, Rohan pressed his palms together in a respectful namaste to Bodhanand and slipped quietly past the boys playing gilli-danda in the courtyard. The midday sun painted golden patterns on the stone corridors, and the aroma of steaming dal drifted from the kitchen. In his small room, he settled cross-legged on his meditation stone, thumb tracing its cool, worn surface. The distant thud of a cricket ball on stone, the whirr of a ceiling fan from the kitchen, and the faint smell of incense reminded him of the world outside his sadhana.

A strange mirage flickered in his mind—a world built of glowing symbols and mysterious names, not a forest or battlefield, but a blue-lit akashvani of modern secrets. This was the “forum”—Ramayana Quest’s digital mandap, buzzing with WhatsApp group ke log, meme-makers, and armchair pundits. Some threads pulsed with debates, others with jokes and filmi banter. Here, Rohan first lurked, then engaged, learning the power of community gyaan.

He remembered a flashback: his old self, mid-prank, swapping banana peels for the cook’s rotis. Now, he sat silent, fidgeting with prayer beads, absorbing every forum post—an uncanny contrast even he found amusing.

It was on the Ramayana Quest Forum that Rohan pieced together the truth: he was the protagonist. At first, he scoffed—surely this was some internet prank? But every spoiler, every plot analysis matched his life exactly. He tried a small experiment: reciting a mantra he’d only seen on the forum, just to see if it would work. When it did, he stared at his hands in disbelief—half excited, half terrified. “Matlab main hi hero hoon? Kya baat hai!”

He devoured every spoiler, every “Hidden Storylines in Ramayana Quest,” every “Top Ten Opportunities.” Late at night, he scribbled notes on banana leaves, hiding them under his bedding. Once, Fatima Aunty nearly caught him and he scrambled to hide his cheat sheet, heart pounding, while she grumbled about monkeys making a mess.

The forum threads—full of Hinglish and desi memes—became his secret weapon. “Plot armor ka level dekh bhai, OP ho gaya!” one user joked. “Admin power toh Rohan ke paas hi hai,” another chimed in. The posts were bold, irreverent, and weirdly insightful, making even Indra and Brahma sound like side characters in a daily soap.

Rohan realized: this was his chance to break the script. The ashram, once a place of discipline, now seemed like a treasure house of cheat codes. But time was ticking—sooner or later, Bodhanand would send him away. “Bro, Guru will do a ‘no spoilers’ policy. Learn while you can!” the forum warned.

He became the king of hiding: answering questions humbly, slipping out of gatherings before he could be challenged, never showing off. A senior disciple rolled his eyes at Rohan’s diligence, while a younger one tried to copy his pose but was distracted by an ant crawling up his toe. Rohan smiled inwardly—every detail mattered now.

He remembered a lesson where Bodhanand shielded him from punishment after a prank, the guru’s patience a revelation that stayed with Rohan long after. That memory mixed with forum advice: “Even the best cricketer learns to hold the bat before hitting a six.” Rohan’s arrogance melted into humility—every art, even the basics, had its use.

He scribbled new meanings into the ashram’s syllabus: Kala (jugaad of fate), Pravah (mind games), Gati (real life hacks), Shanti (mental OP). Even the cook’s gossip became a lesson, every ayurvedic herb a potential power-up. He practiced staff technique with bamboo poles, learned ayurvedic mixing, and watched every detail—just as the forum taught.

The more he learned, the more insignificant he felt. Dadi’s words echoed: “Beta, ek ek kaam ka time aata hai.” Rohan shifted from chasing immortality to seeking truth, finding joy in the journey and quiet companionship of the ashram. The elders and even the cows seemed to sense a legend in the making.

He wondered, as the wind whispered on Shantivan: what kind of shock would he bring to the world when he left?