Aru Shah and the End of Time

by Roshani Chokshi

Aru Shah is a twelve-year-old girl, living in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, who often stretches the truth to please her friends, a trait developed due to her mother's distant behaviour. She has a wide imagination and is ashamed to be living in a museum. While she is at home during school break, three of her classmates arrive at the museum to find that Aru lied about spending her time in France. Under pressure, she lights the Cursed Lamp of Bharata to prove them wrong, since she once told her class the Lamp is real. She accidentally releases the Sleeper, a demon who can freeze time. After time is frozen in her town and Aru herself is briefly frozen, a pigeon enters the museum and explains that Hindu mythology is real, and that she is a Pandava. They leave to find the other known sister. Expecting a fierce warrior, they are both taken back by germophobic Mini. Afterwards, they visit the Council of Guardians, where they meet Urvashi and Hanuman. Hanuman reveals that the vahanas of the Gods have gone missing, and that the places where the Sleeper walked have frozen. Both of the sisters are claimed. Indra is Aru's soul father, while Dharma Raja is revealed to be Mini's.

The Pandavas are tasked with stopping the Sleeper from awakening The Lord of Destruction, who will bring an end to all of Time. They have to find their celestial weapons by going into the Kingdom of Death, which can only be entered by finding the Three Keys: The Sprig of Youth, the Bite of Adulthood and a Sip of Old Age. Indra gives a ping-pong ball to Aru while Mini is given a compact by Dharma Raja. They go on the quest with the pigeon, which Aru has nicknamed Boo. During the quest, Aru and her companions learn more about themselves and the Hindu Gods. They grow closer and eventually become friends. They also find out that Aru's ping-pong ball carries celestial light and Mini's compact has the ability to create or break illusions. They are attacked by several demons, like Bhasmasura (from whom they get the Sprig), and also grant Valmiki a day of their lives in exchange for a mantra for safety. The Sleeper attacks them various times during their journey. Once the Pandavas acquire protection from the Seasons, they are once again attacked by the Sleeper in the Library of the Night Bazaar, where they find the Bite of Adulthood.

There, the Sleeper reveals the pigeon is actually Subala, an enemy to the Pandavas during the Mahabharata War. He captures the pigeon, saying that in exchange for his freedom, they must give their weapons to him once they acquire it. Mini leaves Aru when she hears the truth, intending to finish the quest herself. Aru discovers that the Sleeper left behind a cage, which contains clay figures. The clay figures, once exposed to celestial light, become the vahanas of the Gods. They thank her for freeing them, and say that she can call them in emergencies. Uchchaihshravas gives her a ride to the location of the Sip. There, she is reunited with Mini. Collected, the Keys open the Door to Death, and they enter the Kingdom. After tricking the Guardian Dogs, Ek and Do, they go on to meet the Palace of Illusions, a living palace who was once the home for the Pandavas. Their memories are nearly stolen by a Hindu deity, but Aru kills him by using his own power against him. He curses Aru that she will forget what she needs in an important time. After journeying deep into the Kingdom, they find out that their gifts, the ping-pong ball and the compact, are the weapons. They return to Earth. There, Aru summons the vahanas, and develops a plan to assault the Sleeper. It nearly works. However, the Sleeper escapes, ravaging the Museum. Boo, who has been rescued, explains the Sleeper had to wake Shiva at the full moon, which has passed, indicating that they saved the world. In the aftermath of the crisis, Aru and Mini continue school. They discover they have three more sisters out in the world.