REVISED

THE SPIRAL OF TRIALSREVISED EDITION

AMEESHI GOENKAEDITOR- LLOYD ROBERT

CHAPTER 1

As I slowly walked on the soft clouds spying on Azriel, the angel of destruction, I heard someone crying. Someone must have a really good reason to cry on such a lovely day, I thought to myself. In the distance was the palace, with its tall golden spires and imposing battlements. I could see Bath perched on a marble bench staring into the clear amber skies, allowing the breeze to play with her hair and carry her tears with it. I made my way there, quietly sat behind her on the bench and whispered, “Hey Bath, are you okay?” Bath wiped her tears, turned around and looked at me in surprise. In a deep and unsteady voice she said, “Zophiel, no... I’ve been punished by God for refusing to meet Purah. I shall be sent to earth soon. I don’t want to go there.”

“Oh dear! Don’t worry Bath. I’ll watch over you.” I said in a comforting tone, remembering that Purah was the angel of of forgetfulness, and not to be taken lightly.“Thank you Zo. My task is to teach a mortal named Nathaniel a lesson whenever I receive signals from here and in turn I’ll be taught a lesson myself. I’m afraid that I won’t have any memory of my present form while I am on earth.” said Bath in a worried tone, rising from her seat, looking down on the planet from the edge of the cloud.“Calm down Bath. You’ll be fine. I believe in you.” I said in a soothing manner following her footsteps. “But I don’t know when we can fly together again.” whined Bath turning around and facing me.“You’ll be back before you know it and I’ll be waiting here for you.” I said moving close to her and taking her in my arms for a warm hug. She left to meet Raguel, the angel who watches over the behaviour of all the angels and also called the "Friend of God".

Bath Kol and I have known each other forever. She’s the angel of divine prophecy and the heavenly voice that proclaims God’s will. And my name means ‘God’s spy’!Bath and I love our responsibilities, if one could call them that. She’d prophesy and I’d simply spy. We shared stories and tales together about future predictions coming true, fallen angels, God’s wishes, other angles’ triumphs and punishments. She teaches humans (mainly the prophets) to embrace their own inner knowingness and communicate it correctly. She’s loved by every angel for the way she delivers her task.I hope the sins of men don’t affect her or obstruct her in her mission. I’ll keep a sharp eye on her and assist her without going against the laws of heaven.

CHAPTER 2

On the evening of the first day of October, 1940, I saw her appear on earth, a little baby in a basket, abandoned on the steps of a church on the outskirts of Brighman city, Utah. A middle aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Haegmann, passing by on their way home from a short vacation stopped at the church in search of water. When they spotted Bath in the basket sound asleep and found nobody around they took her with them. They did not have any children of their own and prayed that one day they would be blessed with an angel. And suddenly there she was. Mr. and Mrs. Haegmann were married for seventeen years now. Right then they named her ‘Celestia’, which means heavenly, and took her home. But much against the objections of his wife, Mr. Haegmann registered Celestia under the missing children section in the police department since it was the right thing to do. Mr. Michael Haegmann, owner of a vast estate, was a successful businessman in Brighman city. He was well known among the common people for his nobility, ability to reason, calculate and advise. He did charity work once a year for an entire week. Mrs. Paulina Haegmann was a soft spoken and a warm hearted lady. She had a small bakery just outside their estate which was famous with the children and the elite crowd of the town. Her love for baking and her love for children complimented each other. Celestia was affectionately taken care of by the Haegmanns’ and she turned out to be a very fine young lady. She played with the city kids and learned baking. She proved to be dab hand at singing. She taught English to the kids

at her father’s charity events.On a hot July afternoon, Mr. Haegmann and Celestia were on their way to the market place in the car. Mr. haegmann was expecting an important package. Mr. Haegmann wanted Celestia to accompany him because he wanted to talk to her aboutsomething important.“Celestia, my girl, you are twenty three years old now.” Mr. Haegmann started.“Yes father.” She said looking at him.“Umm.. I’ve received several proposals from my friends and acquaintances for you to be the bride of their son. I feel you are mature enough to raise a family of your own now. Are you ready?” he asked hesitantly.“I don’t know father. Marriage is a bond of love with one person for an entire life span. I can’t marry someone I don’t know. Someone I don’t love.” she said firmly.“But you know Martin, Mr. Sebastian’s son. You both have been friends for a long time. What do you think of him?” he asked even though he already knew the answer.“Father, I sing songs of God’s message to mankind. Martin is an atheist. I can’t marry him. I don’t love him. I promise I’ll tell you when I am ready father.” she said looking straight into his eyes.He paused for a moment, sighed and looked away.When they reached their destination, Mr. Haegmann stepped out of the vehicle while Celestia still sat inside. He

took a package covered in brown paper and gave the man a wad of notes. Celestia waited calmly for her father to return. The eyes of the stranger were locked with Celestia’s from the time when Mr. Haegmann paid him till the time the car drove away. She saw him smile and turn around from the rear view of the car. She immediately felt a sense of warmth within her.

CHAPTER 3

Nathaniel was a charming, but manipulative, man in his last three lives. He saw no wrong in being dishonest or disobedient. Stuck in the vicious cycle of life and death, he was a sadist towards everyone over the age of six.In the first of his last three lives, Nathaniel was named Peterson. He worked in a profitable brewery. He was his master’s most loyal worker. His master considered him like a son. Peterson had worked in that brewery for a decade when he was made the vice chairman. He then dreamt of owning the company and having men work solely for him. In order to gain this he conspired against his loving master. He spread false information about his master, selling bottles in the black market and making illegal profits, to the legal department of the company. The case was carried on in the court of justice. Peterson was in charge of the day to day working of the company. The master was put behind bars, enquiries and legal documentations went on for nearly eighteen months. The news spread like a virus in the state. The Supreme Court did not find any significant evidence against the old man. The Court fined the master on minor unaccounted income and released him. When he returned home he did not have the heart to work anymore. He handed over the business to Peterson and resigned. Peterson’s master did not have the slightest hint that Peterson had plotted against him.In his second life, Nathaniel was named Henrick. He worked as a researcher in wildlife research department. Being a reptile lover he especially enjoyed playing with the amazing maticora bivirgata, commonly called the blue Malaysian coral snake. Once, by mistake, his boss forgot to give him his paycheck on the specified date and then left left for an essential business trip the following day having delayed giving Henrick his salary by two weeks. In those two weeks, Henrick lost his girlfriend and rented apartment because he could not provide for them. To make things worse he had to move in with his mother who did sex work for a living. In order to take

revenge for his loss, one night, he quietly left the Malaysian Coral Snake in his boss’ house. The next day it was all over the news that the manager the state’s wildlife research department passed away in his residence by an unexpected snake bite and the venomous snake is still missing. Horror spread across the city but there was not much that could be done.In his last life, he was named Lark. He was a cleaner at a church. Even though he worked tenfold more than the clergymen ever did he was paid tenfold less. Lark had lost his faith in God in spite of working in a church all day, attending each and every session and knowing the bible by heart. He did not have a family. He despised all priests but there was one who stood

out of the crowd. Lark loathed him because he often referred to helpers, cleaners, servants etc. as the happiest people, quoting him- “these persons have so little and yet they are the happiest”. That priest clearly had no idea what it was to live without comfort or family. So one day Lark took his most treasured rosary and threw it in the dirt outside the church. That priest was not seen in that church that day hence.

CHAPTER 4

Nathaniel lost his parents at age fourteen. He did not remember their names. Their picture in his mind was pixelated and memory fragmented. He had a brother who was four years younger than him named Philemon. Since then Philemon and him have been working their way upwards in a tobacco manufacturing firm. They loved their job and their boss. People in their work place were like family to them. Ten years ago they started as tobacco plant cultivators and now Nathaniel was the head of the sales department and

Philemon was the head of the production department.Nathaniel had received an important order from a wealthy businessman who was their loyal customer too, Mr. Haegmann. On a sunny July afternoon he took the order to the requested place of delivery and met Mr. Haegmann there. He delivered the package and saw a beautiful woman sitting in the car. She looked at him intently and he returned the favour. He smiled when the car drove away at his sudden aroused feelings towards her.He felt that he had to meet her again. That eveningNathaniel found out Mr. Haegmann’s address from the firm’s customers’ information journal. He prepared another package to be delivered there the following day. The next morning he reached Mr. Haegmann’s residence with the fake package and rang the doorbell. He just happened to look up at the mansion when he saw his beautiful stranger looking down at him. A servant answered the door who confirmed to Nathaniel that nobody ordered for another package. Nathaniel apologised for disturbance caused and pretended to leave. No sooner did the door shut close than he looked up again

and saw his highness was still there. Nathaniel left a folded parchment for her under the doormat, smiled and saw himself out of the estate.As soon as he left, Celestia sprinted down to the door to read the note. The parchment read- “If you also feel the way I feel for you, meet me at the market place tomorrow just before sunset. I’ll be waiting for you - Stranger”. She was ecstatic and was looking forward to meet him.The next day, she told her mother that she was going to the market place with the maid to buy some ingredients for the cookies she wanted to bake for the kids. They had reached the market a little before sunset and had started shopping for those ingredients. The stranger came from behind and joined her in one of the shops. She recognised him but held back her words due to her maid’s presence. The stranger waited for her in a corner till she had finished her shopping. After the maid went to the car to stock up all the supplies

Celestia elegantly walked towards him.“Good evening.” she greeted him.“A very good evening to you, your highness.” he replied kissing her hand and seeing her blush. He smiled and introduced himself, “My name is Nathaniel Norman and I work at the tobacco firm.”She smiled and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Norman. I am Celestia Haegmann.”He instantly replied, “Please call me Nathaniel and the pleasure was all mine, your highness. I am sorry if I have caused you any inconvenience.”“Please call me Celestia. And I am here by my choice. There were no difficulties.” She blushed and saw him smile. “But I have to leave this instant. I am expected to be home in time for supper.” She added.“Will I have the honour to see you again?” he asked with uncertainty reflecting through his eyes.“If you want to, you shall, Nathaniel.” she replied and turned around to leave. She sat inside the car and waved goodbye to him. He waved back till the car vanished out of sight.Initially they met frequently for a short while at the market place, but as time went by their meetings became longer and their venue changed to more private places. Their love blossomed like a beautiful and a sensational red rose. CHAPTER 5

“Mother, father, this is Nathaniel Norman.” She introduced him to her parents after one year of their steady relationship. Nathaniel shook hands with Mr. Haegmann and kissed Mrs. Haegmann’s hand and sat down at the table in the garden for tea.“Your face seems familiar, have I seen you before Mr. Norman?” inquired Mr. Haegmann trying to recall where he had seen Nathaniel earlier.“Please call me Nathaniel sir. Yes, I am the head of the sales department of the tobacco firm. I delivered you a package last year on this date in the market.” Nathaniel reminded Mr. Haegmann enthusiastically.“And I assume that’s when you first saw my daughter, Nathaniel.” He said sceptically.

“Yes sir.” Nathaniel replied, then embarrassed.Mr. and Mrs. Haegmann questioned Nathaniel about his family, education and work. They were not very pleased by his answers but appreciated every bit of his honesty. After forty minutes of interrogation session Mr. Haegmann requested his daughter for a private conversation in the study. They went to the study while Mrs. Haegmann showed Nathaniel around the estate with the assumption that he hadn’t seen it before. Nathaniel knew the estate inside out but he went for the tour anyway.“Father.” said Celestia on reaching the study room.“Daughter, are you certain you want to live your entire life with a man who is salaried? Who doesn’t have a car or any servants? Who stays in an apartment?” Mr. Haegmann asked hoping for a negative answer.“Father, luxury doesn’t appeal to me. I love Nathaniel and yes, I am certain that I want to spend the rest of my life by his side. And besides you’ll always be there to support us, right father?” she asked, suddenly slightly doubtful.“I am disappointed in you. You rejected proposals from the men of the upper class of the society to marry Nathaniel. Don’t you see? I have a reputation to uphold. You have finally proven that you are not of my blood.” replied Mr.Haegmann sternly.“What?” Celestia looked perplexed.“You heard me; We are not blood related. Your mother and I found you in a basket outside a wrecked church and took pity on you and got you home. We raised you as our own daughter because we could not have children. We were so proud of the way we raised you, until today. You have disappointed me. You are not my daughter.” He said trying extremely hard to hold back his tears.“I may not be your daughter, but you’ll always be my father; till my last breath.” She said, eyes filled with tears and stormed out of the room.She went around the estate looking for her mother and Nathaniel. She found them in the green house.“Nathaniel, we need to go.” She said after wiping her tears.“Darling, are you alright?” asked her mother concerned.“Yes.” She responded in an unsteady voice, held Nathaniel by his hand and pulled him away.

“It was a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Haegmann.” said Nathaniel, being pulled away by Celestia.Celestia never returned home after that. In 1964, Nathaniel and Celestia got married at an alter just outside the city. Nathaniel did not believe in God but knew that there was a superior power controlling their thoughts and actions. News spread that Celestia, the daughter of a millionaire, married a factory worker. Mr. Haegmann’s reputation was mixed with dirt; he went into a deep depression. Nathaniel would force Celestia to meet her father but she wouldn’t budge. He assured her that eventually things would fall into place and it would all make sense. After nine months of their marriage, Celestia heard that her father’s condition was critical and it was his last wish to see her. She visited him after what seemed like half a century and was stunned to see him in that state. He was bedridden with a twenty-four hour nurse by his side. She sat down next to him. He tried to stretch his hand to hold hers. She moved forward and held his hand.“Please, forgive me.” He said in the lowest voice audible to human ears.“I do. You’ll always be my father. Please get well soon.” She replied, now in tears.“Thank you, daughter. I hope I am fortunate to have a daughter like you and a wife like Paulina in every life. NowI can rest in peace.” Mr. Haegmann said looking at Celestia and Paulina for the last time before closing his eyes.“Father”, said Celestia nudging him but he did not respond. She burst out crying. Mrs. Haegmann, took her to the bedroom, crying herself.“I’m sorry mother, this is entirely my fault, and I’ll never forgive myself.” Words came out of Celestia’s mouth between her tears. Mrs. Haegmann consoled her beloved daughter. She told her that her father thought of her in every breath he inhaled but he did not have the courage to call her home. Finally when he knew that he wasn’t going to survive much longer, he called for her. None of it was Celestia’s mistake. She stood by the love for a man and not the love for wealth. She had nothing to be sorry for. Mrs. Haegmann had seen this coming and was prepared. After Mr. Haegmann’s funeral, Nathaniel, Celestia and Philemon moved into the estate with Mrs. Haegmann. All the possessions of Mr.

Haegmann went to Celestia and Nathaniel who managed his business pretty well. Philemon joined Nathaniel in his late Father-in-law’s business and also managed the bakery since Mrs. Haegmann retired.

CHAPTER 6

Four years down Nathaniel’s and Celestia’s marriage, 1968, Celestia gave birth to a boy. They named him Mike after her father, Micheal Haegmann. Mike became the life of the house. Everybody seemed happy after a very long time. Nathaniel stayed at home longer than before and personally attended his wife and son along with Mrs. Haegmann.That year Philemon got married to his love, Isabel. Isabel could not accept the fact that her husband worked for his brother’s wife. She wanted to bring about some changes. She managed to poison Philemon’s mind to talk to Nathaniel and ask him to split the business. Nathaniel was shocked to hear those words from his little brother. Every day for the next seven months there were fights and arguments relating to business at home.One day, Isabel got sick of the daily arguments and filed a case against Nathaniel that he wasn’t managing the business well since he spent most of the time playing with his son at home whereas Philemon worked extra hours and also managed Nathaniel’s work hence, Philemon should have Nathaniel’s position.The case went on in the Court of Law for over ten weeks. There was chaos in the office. Lawyers who were hired were seen at home and in the office. Legal papers werebeing prepared and the hearings happened at an average of once a week. This was Celestia’s signal from heaven. Over the weeks Celestia managed to convince Nathaniel to surrender his share of the business to his brother and Isabel. Nathaniel eventually agreed and the case was closed. Before Isabel left the estate for good she told Nathaniel that he was incapable of balancing family life with business life and his own wife was against his happiness. Nathaniel was mature enough to ignore that comment; nevertheless he still lost his share of the business to Philemon and Isabel and he started working at the bakery while Celestia resumed attending office after two and a half months of maternity leave. Nathaniel was being offered his job back at the tobacco firm by his boss. But Nathaniel failed to recognise his boss which led to his boss’ disrespect and leaving the house in

anger.That’s how Nathaniel lost his power and wealth.

CHAPTER 7

Five years after Mike was born, 1973, Mrs. Haegmann was seventy years old. She loved playing with Mike but every minute spent with reminded her of her late husband. She blamed Nathaniel for his death. If Nathaniel hadn’t married Celestia, Micheal would have still been with her. As each day passed by, her hatred towards Nathaniel magnified. It burned her from within. It became incredibly hard for her to behave like she really loved her son-in-law. After thinking a lot over how to frame her son-in-law, she finally got into action. Nathaniel used to smoke up cocaine before his marriage with his friends. He smoked up once after marriage when Celestia caught him. He had promised her that he would quit doing pot. He apologised for his forgetfulness and swore on his future kids never to do it again. He kept his word and took the left over to the bakery to keep it away from home. Celestia and Paulina were the only people aware of this. When Nathaniel was out with Mike at his school, Paulina replaced the baking powder with cocaine. For the next couple of days Nathaniel cooked with cocaine unaware of the truth. Then the news spread that since Nathaniel lost his share of business to his little brother he started doing drugs and adding them in the bakery food. Nathaniel was shocked at the news. He immediately replaced the cocaine with baking powder back. He begged his wife to believe him that he did not do drugs. After a lot of pleading she believed him but was still not convinced that baking powder and cocaine switch happened on its own. That was her second sign from heaven. Her mother told her that it would have been an honest mistake but Celestia wanted him to at least admit his mistake. Nathaniel did not admit that it was his mistake. After eighteen days and nights of not talking to Celestia he admitted that the switch might have been his mistake. He really loved Celestia and could not have her stay angry with him.Due to Paulina’s revenge, Nathaniel’s friends and the common people hated him and the bakery was shut down.Nathaniel remained unemployed and took up gardening inthe estate.

CHAPTER 8

Two years later, 1975, Paulina passed away peacefully. Later in that year Celestia gave birth to a baby girl. They named her Lina after her late mother. Nathaniel and Celestia did a marvellous job in raising their kids. They turned out to be fine individuals.One day, at Lina’s school, on father-children interaction day, all the fathers present were told to draw flowers or animals for their little ones in two minutes and the best drawing would get a special present. After two minutes when Lina’s first grade teacher started collecting the drawings she saw that Mr. Norman had drawn only a stalk of the flower. She decided to collect his sheet a little later. After five minutes she returned to him and saw that he had drawn only two petals of the flower. She took the paper from him and completed the flower for Lina. After they returned home Lina told her mother that her teacher had to complete the flower on the father’s behalf. Celestia spoke to Nathaniel but he couldn’t explain himself.Another incident happened the very next week when Mr. Norman was told to express what he felt when he had Mike in his arms for the first time, during father-children interaction day with Mike. Nathaniel stood their dumbstruck. He did not know what to say. After twelve-year-old Mike’s teacher repeated the question twice and received no response from his father, he was asked to take his seat. Mike reported this incident to his mother after he got back home. He thought his father did not love him but Celestia assured him that that wasn’t the case in fact his father would give his life for him.Celestia recalled several happenings that her husband did not remember. He had forgotten about his parents, his boss, his job at the tobacco firm, his promise of not smoking up, his father-in-law’s death and how he felt in various special occasions. She decided to call for the family doctor. He did not rebel instead patiently got himself examined. The doctor told Celestia to see a shrink. The next day and every alternate day that followed a psychiatrist came home for a month. She examined Nathaniel for an hour every time she came. After a month she told Celestia that her husband was suffering from a disease called the the Alzheimer's disease. He must have inherited some of the APOE genes from his parents. There was no cure to the disease instead it only got worse with age and they could do was be patient with him. She informed Celestia that loss of memory, slow

responsiveness, high blood pressure and mood swings would occur and that they would have to bear with it. Celestia did not know what to feel. She did not know where to seek for support. She calmed down when she realised that she couldn’t do anything. She loved Nathaniel far too much to send him to an asylum. She dared not because she knew that her husband was not mad, he was special. He was very special to her and their kids. She hired a male nurse who would attend to Nathaniel every second of the day.

CHAPTER 9

Just like that, years flew by, Mike was now twenty one years old, Lina was fourteen years old and Mr. and Mrs. Norman were now married for twenty-five years. The whole family had faced lots of difficulties together but were closely knitted with the bond of love.That year Celestia had dreams of heaven and the angles quite often. She did not understand what she was going through. She could relate with her heavenly dreams and imagined her as a part of it. She kept receiving messages from above in her sleep. She thought that it was just a phase and it would pass.One day, 1989, Nathaniel’s condition got so worse, his blood pressure increased to an abnormal level and he was hospitalised. The next day in the hospital he failed to remember his loving wife’s name. Celestia was heartbroken. Celestia and the kids stayed back in the hospital that night. Everybody was fast asleep in that hospital room. Celestia was crying in her dreams thinking about her husband’s illness.Suddenly Mike and Lina wake up because of a blinding light. It was from their mother’s body. They saw her lying on a lower bed beside father’s and a light shining from inside her, tearing through her skin and rising upwards. Celestia passed away but Bath regained her original form. She emerged as an angel, as beautiful as ever, with a gleaming halo, white polished feathered wings and a flowing grey and white garment. She gently put her hand on Nathaniel’s head. He opened his eyes slowly and saw his wife in the form of ravishing angelic being. Due to her powers he was able to reminisce his life’s events. Bath explained to him,” I am angel from heaven. I was sent to

teach you three lessons and learn one myself. In your first of the last three lives, you had done a fraud deed against a man who considered you like his son in order to gain power and wealth whereas in this life you lost all your power and wealth to your brother for no fault of yours, just like that man had. In the second of your last three lives you had poisoned your boss using a snake because he gave you your salary two weeks post the payday. You became revengeful and killed him whereas in your current life, Mrs. Haegmann, framed you into drugging the bakery items so as to take revenge because she thought that you were the cause of her husband’s death. In the third of your last three lives you lost faith in God and threw a holy rosary of a

priest in the dirt. You‘ll learn your third lesson after I depart.”Nathaniel was shown all of this like a film in front of his eyes. He asked,” what did you learn Celestia?”She replied with a smile,” I am Bath, the angel of prophecy. I denied seeing Purah, the angel of forgetfulness, in heaven. I was punished and sent on earth to teach you lessons. I fell in love with you before I realised that you were suffering from Alzheimer's disease. I did not give up on our love and realised that being forgetful is a very small part of someone. Beings are more than that and are meant to be respected no matter what. Now my task is completed. I must leave. God will bless you.”She smiled at the children before she spread her wings and flew swiftly outside the window and disappeared into thin air.The next day, doctors claimed Celestia to pass away because of an unexpected heart fail and Nathaniel was discharged.Nathaniel went home with Mike and Lina. He realised that the higher power was God and prayed to him twice a day. He looked at the skies every few minutes to get a glimpse of the one he loved the most, every single day, till he breathed last. He told his kids and servants stories of his parents, his childhood days and his beloved. He called Philemon and Isabel back to stay with him, who then had three kids, and forgave his little brother. Life

went on smoothly for Nathaniel till he took his last breath exactly five years after his wife’s death on the same date, 1994. Mike started working in his mother’s company and took care of his younger sister. Nathaniel had attained salvation.

CHAPTER 10

Bath Kol was no more a planetary being though she was always heavenly.I waited for her at the threshold of heaven. She smiled at me from a distance. I was mesmerized and smiled back thinking- “ Oh! How gorgeous she looked. Seeing her as an earthly being for so long, I had almost forgotten her angelic façade. As Bath entered the massive golden gates of heaven, I went close to her and welcomed her back with a warm hug as I had left her.She was hesitant to meet Raguel but met him anyway. He forgave her. She often looked down at Nathaniel from the skies but soon she stopped.“Zo, I’ve so much to tell you. I had missed you so much. I had forgotten what it was like to be a heavenly being when I was down there. My planetary parents were so good to me till we discussed about my marriage. Nathaniel was ever so loving. I did not come across another loving human as him while I was on earth. Philemon,

his brother...” She went on chirping in her sweet voice while we floatedthrough the bright skies. I knew all her tales. I had my eyes on her all the time but I listened to her anyway.It was a delight to see her smiling. We talked for hours, or rather she talked and I lent a listening ear. We teased each other like never before. We and all the other angels rejoiced on her arrival. I was overwhelmed to have her by my side again.

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