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"You can't treat me like this! I am a Deva!! A DEVA, YOU HEAR ME!!! I am above you all!! You can't—"
A chuckle interrupted Dharma's tirade. A pin drop silence fell. It was so dark all around him, that all Dharma could see was a glint of jewelry up ahead. Gold glinting as bright as embers in a dark night. That's where the throne must be. That's where the person who silenced an entire court room with a mere chuckle was seated. Dharma gulped. This is what he was up against.
A sonorous voice vibrated. "Let Go."
At those two words from the king of this court, the pesky handlers who wouldn't listen to him just moments ago, unhanded Dharma immediately, albeit still holding the ends of the chains attached to his shackles. Dharma took this as enough permission to approach. Chains jangling in the soundless vacuum of Yamlok, he dared to inch ahead towards the throne.
"My Lord, what is the meaning of this? What wrongs did I do to be dragged here in such a predicament? Are we not equals of the same status? Me, a deva, getting dragged down to the court of another deva is an insult to the both of us!"
Dharma thinks he saw Yama grin, for a white spot indicative of an exposed canine — or rather, fang — appeared in the darkness.
"This is where you are mistaken, O Illustrious Dharma. You are a temporary brat who came after me and will die out before me. Caught up in your ideas of right and wrong, high and low, good and evil. That's not how you last, my friend."
"B-but—but... I AM ETERNAL!! I AM UNENDING!!! I AM I AM, I GIVE HUMANS PURPOSE!!! AND — and.....and they NEED me! They need me to build their societies, their lives...their-their-themselves!!"
Yama chuckled again "Who told you that?"
"What..?"
"I'm asking who told you all that. Before frothing at the mouth like a rabid street dog, have you contemplated where you get your power from? Existence from?"
"I—"
"Of course you haven't. That's why you are like this. So I'll enlighten you."
Clothes shuffled, and at once several spears thunked around the court making Dharma realize this darkness wasn't as empty as he thought it was. It was full of beings waiting to strike him on command.
"Humans make up whatever they want to carry on living. You are part of it. They hoisted you up because you were useful to a few of them for some time. But one thing humans don't make up, is death. Their mortality. Their end. In turn, Death and Lifespans shape humans. It shapes their existence, consciousness, memories, societies, everything."
Footsteps were approaching Dharma. He involuntary took two steps back. Perhaps whimpered.
"Do you understand what I'm getting at, Dharma?"
Glinting ebony horns emerged from the dark. Quarter of a face illuminated seemingly from a beam of moonlight that couldn't possibly reach this deep into the Earth. Fangs appeared as the being in front of him grinned.
"They made you. But me? I command them."
Dharma's knees buckled, whimpers turning into full cries as Yama's looming presence bore holes into his skull.
"I'm Just! I am Right! I am Truth! This shouldn't happen to me. ME! what did i do. you can't do this to me. you can't you can't you can't I—"
"Heh."
Dharma dared look up. His sorry state was giving Yama delight. Yama leaned down and hooked a finger on the shackle around his collar, pulling him forward. Then approaching his ears, he whispered, "Good. Squirm more as I devour you whole."
Dharma couldn't help but cry harder. Snot, and tears flowing down his face turning his continued claims of being a god, a symbol of righteousness and justice, seem like whining pleas.
"I have nothing against you, really. As much delight as it brings me to see you grovel, beg, and cry in this grand court of mine, I assure you this is not by choice but a necessity. You see, while I say Death shapes humans and it remains true that I command death, it was still humans that put me in that position. I am a shape and form given to the unknown so that they know what lies in the abyss of eternal sleep. I am being completely honest and transparent with you."
Yama had started casually pacing around as he went on with his monologue.
"I, too, was an existence conceptualized for humans to feel better about death. Or, well, Mara was. Then I absorbed her too."
Feel better about death….? Feel better? Did Yama really think he was making humans feel better? Was he not aware that they were calling him hell torturer? He was nothing more than a scare tactic. Everyone knew this. But Dharma wouldn't dare point that out, not now.
"I don't remember how old I am, or the first peoples to give me meaning. It has been so long, my identities have shifted too much across both time and space. But that is my point, O Dear Dharma. That is indeed my point! Nothing is eternal! Not you, not me. The major difference between us, however, is that you can die out and get swallowed up by me. While I will always exist as me."
He had once again blended into the darkness. His hushed footfalls were like that of a nocturnal beast out on a hunt.
"Yama, the twin."
*step*
"Yama, the death."
*step*
"Yama, the binder."
*step*
"Yama, the keeper of the underworld."
*step*
"Yama, the king. Yama, the leader."
*step*
"Yama, the brother. Yama, the husband."
Yama's broad back was facing Dharma now. The nonexistent moonlight was getting brighter, as if it was a silver spotlight.
"All are me, Dharma. All are my meanings. And now—"
Yama turned half of his face to look at Dharma "I am to become Yama, the Dharmaraj. Ruler of Dharma. Keeper of Dharma. Your master." He grinned. "You can't stop this. You have left no legacy that can distinguish you. People are sick of you. They only want to be nostalgic about you, they don't want you to be in their present."
"That's—that's not true….THAT'S NOT TRUE!! I—They want to preserve me! Their epics! Their stories! They are all about dharmasthapana! My establishment! Gods work so that I continue to prevail! This—this is simply a lie! You are lying!"
"Am I? You know this better than me, Dharma. What did they write about you and Vrinda in the most recent text? A form of Lakshmi burning you four times so that they can justifiably leave you in the past?"
"B-but….the same text says I told them about goddesses! I helped them take beliefs bereft of the correct dharma and patch it into the right places! Narayan quoted me! Narayan himself!!"
"And the very same text had me talk about sins and consequences of breaking Dharma. Not an indirect quote! For there is value when it comes directly from my mouth. You, however?" Yama turned around and leaned down again, their eyes on the same level as Yama inspected Dharma with a curious expression. "You are an excuse. 'Dharma says—' is a justification for their system, not your unique legacy."
"…b-but..but I…I…."
"You as a deity to them are so insignificant that they don't even bother describing you beyond 'he wears white'. You have no presence. Any aspect of you can be shouldered by other gods, and that is precisely what is happening. You have become a useless, redundant existence. Their religion no longer needs you, Dharma."
Dharma's heart sunk deep into his gut. There really was no hope, was there? Legacy….what of it… Satyayuga was his legacy. But it was such a distant part of his being that even he couldn't be sure it existed. Wars had been fought in his name but he hadn't actively been in any of them. It was all hearsay to him as well. They carried his missions for him. Humans and other gods used him as their moral code in feats that his attendants would report about, and he wouldn't bat an eyelash over the credibility of it. That's what Dharma had always been. A believer of stories he took pride in being the centerpiece of.
What else was left then? Grasping at straws?
"B-but….my wife! YES MY WIFE MURTI! And…and Bhakti! My mother! She cares for me, it is written so in the scriptures that—"
"That you are dying. The scriptures want you to be a martyr and me a punisher. This is why I said I have nothing personal against you, dear Dharma. Murti and Bhakti will get new meanings as well, don't you worry about them! Or, well, we do have one supreme Female power in this universe to devour them as well. I sympathize with you really, for my assigned wife was devoured too."
"No you don't understand! I can't just go out like this—The epics! The stories! Yes, that's right, the epics! My son! I have a son!! He is my legacy! He has my name and my colours and my personality! Yudhishthir! Dharmaraj Yudhishthir!"
"And? If I am the new Dharmaraj he becomes my son. What is your point?"
"But he is nothing like you! And everything like me?"
"HAH! Are you telling me or asking me? Well, you are right! Your bland, rule follower of a son doesn't quite fit me but no matter! His story has already been written. Nothing about him will change. It's not like your presence was important for his tale, they can just replace me in."
"Th-that can't be! He was—he is IMPORTANT!! Because he is my son in an epic war about me!!!! It is not a death establishing war, it was a DHARMA establishing war!"
"And? Death followed anyway. I would argue the epic did more for my domain than yours. But as I said, no matter! For your domain is also mine now."
"But-but—"
Yama heaved a sigh. "This is getting boring. I'm done. Chitragupta? I'm done. Is everything ready yet?", Yama shouted out into the darkness.
A seemingly regular man emerged next to him. How was he any more distinguished from Dharma? Why wasn't he getting swallowed up by Yama? They did the same things and shared the same domain!! That gave Dharma an idea for a last ditch effort.
"Chitragupta!" Both Yama and Chitragupta paused their conversation to look at Dharma. This was his chance. "Yamaraj, just like Chitragupta, I can be of aide to you! That's why he hasn't been swallowed up by you, correct? I mean, in any case stories of you describe his role as well. He should have been swallowed up by you a long time ago then, shouldn't he?"
"Hah."
"I can exist the same way, in your court!"
"Haha."
"I can give up my domain in your servitude."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA"
"I can…"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
Yama was now laughing uncontrollably, "Chitragupta, Chitragupta, you hear what he is saying? The guy who relies on other people to write stories for him wants to be like my scribe!! Are you hearing this?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Don't you find it hilarious?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Then why aren't you laughing?"
"Ha. Ha.", Chitragupta replied expressionlessly still looking at Dharma.
"Sorry sorry, Dharma, I should not mock your dying words. But you see, he is different. He was made for me, to serve me. To be a part of my court. You, however? Don't be silly, you don't belong in these Lower Realms. You are too used to being hoisted up to the Upper Realms with a stick up your behind! There is no recourse. This is how it is. I will have to merge you into me."
"I—I —I can write! I can talk! I can! I can!"
"My goodness, he's so pathetic, drag him away. I will absorb him shortly."
The handlers had once again grabbed hold of Dharma. They didn't even let him stand up properly before starting to drag him across the rough cold stone floor.
"Nonononononoonononono waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait—"
Dharma was taken back to the darkness as doors of the courtroom shut him out. The last thing he remembers is Chitragupta's cold stare and the manic joy on Yama's face.