""Ravan's Foolishness -2" "Lord Shiva, grant me three wishes!" "So be it! Shiva nodded, saying, "And what are the wishes? "Firstly, make me immortal! Secondly, give the Atma-lingam to carry back home to my mother for worship. Lastly, I want to have a beautiful wife, who is parallel to Uma, your wife, in beauty! "Hmmm!" Shiva hummed in a muse saying, "There are conditions though!" Ravan nodded his head rapidly, "What conditions? First I will grant you the boon of immortality. But if in any way you use your powers to harm me, then that boon will become null and void. Secondly, once you possess the Atma-lingam, never place it on the ground. It can never be yours then! Ravan agreed to the two conditions. Then Shiva said, "Ravan, your last wish is difficult to grant! Uma is the most beautiful in all the worlds and there is no one to challenge that!" "Then give me Uma herself " barked the shameless demon. He pursued the matter with Shiva till Shiva agreed to hand over Uma, his wife! Ravan swung Uma over his shoulders, held the Atma-lingam in one hand and the boon of immortality made him recover all his lost heads. On his way, he met Narada. "Aha! Ravan, the great demon. Where are you off to? said Narada. "Aha! Shiva has granted me these boons," Ravan boasted, narrating the entire episode. "Oh, I don't know," Narada frowned in doubt. "What do you mean? Ravan demanded. "Well, you must be an utter fool to believe that Lord Shiva will grant you all this and threaten his own ascetic powers!" Ravan bellowed, "No, I am not." An argument ensued! Cleverly, Narada convinced Ravan that Shiva had duped him. An incensed Ravan chased off to Mount Kailash and uprooted the mountain where Shiva sat meditating. Though he wrecked mayhem, Shiva came to no injury. But Ravan had tried to harm him and thus, the boon of immortality became null and void. Realising his folly, Ravan shrugged and mumbled, At least I have Uma and the Atma-lingam! (to be continued) ©Sanjoy Khuman "