Somewhere in Nihariana.
"Okay Amma, you're starting to make me worried. What is it?"Joshi questioned his mother, looking puzzled by seeing the piece of paper she had been holding.
"Mera beta..." (My son...) Joshi's mother, Isabelle, looked hesitant and distorted, almost as if she was hoping that the words she needed to tell Joshi wouldn't come out."I'm afraid that it has started..." she started.
"What has started, Amma?"Joshi interrupted, raising his eyebrows in even more confusion now than before.
"The Trial of the Gods... has begun, my son..." she managed to blurt out amidst all the hesitation she felt.
"The Trial of the Gods?"Joshi looked to her confused, questioning what she was saying.
Joshi was, since he could remember, never into studies. Not mathematics, not physics, not history; he was a typical "oblivious-to-knowledge/taare zameen par" kid. When he used to go to school—which he had left by the 6th grade—he was always the odd one out. Not completing any work in time, being late to classes, and often even bunking classes to play football. And even in the classes that he did manage to take, the attention level was below sub-par.
But there was one class, one passion Joshi had, and that was to cook and be the very best at cooking. In the cooking classes, he always used to give it his all, trying to be the best and better than all the others. He used to pass that class with flying colours. His teacher always tried to make Joshi follow the recipes that were given out before class, but Joshi, being the cooking prodigy that he was, always used to experiment with his cooking. Maybe a dash of something that had never gone with a dish of rice, or a splash of a certain flavour never paired with that distinct type of curry. He was truly a cooking genius.
And since leaving 6th grade, Joshi had taken his place at his late father's Pakwaan, which now belonged to his beloved Auntie Shazia, as a chef under her, trying to navigate this vast sea of extravagant flavours and myriad of recipes—all for him to try, test, and experiment like Dr. Doofenshmirtz's crazy apprentice.
"Oh Joshi, you were never fond of your history, were you, my child? Maybe if you had given it all to your studies, you'd know what I am talking about," his mother answered him, smirking and chuckling in love for her child.
"Amma naaaa, did you make me sit here just to make fun of me?"Joshi curled his eyebrows like opposing waves to each other, complaining about his mother's teasing.
"No, my bacha (child). Now listen closely, okay?"Isabelle started and continued.
"The Gods of Food are those that control everything since the dawn of time. Our resources, recipes, well-being and all come from them. There are six Food Gods as of right now, and one God—The Supreme One—that is the God of all Gods. But before, there only used to be one, and it was The Supreme One only. At intervals of 500 years, The Supreme One used to elect Gods to rule the lands how he sees fit."
"500 years!!?!? Amma, how old are you?????"Joshi exclaimed in surprise and confusion.
"Oh, sit your ass down! You should've paid at least some attention in school. What I am telling you is a tale, a story—what used to be a myth but now seems to be a fulfilling prophecy."Isabelle shunned down Joshi and continued.
"At first, he appointed the God of Heavenly Recipes known as Horatio, then the God of Rice: Reesha. After that came the God of Spices: Soobian, then followed the God of Cocktails: Cynthia, and finally in the end came together the God of Chutneys: Charango, and the God of Sweeties: Saylid. Each God used to be human just like us, proving their skills in their cooking to take their place at the Royal Palace of Thronium and become eternal Gods. Well now..." she faded off once again into the distant thoughts that seemed to put a sense of distraught and a face of hesitation on her face.
"Well now what, Amma?"Joshi now questioned his mother more seriously, understanding how serious the conversation had become.
"Now the time has come again. That The Supreme One shall choose his next in line to join him in the land of Thronium and take a place amongst the Gods. The Trial of the Gods has begun once again and is open to any and all who dare to become... become the next God."
An eerie silence masked the room. Both mother and son now looked at each other. The mother still with a distraught face, eyes panning to the letter and back again to her son, awaiting his reaction and his response. The son now looking down at the table both of them sat at, thinking deep about what to say, what to derive from this conversation, and where to go from here.
"Joshi..."
"I'm going to participate as well, Amma..."Joshi interrupted his mother as he stood up from the table but still looked down.
"NO JOSHI! NO NO! I WILL NOT LET YOU PARTICIPATE!" screamed his mother, getting up from her chair and throwing the letter on the ground.
"But why, Amma?!?!"Joshi questioned as he looked to his mother and bent down to pick up the letter that was thrown on the ground.
Just before Joshi could take a look at the letter, his mother snatched the letter from him."NO MEANS NO, BETA! (SON)" she shouted with a furious look on her face."I will not have my son, along with my husband, meddled into the business of those Caviarian animals and let them take away you as well!!"
"Wait... 'take away as well'? You're telling me Father might still be out there somewhere?!"Joshi now raised his voice against his mother.
"..."Isabelle couldn't say anything even if she wanted to.
"I'm going, Amma. To participate and also even find my father. So that maybe he's not the liar in this family..."Joshi said while looking down at the floor, then turning his back and walking out of the house.
Just before he walked out, after putting on his shoes—"Amma... Don't wait up for me..."
And with that, Joshi left his house and his upset and saddened mother. Stepping out into the cold air in the night, he started walking back in the direction of Auntie Shazia's Pakwaan. He was going to waste no time in preparing. For he knew what was to come next was something he had never experienced before... something Godly and divine.
Joshi reaches the Pakwaan, turns on a small light in the kitchen, and puts on his apron.
"Father... I shall come for you. Your aid. Your help. Wherever you are. Vengeance shall be mine, for weak I am not—for she who fed me and for he who protected me till he was abducted by those animals.Father, hand me your hand, and hand in hand, shall I, Joshi Ramathkar, son of Ramathkar the Great, end the line of Gods. Once and for all..."