I should be very happy because I have found the very place, I have been looking for the last two months. Yet, I am going to meet the same fate as all the ancient wisdom locked here. I am penning this with the hope that one day, this document will see the daylight, making people unearth the knowledge. The knowledge that was supposed to have burned down for many days is secure yet hidden from humanity, for we do not deserve this knowledge.

My story begins with my obsession with the belief that the ancient books that were burned down at Nalanda University were saved. My research led me to many forbidden library vaults, where I had a narrow escape from them. I am yet to understand them because they are not interested in destroying the knowledge, they are a secret organization who have taken the responsibility of protecting the ancient wisdom of our country.

My journey got interesting after I found evidence that the ancient scriptures were moved with only one clue left - the Shergarh fort. Once at Shergarh, I explored the fort. The existence of a lake near the fort made my suspicion stronger. The dense forest around the fort made it a haven for escaping an attack which is a stronger reason for me to believe that the ancient scriptures must be hidden somewhere here.

My instinct told me to search for tunnels which weren’t readily accessible. I presumed that the tunnels were hidden to make the escape easier. Therefore, my first choice for exploration was the underground fort on an adjacent hill. The place was in ruins, and stories of ghosts and possible dead bodies in the underground fort further strengthened my resolve. Not many tourists wanted to visit it nor did any guide offer to show around this place. The ruins were difficult to navigate because of heavy foliage growth. Since it was a sunny day, the vegetation had dried out making it more dangerous if someone were careless enough to ignite it.

I entered the underground palace, and noted that it was infested with bats as I went deeper. As I descended the stairs, I caught sight of the light filtering in an odd manner. I went to the farthest side of the stairs. Surprisingly faint light illuminated the area. This got me going and I explored further by feeling the wall for something. I refused to give up and searched for a moving piece of lever or stone or a keyhole. It could be anything but my mind was fixated on looking for a slot size of the book. I had carried the book with me, wrapped in a polythene cover to protect it during my journey.

Carefully I placed the book on the far end of the wall and began moving while keeping the side of the book pressed to the surface. This was a weird thing to do but after what happened at the library vault I was open to anything. After about an hour of trying, I took a break to rest. I sat down leaning my back on the same wall and placed the book beside me. I heard a faint whirring sound and instantly picked the book and stood up. The sound died away.

It was then I noticed that the dust and sand accumulated at my foot were loose. I began digging it with my bare hands and discovered a slot carved on the floor. Carefully, I placed the book into the slot, and surely the wall opened up. It was pitch dark. As soon as I took the book, the wall closed quickly. Now, this was a problem. I went looking for a stone slab that would fit in the slot. After an hour of searching, I found a rough-looking boulder which was not exactly rectangular but weighed almost the same as the book and it was easily fitting in the slot. I quickly placed the stone, and to my relief, the wall opened. I took a torch and stepped inside. Once inside, I was looking for a similar slot that would close the wall opening. I wanted to ensure that no strangers or the people who had pursued me in the library would catch up to me.
In the dim light of my torch, I found a loose rectangular stone slab on the floor. It was difficult to lift it from the slot, as it fit perfectly. With no tools to my aid, I struggled with my pen knife to lift it and finally closed the wall opening.

Once inside, I remained silent and waited for any other movement. All I could hear was the scraping of rats, which wasn’t a good sign. If there are rats around, it definitely means that there were dead bodies to devour and most importantly, it also means that scriptures are not here. I reached the end of the tunnel and found myself facing another wall. This time, the wall had a key slot. I took the key and tried to open it. Once I opened sunlight flooded the dark room revealing the skeletons all around the floor. The light startled the rats causing them to scatter and run into their holes.

Reassured that I was on the right path, I went out and found myself in a narrow underground path in the jungle. Far above me, the opening allowed sunlight and air but it was difficult to climb up because the earth had no tree roots or stepping stones to support. Assuming the right path was to move ahead, I explored further and ended up in a dark chamber. If I was not slow enough the fall would have fractured my foot. I walked two steps and found there was no solid ground beneath my feet. I fell hard and sat there for very long. After what seemed like an hour or maybe more, I tried to get up and observed I could walk if I chose to ignore the pain. I fumbled around and found my torch and used it to move ahead.

For the first time, a fearful thought struck me, what if I am stuck down here forever? Forcing the negative thoughts away from my mind, I limped across the floor and finally reached the end. There, I found the book slot easily and placed the book into it. The wall moved inwards revealing a large room illuminated by faint lighting. Once inside I removed the book, and the door shut behind me. I finally found the ancient scriptures stacked and arranged neatly on stone shelves. I was overjoyed and began reading the scriptures one after the other, taking in the wisdom.

After what seemed an eternity, I tried to open the chamber door by inserting the book but it wouldn't budge. I was mildly surprised. After numerous attempts and growing dejection, I looked around. That is when I noticed that the place was immaculate; not a speck of dust could be found anywhere. That's when I saw a huge gigantic person emerging out of nowhere.

“You have made a grave mistake in finding this library. You shall have to die here,” he said.
“I am sorry, I mean no harm, I am here for the knowledge,” I squealed. My voice seemed to have lost its strength.
“You are the first one to reach this sanctum. I am a kind-hearted being; if you promise not to take the books out or escape to bring more people here, I will let you live,” the giant said.
“I appreciate your kindness and am eternally grateful to you for allowing me to stay here,” I replied.
“But there’s only one problem, I do not need food to survive, but you do and I can't get any food here. So eventually you will die of hunger and I will move you out,” he laughed. Saying so, he produced a key from his pocket, opened the door and went out locking me inside.
It took some time to come out of the shock. I decided to write this journal and find a way to get it out of here. Although I am dejected, I hope that someday, this book will be discovered.