An Encounter with "Diex" is one of the best short stories I have read in a long time. It begins with the fear, anxiety, and pressure so common among students these days. Vinayak is also an 'average' student but he puts up a brave fight to perform and live up to the expectations of his teachers and guardians. One day in a feverish delirium he gets into a dream experience. But was it really a dream?
Vinayak portrays a world of light, magic, miracles, and astral beings as he perchance dives into a 'portal' of the unknown. There he meets Guardians of the divine order, sitting under the Luminous Sentinel tree. They tell him that he is the 'chosen one' for he is 'special'. He has a special mission to fulfill – to counteract the negative forces called, the Eclipse Shadow. The fight that our 'average hero' puts up is by no means 'average'. And the creative skill of the young author is excellent as he describes how Vinayak had to face the Crystal Caverns, a labyrinthine network of tunnels filled with shimmering crystals. The author is mature enough to describe how the 'Crystals' actually reflect the demons of one own fear and follies. The names he created for the characters like 'Dreadfiend' and 'Netherclaw,' touched my heart owing to their simple yet magnificent imagery.
The author is obviously worried about his skills in Mathematics and it all started at that. From that point of concern, common to most students, he takes a flight to a magical world of strength, courage, success, and confidence. When he finally emerges from his 'dream' he is a changed person; a successful mathematician.
One might say, okay so he is a dreamer; how can he perform something as rational and exacting as Mathematics? But psychology says, our cognitive capacity is unlimited. Our brains and minds can be 'trained' to work in a certain way due to 'neuroplasticity'. The powers of the mind are tremendous, and how feats can be accomplished by 'subconscious conditioning' of it, is a matter of deep research in neuroscience. The only requisition is: the honest desire, aspiration, and executive strength.
The author seems to have accomplished something of that nature: autosuggestion into the subconscious in order to tap the treasure house of resources that lie dormant in those psychical recesses. But he must have done it unknowingly; it is my reading of the story that prompts me to analyze it in this way. His entire experience happened in a dream, rather, when he was in a very drowsy state due to his fever. But his raison d'etre as a student remained an indelible part of his relentless efforts. It is possible that he 'reconditioned' his neuronal wirings of weakness into strengths, failures into success, of grief into joy. This is precisely what psychanalysts and hypnotherapists aim to accomplish in their patients.
I strongly recommend this book to all readers, school children especially. I believe every child is unique and gifted. It is unfair to brand a child as 'average'. We, as parents and teachers should encourage our children, rekindle that fire in them, instead of gagging and smothering their delicate souls. One only needs to find out his/her passion. It will open paths of strength and light rays of hope in young minds. It is truly a delightful piece of writing.
