Tuesday, July 6, 2010
NOTE
Hi. Just to remind you to start from 'Note About Lord Narasimha'. I don't want you to read the epilogue first. :)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Friends at smbs (mgu)[a truckload of 'em: Preshu, Dandu amongst others] and a few at acs [Prashanth, Nikhil] for your feedback on the first one (tnsu) and prodding me to write another story.
Three ex-colleagues at bangalore [Ridhi, Nikhil, Anoop] with whom I went to iskcon temple on a sunday; a picture I saw there gave me the idea for this tale. A small thanks to a friend at bhel [Anand].
My family plus relatives; they withstood my antics which helped me to finish this.
Three ex-colleagues at bangalore [Ridhi, Nikhil, Anoop] with whom I went to iskcon temple on a sunday; a picture I saw there gave me the idea for this tale. A small thanks to a friend at bhel [Anand].
My family plus relatives; they withstood my antics which helped me to finish this.
EPILOGUE
On the way from Sahasrapuram to my home, I had checked into an internet café. The village had no network coverage and I would’ve missed any calls from friends. If they couldn’t get me on the phone, they would have probably mailed. I signed into Gmail and saw an unread mail. It was from Anand, a good friend of mine. The subject of the mail said it all! I opened the mail. It read:
“Congrats! U got rank # UR-1827 for the aims mbbs entrance exam. I also got a rank (#UR-868). Gr8 man! Tried calling u on ur cell…..where’ve u been? Call me bck 1ce u read this!
Anand”
The feeling was amazing. I had never expected to crack it this time too. Had the results come earlier this time? Or didn’t I check what time the results were scheduled to be declared? I needed to see the result on the web-site.
Suddenly, a friend from the US initiated a chat with me. Meanwhile, I confirmed my rank on the site and gave a command to print it. I wanted to log-off and resume my journey to my home. I had to meet Raman Namboodiri and tell him everything that had happened at Sahasrapuram. He wouldn’t believe it! I decided to say good-bye to my friend who was on-line. But as I keyed in those words, he asked about Keerthi. I stopped typing.
Rakesh: Keerthana told me she was cming there. Did u meet up?
Me: Ya, we were together visiting a shrine. But she left abruptly.
Rakesh: Did u make out?
Me: What!?!
Rakesh: Just kidding. Her wedding’s nxt month. With an American.
Me: Wedding?
Rakesh: Ya. KRT…..she wants an open relationship…..u interested?
Me: Wht r u talkin abt?
Rakesh: Wants…..no…..needs…..2 hve sme fun wherever she goes. Last yr she went 2 Mumbai n looted a guy there. Got news that she rocked on him Woo Hoo!
Me: Wenz she cming back there?
Rakesh: Shud b here this weekend, thatz wht I heard. Ok man, gotta go…..my gf is callin. C ya later.
Rakesh logged off. The chat with him reminded me of a Latin proverb which went: ‘Everyone knows many things. But no one knows everything.’ I buried my head in my hands on the table.
“Is this your print-out?”
I got up and turned around to see the café guy hold out my entrance result. I took it in my hand and sat down. So many things were passing through my head…..she had been watching me for the past three years without my knowledge…..the way I thought we could be together again…..the way I yelled at her…..being told that she had left abruptly when I returned from the house where Vrinda stayed.
Anyways, I had time on my hands. Time to check whether all I had heard was true. Time to see whether she would come back. Time to decide whether I should go in search of her. Time would tell.
***************
“Congrats! U got rank # UR-1827 for the aims mbbs entrance exam. I also got a rank (#UR-868). Gr8 man! Tried calling u on ur cell…..where’ve u been? Call me bck 1ce u read this!
Anand”
The feeling was amazing. I had never expected to crack it this time too. Had the results come earlier this time? Or didn’t I check what time the results were scheduled to be declared? I needed to see the result on the web-site.
Suddenly, a friend from the US initiated a chat with me. Meanwhile, I confirmed my rank on the site and gave a command to print it. I wanted to log-off and resume my journey to my home. I had to meet Raman Namboodiri and tell him everything that had happened at Sahasrapuram. He wouldn’t believe it! I decided to say good-bye to my friend who was on-line. But as I keyed in those words, he asked about Keerthi. I stopped typing.
Rakesh: Keerthana told me she was cming there. Did u meet up?
Me: Ya, we were together visiting a shrine. But she left abruptly.
Rakesh: Did u make out?
Me: What!?!
Rakesh: Just kidding. Her wedding’s nxt month. With an American.
Me: Wedding?
Rakesh: Ya. KRT…..she wants an open relationship…..u interested?
Me: Wht r u talkin abt?
Rakesh: Wants…..no…..needs…..2 hve sme fun wherever she goes. Last yr she went 2 Mumbai n looted a guy there. Got news that she rocked on him Woo Hoo!
Me: Wenz she cming back there?
Rakesh: Shud b here this weekend, thatz wht I heard. Ok man, gotta go…..my gf is callin. C ya later.
Rakesh logged off. The chat with him reminded me of a Latin proverb which went: ‘Everyone knows many things. But no one knows everything.’ I buried my head in my hands on the table.
“Is this your print-out?”
I got up and turned around to see the café guy hold out my entrance result. I took it in my hand and sat down. So many things were passing through my head…..she had been watching me for the past three years without my knowledge…..the way I thought we could be together again…..the way I yelled at her…..being told that she had left abruptly when I returned from the house where Vrinda stayed.
Anyways, I had time on my hands. Time to check whether all I had heard was true. Time to see whether she would come back. Time to decide whether I should go in search of her. Time would tell.
***************
14
Back at Raman Namboodiri’s home, I narrated all the events that had taken place. He was bewildered. He told that it was the first time he had told anybody to do something solely based on intuition.
“After compelling you to go to Sahasrapuram, I was so worried that I could not sleep at all for the past few days. I had this feeling that something had awfully gone wrong. I even thought that I shouldn’t have sent you there.”
My partial skepticism about astrologers returned. Could he have been that worried and sleepless? Just then, a man arrived on his two-wheeler with a packet in his hand. He mounted off his bike, came and gave it to Namboodiri.
“Uncle, this medicine will get rid of that snoring problem you complained about yesterday.”
“Keep it there, I’m busy” said Namboodiri pointing towards a table. “Snoring problem,” he told me, smiling sheepishly.
I nodded in agreement.
“Now, you have to trace out the girl, huh?”
“No,” I replied. “Keerthi will come back to me. It’s okay.”
There was a reason to feel elated and another to feel somber. But for now, it would do good to keep my mind empty. I had to just BE.
“After compelling you to go to Sahasrapuram, I was so worried that I could not sleep at all for the past few days. I had this feeling that something had awfully gone wrong. I even thought that I shouldn’t have sent you there.”
My partial skepticism about astrologers returned. Could he have been that worried and sleepless? Just then, a man arrived on his two-wheeler with a packet in his hand. He mounted off his bike, came and gave it to Namboodiri.
“Uncle, this medicine will get rid of that snoring problem you complained about yesterday.”
“Keep it there, I’m busy” said Namboodiri pointing towards a table. “Snoring problem,” he told me, smiling sheepishly.
I nodded in agreement.
“Now, you have to trace out the girl, huh?”
“No,” I replied. “Keerthi will come back to me. It’s okay.”
There was a reason to feel elated and another to feel somber. But for now, it would do good to keep my mind empty. I had to just BE.
13
Vrinda and I went towards the gathering of people at the centre of the village. Taksha was tied to a pole and was being lashed. He was obviously found guilty of the crimes he had committed. Since he was a danger to society, they hadn’t decided what exactly had to be done. I even suspected him to be a necrophile. He would be a good specimen for students of psychiatry. Devarajan declared that whipping was the mildest punishment for his deeds. They pondered over the option of alerting the police. They were worried of losing the power to self-regulate the law and order situation in the village.
In the midst of the lashes and screams of anguish from Taksha, Vrinda’s presence was noticed and the whipping ceased. There was total silence at the gathering. She narrated her story as everyone looked on. Getting down to her knees, she apologized to everybody. After a few moments, the priest stood in front of her and told her to visit Lord Narsimha’s at the temple and seek forgiveness from Him.
I got a feeling that maybe an omen had saved her from punishment. Vrinda had narrated that just before Taksha was about to hack her with his knife, I came out from behind the pillar and my timely appearance prevented her death. The priest’s look of awe when she described this said it all. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Narsimha had come out from the pillar to kill Hiranyakashipu and save Prahlad. The priest noticed a small similarity in the events.
“Lord Narsimha sent this man to protect you,” he said to Vrinda. “You are really a non-believer. You must stay here as a devotee of the Lord. Go to Him and show your gratitude.”
I was at peace. My visit to this place helped to bring a whole group of inhabitants of a village to restore their faith. Their ignorance had been swept away. There would no longer be any ‘darkness’ at twilight. There was no question of doubting God’s existence. I recalled Prahlad’s words to his father Hiranyakashipu:
He is, He was and He will be.
It was time for me to leave Sahasrapuram. The people folded their hands towards me to express their gratefulness. I bowed back.
In the midst of the lashes and screams of anguish from Taksha, Vrinda’s presence was noticed and the whipping ceased. There was total silence at the gathering. She narrated her story as everyone looked on. Getting down to her knees, she apologized to everybody. After a few moments, the priest stood in front of her and told her to visit Lord Narsimha’s at the temple and seek forgiveness from Him.
I got a feeling that maybe an omen had saved her from punishment. Vrinda had narrated that just before Taksha was about to hack her with his knife, I came out from behind the pillar and my timely appearance prevented her death. The priest’s look of awe when she described this said it all. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Narsimha had come out from the pillar to kill Hiranyakashipu and save Prahlad. The priest noticed a small similarity in the events.
“Lord Narsimha sent this man to protect you,” he said to Vrinda. “You are really a non-believer. You must stay here as a devotee of the Lord. Go to Him and show your gratitude.”
I was at peace. My visit to this place helped to bring a whole group of inhabitants of a village to restore their faith. Their ignorance had been swept away. There would no longer be any ‘darkness’ at twilight. There was no question of doubting God’s existence. I recalled Prahlad’s words to his father Hiranyakashipu:
He is, He was and He will be.
It was time for me to leave Sahasrapuram. The people folded their hands towards me to express their gratefulness. I bowed back.
12
“I’ve realized my mistakes, Shyam,” said Vrinda. “But I’m not coming with you. I’ll beg forgiveness to Devarajan, the priest and all the people here. I must do something to make up for the killings. I’m also responsible for the slaughter because though the people weren’t murdered with my connivance or knowledge, they were done under my cover. I know that I can’t console the people who have lost their relatives. But I can’t escape from the consequences of what I have done.”
“Taksha would have still gone on with his killing spree,” I countered, “like he’s been doing all these years, by some other means. He’s a pedophile, after all. You heard what he said. He was planning to kill Siddharth’s grandson and blame it on the priest’s laxity. What more could you say about him?”
“No, Shyam. I must stay back. Besides, I get the feeling Pranav is still around here. I promise to come back, but only after sometime. Not now.”
“You’ll hallucinate. I’m worried.”
“Don’t. I’ll be alright. Trust me. I will come back and write my Final year exams. What have you been doing after degree?”
She sounded much better. I smiled.
“Nothing much. I’ve been trying for a medical seat for the past two years. This is my third attempt.”
Her eyebrows went up.
“Wow! A medical seat? Don’t worry. May this be your last attempt. May you pass your exam this time. God bless.”
Her reference to God swept me over.
“Guess, its time for me to pack up then?” I said.
She smiled.
“Taksha would have still gone on with his killing spree,” I countered, “like he’s been doing all these years, by some other means. He’s a pedophile, after all. You heard what he said. He was planning to kill Siddharth’s grandson and blame it on the priest’s laxity. What more could you say about him?”
“No, Shyam. I must stay back. Besides, I get the feeling Pranav is still around here. I promise to come back, but only after sometime. Not now.”
“You’ll hallucinate. I’m worried.”
“Don’t. I’ll be alright. Trust me. I will come back and write my Final year exams. What have you been doing after degree?”
She sounded much better. I smiled.
“Nothing much. I’ve been trying for a medical seat for the past two years. This is my third attempt.”
Her eyebrows went up.
“Wow! A medical seat? Don’t worry. May this be your last attempt. May you pass your exam this time. God bless.”
Her reference to God swept me over.
“Guess, its time for me to pack up then?” I said.
She smiled.
11
By the time we reached Siddharth’s home, Keerthi had left. I was told that she had insisted on leaving the place alone and a man was instructed to accompany her. He was shocked to see Vrinda standing outside his home. I explained everything that had happened, to him.
10
“Vrinda, let’s assume what you say is right,” I said. “Okay? You’re right. God is a pseudo concept. There is no Divine force in subsistence in this universe. You’re absolutely right. Now…..where do you go from here? All you have is a feeling that you’ve got even. What do you get from this? What are you going to do next?” She didn’t speak. “Good intentions, hard work and a bit of luck. This is my recipe for things going our way. The intention must be good. Otherwise no matter what you achieve, you will lose it sometime later. Many a time, God won’t give you what you asked for. I believe that’s to save us from things far worse. Sometimes, we may have to endure a bit more suffering to become a better person.
“The Lord didn’t make you visualize your dreams. You did it yourself. There’s no use blaming God for it. And I don’t think God took away Pranav. These things were meant to happen. This is just the working of the law of karma. You do a good deed, the result comes back to you in a magnified proportion and likewise. Trust me…..don’t accuse God for everything that has happened to you. We’re all deluded in this world. But our soul never dies. It just goes through some abstract experiences to meet the purpose of its creation.”
“What purpose?” she asked, encouraging me to continue.
“To be one with God,” I replied. “If God could’ve done something, so many people wouldn’t have died everyday. There would’ve been no suffering. But it’s all part of the game. You have to accept it. There’s no way out.”
“Your words do not convince me.” This was frustrating.
“I believe the darkness which you say comes out at twilight isn’t a lion,” I said mockingly. “It’s your ignorance.”
She was indignant, but didn’t say a word. It was dark in the hut. And it got darker when the sun hid behind the clouds. But I could see drawings made of chalk on the floor. I believed you could do whatever you wanted to do everyday and call it a ritual. It could be absolutely any activity. I suddenly remembered what Raman Namboodiri told me.
“Would you believe me if you had a reason?” I asked softly. She ignored me.
I knew that a few words from a mortal would have no effect on her. But I couldn’t bear the thought of her living like this. And in a way, she was holding the entire village to ransom. Anyone who was indifferent to the existence of God or acting to disrupt others' faith in God was invoking the devil with or without his knowledge.
A few footsteps outside the house jolted me out of my thoughts. Vrinda and I looked at each other. Who could that be? She then shifted her eyes towards a big wooden pillar standing right behind me. I turned back, understood the cue and stood behind it. The pillar wasn’t very thick and it had barely concealed my body. I heard the door open and then close.
“How are your rituals going?” the male voice asked.
“It’s…..” Vrinda stuttered.
“I heard from Siddharth…..hmm…..your friends from town, eh?” She said nothing. “I can see the change of expression on your face. Your silence is deafening. Just a few words from your friends and you want to go back to town?”
I didn’t want to peek and risk getting caught. There were questions left unanswered.
“So many doubts still remain,” his words seemed to echo my thoughts. “Mutilated bodies of two men and three children…..a few children dying every year…..your friend’s death…..Madan’s expulsion…..so many questions. And the lion---the lion that has never been heard roaring, moaning, growling or hissing…..and has never been seen by anybody…..except me.”
“I don’t understand,” replied Vrinda with fear and confusion in her voice.
“Lions don’t live in these forests. And as I said, nobody here has sighted one…..which means…..”
“What!?!” cried Vrinda.
“Yes. I was putting these people to death under your cover. I would hack them up and bury some parts of their bodies to give the appearance of a half-eaten corpse. And you…..you were invaluable to me. You claimed the deaths to be the handiwork of the devil that took the form of a lion! But you’ve finally outlived your utility. You know woman…..I like children…..your friend discovered that. So I had to get rid of him. And Madan happened witness that. When I was in danger of being exposed, I threatened to frame him for the killing. And he hushed up. But I couldn’t trust him. So I accused him for committing a theft and expelled him on that count.”
I realized that the man was Taksha, Devarajan’s son.
“And the time has come for me to rely on something else for my cravings. I’ll finish you with my knife. And I’ll tell the people that I did this to destroy the evil spirit that has possessed you, the witch that today everybody fears. And tomorrow, I’ll call all the male hands of the village. We will create an enclosure between two rocks on the hillock large enough for a lion to pass through and place the carcass of a goat as bait there. At night, I’ll go there alone and remove it. The next day, when they see that the bait’s gone, they’ll conclude that the lion left the place once and for all. After that, my next kid would be Siddharth’s grandson. And then, I’ll blame the priest for not carrying out his duties properly. How is it?”
From the angle I was standing, I could see Vrinda tremble with fright. Taksha moved towards her and drew out his dagger which glimmered from the sun’s rays that passed through a tiny opening in the thatched roof. He raised his knife to stab her. At the spur of the moment, I jumped out from behind the pillar. He was astounded, but then became furious on realizing that two people had heard his confession.
“I’ll kill you both. Who are you? Oh! So you’re her friend from town? Where’s the other one? I heard there are two!”
Just then, the door opened and in came the priest and another man.
“What! Madan?” thundered Taksha. The man seemed to be Madan, the same guy whom Taksha had ousted.
“We couldn’t trace the hunter you wanted,” the priest said. “Madan came saying that he would get rid of the lion. After all, he’s also a trained hunter. Your father has permitted him to hunt the animal down. But I think…..now it won’t be necessary.”
Madan gave out a cry while Taksha just stood there bedazed. In a few moments, his call was answered---a few men came running and entered the house. The priest ordered me and Vrinda to go back to Siddharth’s place.
“The Lord didn’t make you visualize your dreams. You did it yourself. There’s no use blaming God for it. And I don’t think God took away Pranav. These things were meant to happen. This is just the working of the law of karma. You do a good deed, the result comes back to you in a magnified proportion and likewise. Trust me…..don’t accuse God for everything that has happened to you. We’re all deluded in this world. But our soul never dies. It just goes through some abstract experiences to meet the purpose of its creation.”
“What purpose?” she asked, encouraging me to continue.
“To be one with God,” I replied. “If God could’ve done something, so many people wouldn’t have died everyday. There would’ve been no suffering. But it’s all part of the game. You have to accept it. There’s no way out.”
“Your words do not convince me.” This was frustrating.
“I believe the darkness which you say comes out at twilight isn’t a lion,” I said mockingly. “It’s your ignorance.”
She was indignant, but didn’t say a word. It was dark in the hut. And it got darker when the sun hid behind the clouds. But I could see drawings made of chalk on the floor. I believed you could do whatever you wanted to do everyday and call it a ritual. It could be absolutely any activity. I suddenly remembered what Raman Namboodiri told me.
“Would you believe me if you had a reason?” I asked softly. She ignored me.
I knew that a few words from a mortal would have no effect on her. But I couldn’t bear the thought of her living like this. And in a way, she was holding the entire village to ransom. Anyone who was indifferent to the existence of God or acting to disrupt others' faith in God was invoking the devil with or without his knowledge.
A few footsteps outside the house jolted me out of my thoughts. Vrinda and I looked at each other. Who could that be? She then shifted her eyes towards a big wooden pillar standing right behind me. I turned back, understood the cue and stood behind it. The pillar wasn’t very thick and it had barely concealed my body. I heard the door open and then close.
“How are your rituals going?” the male voice asked.
“It’s…..” Vrinda stuttered.
“I heard from Siddharth…..hmm…..your friends from town, eh?” She said nothing. “I can see the change of expression on your face. Your silence is deafening. Just a few words from your friends and you want to go back to town?”
I didn’t want to peek and risk getting caught. There were questions left unanswered.
“So many doubts still remain,” his words seemed to echo my thoughts. “Mutilated bodies of two men and three children…..a few children dying every year…..your friend’s death…..Madan’s expulsion…..so many questions. And the lion---the lion that has never been heard roaring, moaning, growling or hissing…..and has never been seen by anybody…..except me.”
“I don’t understand,” replied Vrinda with fear and confusion in her voice.
“Lions don’t live in these forests. And as I said, nobody here has sighted one…..which means…..”
“What!?!” cried Vrinda.
“Yes. I was putting these people to death under your cover. I would hack them up and bury some parts of their bodies to give the appearance of a half-eaten corpse. And you…..you were invaluable to me. You claimed the deaths to be the handiwork of the devil that took the form of a lion! But you’ve finally outlived your utility. You know woman…..I like children…..your friend discovered that. So I had to get rid of him. And Madan happened witness that. When I was in danger of being exposed, I threatened to frame him for the killing. And he hushed up. But I couldn’t trust him. So I accused him for committing a theft and expelled him on that count.”
I realized that the man was Taksha, Devarajan’s son.
“And the time has come for me to rely on something else for my cravings. I’ll finish you with my knife. And I’ll tell the people that I did this to destroy the evil spirit that has possessed you, the witch that today everybody fears. And tomorrow, I’ll call all the male hands of the village. We will create an enclosure between two rocks on the hillock large enough for a lion to pass through and place the carcass of a goat as bait there. At night, I’ll go there alone and remove it. The next day, when they see that the bait’s gone, they’ll conclude that the lion left the place once and for all. After that, my next kid would be Siddharth’s grandson. And then, I’ll blame the priest for not carrying out his duties properly. How is it?”
From the angle I was standing, I could see Vrinda tremble with fright. Taksha moved towards her and drew out his dagger which glimmered from the sun’s rays that passed through a tiny opening in the thatched roof. He raised his knife to stab her. At the spur of the moment, I jumped out from behind the pillar. He was astounded, but then became furious on realizing that two people had heard his confession.
“I’ll kill you both. Who are you? Oh! So you’re her friend from town? Where’s the other one? I heard there are two!”
Just then, the door opened and in came the priest and another man.
“What! Madan?” thundered Taksha. The man seemed to be Madan, the same guy whom Taksha had ousted.
“We couldn’t trace the hunter you wanted,” the priest said. “Madan came saying that he would get rid of the lion. After all, he’s also a trained hunter. Your father has permitted him to hunt the animal down. But I think…..now it won’t be necessary.”
Madan gave out a cry while Taksha just stood there bedazed. In a few moments, his call was answered---a few men came running and entered the house. The priest ordered me and Vrinda to go back to Siddharth’s place.
9
“What are you going to do?” asked Keerthi, sitting on the mat in our room. I said nothing. “Don’t you want to go back home?”
I looked at her questioningly. Her expression told she knew she was being selfish and was speaking against her conscience. But one couldn’t blame. She had come from the US to help her friends going through a bad patch in marriage. And she came here to help her sick uncle and restore the weapons to its rightful place.”
“Yeah…..I wanted to go home,” I said. “But I feel responsible for the state Vrinda is in.”
“Such feelings are unnecessary,” she replied insensitively. “Get those things out of your head.”
But I couldn’t be that practical.
“After our Final year exams, everyone went to pursue their own career…...and live their own life. Do you know where our classmates are at present? Each one of them? Where are they? I don’t know. I had come to know that Vrinda, who as we know was a bright student, had failed in her exams. I was dealing with the embarrassment of not being able to come first in the exams. And out of frustration and the desire to improve my self-esteem, I decided to try for a medical seat. If I had tried to find out why Vrinda had flunked…..if I had been considerate and empathized with her, maybe this wouldn’t have happened to her.”
“Shyam, that’s her fate.”
“Maybe I’m being unreasonable according to you. But it’s worth a try. I’m going to speak to her again and try to convince her to come with us.”
“Are you out of your mind?” she shot back, raising her voice. “We just came back from that…..that…..you can’t even call it a house. Do you think she’ll listen to you? She’s been living like this for the past two years. Do you think your words will make a difference? And what’s she trying to do? That witch!”
“Stop it! Damn it!” I yelled back before calming myself down. “The Gita says: ‘Even the worst of sinners can, using the raft of wisdom, safely cross the ocean of delusion’. Let me see what I can do. You stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I walked away without looking back at Keerthi.
I looked at her questioningly. Her expression told she knew she was being selfish and was speaking against her conscience. But one couldn’t blame. She had come from the US to help her friends going through a bad patch in marriage. And she came here to help her sick uncle and restore the weapons to its rightful place.”
“Yeah…..I wanted to go home,” I said. “But I feel responsible for the state Vrinda is in.”
“Such feelings are unnecessary,” she replied insensitively. “Get those things out of your head.”
But I couldn’t be that practical.
“After our Final year exams, everyone went to pursue their own career…...and live their own life. Do you know where our classmates are at present? Each one of them? Where are they? I don’t know. I had come to know that Vrinda, who as we know was a bright student, had failed in her exams. I was dealing with the embarrassment of not being able to come first in the exams. And out of frustration and the desire to improve my self-esteem, I decided to try for a medical seat. If I had tried to find out why Vrinda had flunked…..if I had been considerate and empathized with her, maybe this wouldn’t have happened to her.”
“Shyam, that’s her fate.”
“Maybe I’m being unreasonable according to you. But it’s worth a try. I’m going to speak to her again and try to convince her to come with us.”
“Are you out of your mind?” she shot back, raising her voice. “We just came back from that…..that…..you can’t even call it a house. Do you think she’ll listen to you? She’s been living like this for the past two years. Do you think your words will make a difference? And what’s she trying to do? That witch!”
“Stop it! Damn it!” I yelled back before calming myself down. “The Gita says: ‘Even the worst of sinners can, using the raft of wisdom, safely cross the ocean of delusion’. Let me see what I can do. You stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I walked away without looking back at Keerthi.
8
Keerthi and I stood in front of the door of a hut. The priest’s neighbor had left us before we reached the place saying that he had a lot of chores to be done at home. I knocked gently on the door. There was no response. I knocked again, this time a bit more loudly, and gave the door a gentle push. It opened and we peeped into the house, instinctively raising our hands to block out the sunlight. We took a while to get accustomed to the darkness in the room.
A figure draped in a black cloth was sitting cross-legged on the floor with its back facing us. It seemed to have been taken aback. It got up, dropped the cloth and turned around.
On taking a closer look, we were dazed.
“Vrinda?” Keerthi reacted. “Don’t tell me…..is it you?”
We walked into the hut and got closer to her.
“Is it…..really you?” I stammered. “What’s…..going on? What…..are you doing here?”
She shook her head furiously and looked away from our direction. The shock at finding her in this state gave way to emotion. My eyes moistened as I vividly recalled old memories of her.
Vrinda---the youngest student of our degree class, younger to most others by at least a year. When she was fifteen her debt-ridden parents committed suicide leaving her to be taken care of by her cousin who was abroad and who financed her education from then on. Despite the tragedy, she had come to grips with it and had turned out to be the most jovial, pleasant and cheerful person amongst us, always occupying a special place in our hearts during our college days---our kid sister. Now, a witch in a village.
“Why did you come here?” she growled at us and then muttered, “Shyam and Keerthana.”
Keerthi still looked shocked.
“We were even supposed to come to this village,” I answered in a somewhat feeble voice. “We had a chance meeting an astrologer’s place and we were advised to come here.”
“I can see that you’ve been to the shrine,” she said. The disappointment in her tone was unmistakable. She had noticed the tilaks on our foreheads.
“Yes,” I replied. “The priest told us to speak to you. But we didn’t know that it would be you.”
“Yes. I am the witch.”
The ambiguity surrounding this enigma was fading away. Three years ago, our class of students had come to Sahasrapuram on a tour. We had visited the Narasimha shrine at that time. But the trip ended tragically when Pranav, one of our classmates, slipped and fell from a hillside and died. We had all gone into deep mourning. A year later, Vrinda came back to this village and has been staying here for the past two years.
“This has obviously got to do with Pranav,” I said to which she glared. “Now it’s my turn to ask you. Why have you come here?” I noticed that she too had wiped tears off her cheeks. “Through the passage of time, God will heal all bruises.” At the mention of God, she exploded.
“God?” she reacted with a smirk. “I was so captivated by the deity that evening. I felt that He was so real…..the effulgence from idol…..the atmosphere at the shrine…..everything seemed to be the work of some supreme being…..and I believed in Him. At that very temple, God told me that inspite of all my personal tragedies……our financial problems…..my Appa and Amma leaving me alive while they left happily……my unloving cousin..…He would grant me my greatest wish……Pranav. And He showed in great detail how our marriage would take place in His presence, with all our friends, the village people, musicians playing their hearts out…..finally only smiles and happiness all around…..There was no need to declare our love for each other. Pranav and I knew it all the time that we…..were in love.
“Then came the act of betrayal from your so-called God. That too the very next day. Pranav was found missing and a search resulted in the discovery of his mortal remains. Crocodile tears flowed from the eyes of everyone and his body was handed over to his relatives. A few rituals later, everything was over.
“The only person who showed concern and sympathy was Taksha. He expelled Madan, a villager who was guilty of committing larceny. Later he discovered that the same man could have been behind Pranav’s death. If he comes back again, we’ll find out the truth and do him to death.”
We had never seen Vrinda in such rage before. But she was able to recall who we were and wept. The first step to a solution was to accept one’s own emotions. Living in denial would make one schizophrenic. But she wasn’t so. That gave me hope.
“Look Vrinda,” I said. “Pranav is no more. He won’t come back. You have to accept this fact. You still have a future. You could write the papers you had flunked in Final year. You shouldn’t live in this state. What are you trying to prove by staying here? Anything you do will only look like you’re trying to take revenge on the Lord.”
“Yes,” came her answer. “That’s exactly what I want. The majority of the people are already convinced that the deity is a mere sham. And soon, I’ll introduce my own satanic rituals to them. And I’ll have my revenge.”
A figure draped in a black cloth was sitting cross-legged on the floor with its back facing us. It seemed to have been taken aback. It got up, dropped the cloth and turned around.
On taking a closer look, we were dazed.
“Vrinda?” Keerthi reacted. “Don’t tell me…..is it you?”
We walked into the hut and got closer to her.
“Is it…..really you?” I stammered. “What’s…..going on? What…..are you doing here?”
She shook her head furiously and looked away from our direction. The shock at finding her in this state gave way to emotion. My eyes moistened as I vividly recalled old memories of her.
Vrinda---the youngest student of our degree class, younger to most others by at least a year. When she was fifteen her debt-ridden parents committed suicide leaving her to be taken care of by her cousin who was abroad and who financed her education from then on. Despite the tragedy, she had come to grips with it and had turned out to be the most jovial, pleasant and cheerful person amongst us, always occupying a special place in our hearts during our college days---our kid sister. Now, a witch in a village.
“Why did you come here?” she growled at us and then muttered, “Shyam and Keerthana.”
Keerthi still looked shocked.
“We were even supposed to come to this village,” I answered in a somewhat feeble voice. “We had a chance meeting an astrologer’s place and we were advised to come here.”
“I can see that you’ve been to the shrine,” she said. The disappointment in her tone was unmistakable. She had noticed the tilaks on our foreheads.
“Yes,” I replied. “The priest told us to speak to you. But we didn’t know that it would be you.”
“Yes. I am the witch.”
The ambiguity surrounding this enigma was fading away. Three years ago, our class of students had come to Sahasrapuram on a tour. We had visited the Narasimha shrine at that time. But the trip ended tragically when Pranav, one of our classmates, slipped and fell from a hillside and died. We had all gone into deep mourning. A year later, Vrinda came back to this village and has been staying here for the past two years.
“This has obviously got to do with Pranav,” I said to which she glared. “Now it’s my turn to ask you. Why have you come here?” I noticed that she too had wiped tears off her cheeks. “Through the passage of time, God will heal all bruises.” At the mention of God, she exploded.
“God?” she reacted with a smirk. “I was so captivated by the deity that evening. I felt that He was so real…..the effulgence from idol…..the atmosphere at the shrine…..everything seemed to be the work of some supreme being…..and I believed in Him. At that very temple, God told me that inspite of all my personal tragedies……our financial problems…..my Appa and Amma leaving me alive while they left happily……my unloving cousin..…He would grant me my greatest wish……Pranav. And He showed in great detail how our marriage would take place in His presence, with all our friends, the village people, musicians playing their hearts out…..finally only smiles and happiness all around…..There was no need to declare our love for each other. Pranav and I knew it all the time that we…..were in love.
“Then came the act of betrayal from your so-called God. That too the very next day. Pranav was found missing and a search resulted in the discovery of his mortal remains. Crocodile tears flowed from the eyes of everyone and his body was handed over to his relatives. A few rituals later, everything was over.
“The only person who showed concern and sympathy was Taksha. He expelled Madan, a villager who was guilty of committing larceny. Later he discovered that the same man could have been behind Pranav’s death. If he comes back again, we’ll find out the truth and do him to death.”
We had never seen Vrinda in such rage before. But she was able to recall who we were and wept. The first step to a solution was to accept one’s own emotions. Living in denial would make one schizophrenic. But she wasn’t so. That gave me hope.
“Look Vrinda,” I said. “Pranav is no more. He won’t come back. You have to accept this fact. You still have a future. You could write the papers you had flunked in Final year. You shouldn’t live in this state. What are you trying to prove by staying here? Anything you do will only look like you’re trying to take revenge on the Lord.”
“Yes,” came her answer. “That’s exactly what I want. The majority of the people are already convinced that the deity is a mere sham. And soon, I’ll introduce my own satanic rituals to them. And I’ll have my revenge.”
7
We had our darshan at the shrine early the next morning. The idol of the deity emanated inexplicable radiance and I noticed that two of its hands gripped nothing, as Namboodiri had told us. The priest appeared to be distraught at first. But when Keerthi presented the miniature weapons to him, his joy knew no bounds. He stuck out his chest, clenched his fists and held out his arms as if celebrating victory. There were no other devotees at the temple.
“I’m happy,” he said. “The Lord has heard my prayers. He has brought you here. I knew that these weapons which possess great powers would be restored. Thank you.” He suddenly became sentimental. “No one has been coming here for the past three days. It is the handiwork of that witch. Everybody believes her and they have stopped revering Him. I don’t think she has any powers. Since you have come from town, you can confront her and prove to the others that she is nothing but a liar. What is veiled in the darkness of ignorance can be exposed through the light of knowledge.”
He continued to drag us into talking to a female whom we would rather not meet. She didn’t sound like a person with whom we could socialize. Keerthi was not even remotely interested in heeding to his plea. But we just couldn’t disregard him. I finally consented much to Keerthi’s discomfiture. He assured to send his neighbor to show us the way as he had to be at the shrine conducting his rituals.
I convinced Keerthi that we would just have a small chat with that female, then come back to the priest and explain the futility of our efforts. After all, it would be impossible to convince such a female. She would most probably be a psycho calling forth the devil for some reason beyond the scope of logic and comprehension. But we would have to move fast and leave the village in the morning itself.
“I’m happy,” he said. “The Lord has heard my prayers. He has brought you here. I knew that these weapons which possess great powers would be restored. Thank you.” He suddenly became sentimental. “No one has been coming here for the past three days. It is the handiwork of that witch. Everybody believes her and they have stopped revering Him. I don’t think she has any powers. Since you have come from town, you can confront her and prove to the others that she is nothing but a liar. What is veiled in the darkness of ignorance can be exposed through the light of knowledge.”
He continued to drag us into talking to a female whom we would rather not meet. She didn’t sound like a person with whom we could socialize. Keerthi was not even remotely interested in heeding to his plea. But we just couldn’t disregard him. I finally consented much to Keerthi’s discomfiture. He assured to send his neighbor to show us the way as he had to be at the shrine conducting his rituals.
I convinced Keerthi that we would just have a small chat with that female, then come back to the priest and explain the futility of our efforts. After all, it would be impossible to convince such a female. She would most probably be a psycho calling forth the devil for some reason beyond the scope of logic and comprehension. But we would have to move fast and leave the village in the morning itself.
6
I looked out of the window which was more like a gap in the wall to see the moon glowing in its splendor. The craters visible on its surface gave it a mysterious appearance. My moon-gazing came to an abrupt end when I felt Keerthi’s hand on my chest. She reached up and rested her chin on my shoulder. I slowly turned around and she released her hold. I stepped aside allowing the moonlight to illuminate the room. It made her eyes glisten and my heart burn with desire. I could sense the same irresistible urge in her. And then, it happened. She came close to me once more and kissed me on the forehead. Slowly, putting her arms around my neck, she stretched and kissed my mouth. I responded and ran my fingers through her hair. Her tongue was awesome.
Soon, we were together on the mat, caressing each other’s bodies with feelings I’ve never had before. And that moment came when everything came to a standstill. Who we were, the time, the place we were in, nothing mattered. It came to this split second. As I tightened my embrace in ecstasy, her hands trembled across my back. And I felt as if both our souls had come from the same Divine source.
Soon, we were together on the mat, caressing each other’s bodies with feelings I’ve never had before. And that moment came when everything came to a standstill. Who we were, the time, the place we were in, nothing mattered. It came to this split second. As I tightened my embrace in ecstasy, her hands trembled across my back. And I felt as if both our souls had come from the same Divine source.
5
“Thank God Thaksha wasn’t around,” said Keerthi as she slumped on the mat in exhaustion.
“A head shouldn’t be afraid of his son nor love him too much,” I replied sitting on my mat.
Although it was called a village, it looked more like a hamlet or a colony to me. When we explained that we came to visit the holy shrine, Devarajan permitted us to stay at Siddharth’s place. Siddharth told us we were lucky that Taksha wasn’t in the vicinity at that time, or else we would’ve been denied permission to stay here. And just like the couple who came here last month, we would also have to simply go back. We were given a room and mats to sleep on. By the time I lay down on my mat, Keerthi had already fallen asleep. Siddharth would probably wake us up at dinner time.
“A head shouldn’t be afraid of his son nor love him too much,” I replied sitting on my mat.
Although it was called a village, it looked more like a hamlet or a colony to me. When we explained that we came to visit the holy shrine, Devarajan permitted us to stay at Siddharth’s place. Siddharth told us we were lucky that Taksha wasn’t in the vicinity at that time, or else we would’ve been denied permission to stay here. And just like the couple who came here last month, we would also have to simply go back. We were given a room and mats to sleep on. By the time I lay down on my mat, Keerthi had already fallen asleep. Siddharth would probably wake us up at dinner time.
4
We were amongst a group of people waiting for the boat to arrive at Agnipuzha. And when it finally arrived, the oarsman collected his fares from all of us and we got in. On the spur of the moment, I got a feeling that Keerthana and I were being watched. When I looked at them, they all seemed to be busy talking to each other. Maybe the dress we wore attracted attention.
“Where are you going?” the oarsman asked me.
“To Sahasrapuram,” I replied.
“What for?” an old man asked.
“To visit the Narasimha shrine,” I responded.
After a while, the oarsman said, “A fortnight ago, we decided to prepone the start of this service by an hour and also the last trip of the day by a couple of hours.”
“Oh…..good. Could I ask why?”
Everybody stopped talking and looked at us.
“We were discussing about the lion,” said a woman with concern as Keerthi and I sat perplexed. “It’s all because of the lion.”
“Lion? What lion?” asked Keerthi.
“The man-eater lion.”
“Man-eater lion!?!” We jumped in our seats.
“Two weeks ago, a lion appeared at Sahasrapuram. We don’t know what exactly caused it to traverse to our place. It has already killed five people until now. We’re afraid to venture out of our homes. Nobody dares to go outside their dwellings after 5 pm daily.”
“Goodness me!” cried Keerthi.
“Didn’t you inform the forest officials?” I asked.
“The official in charge of the area got transferred two weeks back. Bad luck, what else? His replacement hasn’t arrived. Since this is a remote area, government officials tend to neglect it.”
“So what’s the way out?”
“There was a hunter in the village. He had gone to another place in search of work. We have arranged to send him the message. We expect him to arrive as soon as he comes to know of this.”
“Oh my gosh! Shyam…..what do we do?”
“Don’t scare them!” said another man to the others. “Don’t worry. It’s okay. You’ve come all the way to visit the shrine. You can stay at Siddarth’s place. He has an arrangement for tourists to stay at his place. You can visit the temple and be back on your way. You’ll be safe. Just don’t go outdoors after twilight.”
I studied Keerthi’s look. Though she was petrified initially, her fear began to vanish from her face and eventually she seemed to have come to grips with…..practicality? I knew that she was bodacious and adventuresome.
“Shall we proceed?” she asked me.
“Sure, sure,” said a woman. “Carry on. No problem.”
“Yeah…..we’ll go forward,” I assured her.
After we arrived on the other shore and stepped on to the land, we were fortunate to have a man, who had been with us on the boat, offer to show us the way to Landlord Siddharth’s home. We were given a five-foot long stick and asked to carry it which would help us on our journey through the forest. The man told his name was Bhargavan. As we started our walk together, he claimed that the distance to Sahasrapuram was five kilometers and that we’d have to cross a rivulet on a raft.
“Are attacks by lions frequent?” asked Keerthi.
“No. Nobody in this village has ever seen a lion before, except the few who’ve had the chance to visit the zoo in the city. Attacks by tigers have happened before. But not by lions, which is why the witch says that it is the work of the devil.”
“The witch?” asked Keerthi and I at the same time.
“Yes, the witch. Two years ago, a woman came to Sahasrapuram, saying that she was an unswerving devotee of Lord Narasimha. Mesmerized by the deity’s powers and grace, she expressed her desire to serve the Lord and to have a darshan of the idol regularly; and asked for permission to stay back at the village. Our village head Devarajan accepted her request and allowed her to reside in a house. Initially she did as she had promised. But some time later, she stopped her visits to the temple. Then leaving everybody dumbfounded, she began to argue that God was unjust in his treatment of people, and preached that only the devil would answer the prayers of all. Since then, she has been trying to convince all that unless the worship of Narasimha is ceased, grave misfortune will fall upon them.
“Owing to her behaviour we begged Devarajan to declare her as an outcast. But his son Taksha persuaded him not to expel her. We don’t know why Taksha was interested in letting her remain there. Nobody has seen him visiting her place either. He says that her presence will bring good luck to the village.
“Following Devarajan’s refusal to oust her, she began conducting rituals invoking the devil. And there’s nothing we can do about this. To make things worse, the man-eating lion has come into the picture. According to her, it has appeared to prove to everybody that reverence of Narasimha is futile. It is the ‘darkness’ that has taken the form of the lion. Her solution to the problem is simple: close the temple and start idolizing the devil.
“On the other hand, many people believe that God is unhappy with us for a reason beyond our comprehension. So, He is punishing us by taking the form of a lion at twilight just like in the Puranas, Lord Narsimha appeared from a pillar at nightfall and disembowelled Hiranyakashipu. I have this ominous feeling that everyone will eventually believe her.
“Never before has this village had to face such a crisis. Our faith in God has been challenged. Lord Narasimha has been protecting us for years. Now our own people have begun to doubt Him.”
He was so overcome with emotion that tears began to flow down his cheeks. I felt really sorry for him. Keerthi scanned the surroundings suspiciously as we trudged along. All sorts of trees and plants covered the ground on both sides of the narrow footpath we were plodding on.
“Where are you going?” the oarsman asked me.
“To Sahasrapuram,” I replied.
“What for?” an old man asked.
“To visit the Narasimha shrine,” I responded.
After a while, the oarsman said, “A fortnight ago, we decided to prepone the start of this service by an hour and also the last trip of the day by a couple of hours.”
“Oh…..good. Could I ask why?”
Everybody stopped talking and looked at us.
“We were discussing about the lion,” said a woman with concern as Keerthi and I sat perplexed. “It’s all because of the lion.”
“Lion? What lion?” asked Keerthi.
“The man-eater lion.”
“Man-eater lion!?!” We jumped in our seats.
“Two weeks ago, a lion appeared at Sahasrapuram. We don’t know what exactly caused it to traverse to our place. It has already killed five people until now. We’re afraid to venture out of our homes. Nobody dares to go outside their dwellings after 5 pm daily.”
“Goodness me!” cried Keerthi.
“Didn’t you inform the forest officials?” I asked.
“The official in charge of the area got transferred two weeks back. Bad luck, what else? His replacement hasn’t arrived. Since this is a remote area, government officials tend to neglect it.”
“So what’s the way out?”
“There was a hunter in the village. He had gone to another place in search of work. We have arranged to send him the message. We expect him to arrive as soon as he comes to know of this.”
“Oh my gosh! Shyam…..what do we do?”
“Don’t scare them!” said another man to the others. “Don’t worry. It’s okay. You’ve come all the way to visit the shrine. You can stay at Siddarth’s place. He has an arrangement for tourists to stay at his place. You can visit the temple and be back on your way. You’ll be safe. Just don’t go outdoors after twilight.”
I studied Keerthi’s look. Though she was petrified initially, her fear began to vanish from her face and eventually she seemed to have come to grips with…..practicality? I knew that she was bodacious and adventuresome.
“Shall we proceed?” she asked me.
“Sure, sure,” said a woman. “Carry on. No problem.”
“Yeah…..we’ll go forward,” I assured her.
After we arrived on the other shore and stepped on to the land, we were fortunate to have a man, who had been with us on the boat, offer to show us the way to Landlord Siddharth’s home. We were given a five-foot long stick and asked to carry it which would help us on our journey through the forest. The man told his name was Bhargavan. As we started our walk together, he claimed that the distance to Sahasrapuram was five kilometers and that we’d have to cross a rivulet on a raft.
“Are attacks by lions frequent?” asked Keerthi.
“No. Nobody in this village has ever seen a lion before, except the few who’ve had the chance to visit the zoo in the city. Attacks by tigers have happened before. But not by lions, which is why the witch says that it is the work of the devil.”
“The witch?” asked Keerthi and I at the same time.
“Yes, the witch. Two years ago, a woman came to Sahasrapuram, saying that she was an unswerving devotee of Lord Narasimha. Mesmerized by the deity’s powers and grace, she expressed her desire to serve the Lord and to have a darshan of the idol regularly; and asked for permission to stay back at the village. Our village head Devarajan accepted her request and allowed her to reside in a house. Initially she did as she had promised. But some time later, she stopped her visits to the temple. Then leaving everybody dumbfounded, she began to argue that God was unjust in his treatment of people, and preached that only the devil would answer the prayers of all. Since then, she has been trying to convince all that unless the worship of Narasimha is ceased, grave misfortune will fall upon them.
“Owing to her behaviour we begged Devarajan to declare her as an outcast. But his son Taksha persuaded him not to expel her. We don’t know why Taksha was interested in letting her remain there. Nobody has seen him visiting her place either. He says that her presence will bring good luck to the village.
“Following Devarajan’s refusal to oust her, she began conducting rituals invoking the devil. And there’s nothing we can do about this. To make things worse, the man-eating lion has come into the picture. According to her, it has appeared to prove to everybody that reverence of Narasimha is futile. It is the ‘darkness’ that has taken the form of the lion. Her solution to the problem is simple: close the temple and start idolizing the devil.
“On the other hand, many people believe that God is unhappy with us for a reason beyond our comprehension. So, He is punishing us by taking the form of a lion at twilight just like in the Puranas, Lord Narsimha appeared from a pillar at nightfall and disembowelled Hiranyakashipu. I have this ominous feeling that everyone will eventually believe her.
“Never before has this village had to face such a crisis. Our faith in God has been challenged. Lord Narasimha has been protecting us for years. Now our own people have begun to doubt Him.”
He was so overcome with emotion that tears began to flow down his cheeks. I felt really sorry for him. Keerthi scanned the surroundings suspiciously as we trudged along. All sorts of trees and plants covered the ground on both sides of the narrow footpath we were plodding on.
3
Keerthi took the window seat and I sat beside her. The bus started at about 4 pm. We hardly spoke to each other since leaving Namboodiri’s home. As I shifted in my seat, I noticed that the top button of her blouse was undone and I could see her cleavage. God! One more look at it and I knew I would get turned on. It was Keerthi after all. I began to think of something else to distract myself. Okay…..how many seats did the bus have? How many lights did it have?
“Shyam…..when are your results going to be out?” I was taken by surprise.
“Later this month. Did you know I was trying for the medical entrance?”
Avoiding eye contact at first, she remained silent for a few minutes before answering: “Jayashree, Pavithra and Maryann are my friends.”
I began to wonder who these people were. And then it dawned on me. They were classmates at each institute where I had studies. What? Did Keerthana have up-to-date information on what I was doing during these three years?
“I was in touch with them,” she continued, “especially during the time you had been at those institutes. They used to tell me what you were up to.”
Good grief! She had been literally stalking me for the last three years and till now I didn’t have a clue about it. I suddenly recalled that I had spoken about Keerthi to Pavithra. Did she come to know that? Bullshit!
“Pavithra used to tell me about what you told about me. And…..about us.” Aargh!
“Uh…..Ajay told me you were in the US but I didn’t know anything else what you were doing there.”
“To do a post graduation in the USA, you need to have at least four years of college or university education as a pre-requisite. Our Zoology degree was a three-year course. So I opted to do my graduation. My parents moved to Chicago. So I’m with them. And Shyam…..I’m the one who called you on your cell.”
Okay, so she was the one…..
“Why do you want to go to Sahasrapuram? I heard Raman Namboodiri asking you about a sword and a chakra.”
“The people of Sahasrapuram worship Narsimha as their deity. In fact that’s the only one they adore. There’s a shrine dedicated to the Lord there. The idol of the themple is in the form of Narasimha having ten hands. There’s an object placed in each of them to symbolize a weapon. Among them were a sword and a sudarsana chakra. We don’t know what exactly happened. But we presume that many years ago, someone must have stolen a gold-plated sword and chakra from the chamber. And a goldsmith somehow gained possession of it from them. He sold them to my maternal uncle who was oblivious to the preceding events. Since then, his health and wealth deteriorated and he even lost his family in a freak road accident. From the status of a super-rich man, he’s now almost bankrupt. Some of his friends suggested that these could have been stolen from a temple and recommended to meet the famed Raman Namboodiri who could possibly give some clue about the items.
“It turned out that years ago, Namboodiri had been to this shrine and had noticed two hands of the idol remaining empty. The priest of the temple believed that the missing items would eventually be recovered and returned. Namboodiri is quite sure that these are the items. He said something about…..some insight which he got…..I don’t know. Since uncle is ill, I decided to go in his place. Besides…..you’re with me. So there’s no reason to feel afraid. Right?”
I just nodded. Phew! Two people visiting the shrine for totally different reasons---the girl, for returning stolen miniature weapons to its rightful place and the boy, to get a pooja done to finally pass his medical entrance exam. But the boy has a more pertinent reason to go there---the girl is going there and he wants to go with her.
I woke up at night to see that had she leaned a bit towards me. And I too inclined in her direction. I tried to take a look at her cleavage but her buttons were done and revealed nothing. I felt stupid and opportunistic. And then from a sudden gush of wind her hair ruffled and kissed my face. It was one of the best feelings I ever had. It took away my guilt and my heart pounded. But I didn’t try to touch her. She was as pure as she could be.
“Shyam…..when are your results going to be out?” I was taken by surprise.
“Later this month. Did you know I was trying for the medical entrance?”
Avoiding eye contact at first, she remained silent for a few minutes before answering: “Jayashree, Pavithra and Maryann are my friends.”
I began to wonder who these people were. And then it dawned on me. They were classmates at each institute where I had studies. What? Did Keerthana have up-to-date information on what I was doing during these three years?
“I was in touch with them,” she continued, “especially during the time you had been at those institutes. They used to tell me what you were up to.”
Good grief! She had been literally stalking me for the last three years and till now I didn’t have a clue about it. I suddenly recalled that I had spoken about Keerthi to Pavithra. Did she come to know that? Bullshit!
“Pavithra used to tell me about what you told about me. And…..about us.” Aargh!
“Uh…..Ajay told me you were in the US but I didn’t know anything else what you were doing there.”
“To do a post graduation in the USA, you need to have at least four years of college or university education as a pre-requisite. Our Zoology degree was a three-year course. So I opted to do my graduation. My parents moved to Chicago. So I’m with them. And Shyam…..I’m the one who called you on your cell.”
Okay, so she was the one…..
“Why do you want to go to Sahasrapuram? I heard Raman Namboodiri asking you about a sword and a chakra.”
“The people of Sahasrapuram worship Narsimha as their deity. In fact that’s the only one they adore. There’s a shrine dedicated to the Lord there. The idol of the themple is in the form of Narasimha having ten hands. There’s an object placed in each of them to symbolize a weapon. Among them were a sword and a sudarsana chakra. We don’t know what exactly happened. But we presume that many years ago, someone must have stolen a gold-plated sword and chakra from the chamber. And a goldsmith somehow gained possession of it from them. He sold them to my maternal uncle who was oblivious to the preceding events. Since then, his health and wealth deteriorated and he even lost his family in a freak road accident. From the status of a super-rich man, he’s now almost bankrupt. Some of his friends suggested that these could have been stolen from a temple and recommended to meet the famed Raman Namboodiri who could possibly give some clue about the items.
“It turned out that years ago, Namboodiri had been to this shrine and had noticed two hands of the idol remaining empty. The priest of the temple believed that the missing items would eventually be recovered and returned. Namboodiri is quite sure that these are the items. He said something about…..some insight which he got…..I don’t know. Since uncle is ill, I decided to go in his place. Besides…..you’re with me. So there’s no reason to feel afraid. Right?”
I just nodded. Phew! Two people visiting the shrine for totally different reasons---the girl, for returning stolen miniature weapons to its rightful place and the boy, to get a pooja done to finally pass his medical entrance exam. But the boy has a more pertinent reason to go there---the girl is going there and he wants to go with her.
I woke up at night to see that had she leaned a bit towards me. And I too inclined in her direction. I tried to take a look at her cleavage but her buttons were done and revealed nothing. I felt stupid and opportunistic. And then from a sudden gush of wind her hair ruffled and kissed my face. It was one of the best feelings I ever had. It took away my guilt and my heart pounded. But I didn’t try to touch her. She was as pure as she could be.
2
“Sahasrapuram? Narasimha shrine?” I was stupefied. Raman Namboodiri’s eyes were fixed on mine. Anxiety lines were scribbled across his forehead. “Couldn’t I go to a Narasimha temple nearby? Is it absolutely necessary that I go to Sahasrapuram?”
“Is it the distance that makes you reluctant to go there?”
“Er…..yes.” He closed his eyes and appeared to pray. I suspected that he was playing the fool. There was a saying that astrology is 50% fraud and 75% deceit. Or was there ‘something’ in what he was saying?
“Yes. You are the guy. What took you so long?”
“Uh…..I’m on time,” looking at which to make sure. “You said 12 pm and I reached here ten minutes early.” He just smiled.
“You are the person I’ve been waiting for. When you walked into the room, I happened to just finish reading a Narasimha mantra. It is auspicious.”
“How do you interpret signs?” I asked curiously.
“Through insights. Sometimes certain things just flash in your mind.”
He took out a consulting notepad from the table drawer and began to write details about the rituals that needed to be performed for…..? I didn’t know what it was for. I had lied when I had told him that the distance was the problem. I didn’t want to go there.
“You must start tonight.”
“What? Why?” I asked peeved. Why is he pushing me?
“It is absolutely important. There’s no time to lose. By the way, another person will accompany you.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. But that pilgrim should be here soon. Okay, let’s do one thing, shall we have lunch together?”
This was getting out of control. An astrologist was inviting me to have lunch with him. He didn’t even know me. And he didn’t even know whom he was talking about.
“It’s the working of the sixth sense. Maybe that person will join us for lunch. I’ll tell my wife to prepare the table.”
“No way. I mean…..sorry…..uh…..I’m stuck. Look…..I’m not going to Sahasrapuram.”
“But you’re destined to,” he said shaking his head. “You can’t afford to even postpone let alone cancel your visit.”
“I’m not convinced. You don’t even know whom you’re waiting for.”
When logic met insight, it was better to agree to disagree and move on. Both constructs belonged to entirely different realms.
“Would you believe me if I gave you a reason?”
“If it is a strong reason, yes.”
He led me to his living room. Most astrologers used a part of their home for their consulting activity. He bade me to sit in one of two wooden armchairs placed beside each other. I did as told and looked at the floor which was coated with red oxide paint. I became completely distrustful of this man who called himself an ‘astrologer’. If he relied on insights, why did he need to study the positions of the planets and stars? And whoever thought he looked like Hanuman when he was in concentration? I thought he looked like a monkey all the way through. Though he had his astro-board and shells, he didn’t use any of it for me. He had neither prescribed any stone-studded ring nor read my palm with his magnifying glass. Should I give up my MBBS entrance exam attempt? Two years would be completely wasted. By the way, why did he offer to host lunch? I hadn’t heard of anybody giving lunch to a client, and that too, a stranger. As these thoughts flooded my mind like gremlins, I was taken aback by the dissonance from the chair next to mine. When I saw who the person was who had just sat next to me, I almost jumped out of my seat.
I couldn’t believe what I saw. I was speechless. It was Keerthana! Almost immediately, my eyes began to swell up with tears and I could barely see her pretty eyes and her smile. I felt embarrassed and girlish. As I looked away from her to hold back my tears, I noticed that the person whom I had been mocking was standing right next to me.
“Now do you believe?” he asked in a teasing tone. I looked back at Keerthana to find her still staring at me.
“Yes, I do believe,” I said after having a good look at her face.
“Good. Sit here for a while. Let me talk to this young lady.”
Keerthana followed Namboodiri to his consultation room while I sat in the chair. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a blouse having a loose neckline. With carefully shaped eyebrows, pearl white teeth, and an innocent smile, she was unbelievably beautiful. She hardly had any make-up on and was carrying a backpack which added to her cuteness. She was still the fair, thin girl with that gorgeous smile.
I could hear the clatter from the vessels being moved and placed on the table in the dining place. It took what seemed to be half an hour for the two of them to come out of his office. We then proceeded for our déjeuner. A table was ready with banana leaves spread out for each meal. Keerthi sat to my left at the table while Namboodiri sat facing me. I didn’t dare to look beyond my leaf—I nervously tried to concentrate on my food. And I was startled when Namboodiri powdered his papadam to mix with his rice.
“Shyam, this madam told me that you were classmates.”
“Yes, for BSc.”
“Hmm…..she deserves a lot of praise. Nowadays, we won’t find people like her. She has come all the way from Chicago with a purpose. A woman on a mission. During her last visit, she had introduced two of her friends to each other. They fell in love and married with her support. Now it seems they are headed for a divorce. She has come to make them reconsider their decision. I would say that many would be ready to stand as witnesses for a register marriage for their dearest friends. But after that the husband and wife only have each other to look up to. Later on, would these so-called ‘friends’ actually chip in to find a solution to a problem that the couple might face? Very few, I think. Our girl in question is different. She even spoke to them this morning and the next round of talks will happen after this trip. Right Keerthana?”
I finally looked at her face and saw her smiling in modesty. An old mate had told me that she had gone to the US. But I didn’t know where exactly she was. Perceiving things with an objective frame of mind, her present aim was consistent with the character I knew during our college days. She definitely was the sort of person who would set out to do a thing like this. I stole another glance at her. Her face was expressionless. Crunch! Another papadam turned to powder.
I hadn’t noticed that my steel glass filled with water was placed precariously along the edge of the table to my left. When Keerthi reached for the sambar, her elbow hit the glass from which the water spilled on to my jeans. In the midst of her apologies and frantic search for a handkerchief, Namboodiri called for a towel.
“You aren’t made for each other,” he observed, much to my annoyance. Maybe he was joking.
As it transpired, both of us were ready for the trip. After lunch, Keerthi revealed that her backpack had all that she needed for a few days except food and water. Namboodiri handed me a slip of paper which mentioned the name of the pooja which was to be conducted at the temple. He asked her whether she had the ‘sword’ and ‘chakra’ to which she nodded. I didn’t know what it was and decided to ask her during the journey, most of which would be covered by going in a bus. We were to embark on a twelve hour overnight travel to Agnipuzha via Thiruchal in a bus, in between we would have to change buses twice, then a boat-ride and finally a three kilometer long walk to Sahasrapuram. We would finally reach there in the morning or maybe at noon. This would be the second instance we were going to Sahasrapuram. Keerthi and I had gone there on an unforgettable trip before---our Final year excursion---and I wondered how we could go there again. We had camped at a landlord’s place. This time around, we were going to the same fellow’s place---landlord Siddharth. Namboodiri warned us that the law and order situation at the village was managed by the head of the village named Devarajan and the police had little access or even the will to access that place. We had had first hand experience about that.
“You must meet me on your return,” said Namboodiri with a loud burp.
We agreed and embarked on our journey.
“Is it the distance that makes you reluctant to go there?”
“Er…..yes.” He closed his eyes and appeared to pray. I suspected that he was playing the fool. There was a saying that astrology is 50% fraud and 75% deceit. Or was there ‘something’ in what he was saying?
“Yes. You are the guy. What took you so long?”
“Uh…..I’m on time,” looking at which to make sure. “You said 12 pm and I reached here ten minutes early.” He just smiled.
“You are the person I’ve been waiting for. When you walked into the room, I happened to just finish reading a Narasimha mantra. It is auspicious.”
“How do you interpret signs?” I asked curiously.
“Through insights. Sometimes certain things just flash in your mind.”
He took out a consulting notepad from the table drawer and began to write details about the rituals that needed to be performed for…..? I didn’t know what it was for. I had lied when I had told him that the distance was the problem. I didn’t want to go there.
“You must start tonight.”
“What? Why?” I asked peeved. Why is he pushing me?
“It is absolutely important. There’s no time to lose. By the way, another person will accompany you.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. But that pilgrim should be here soon. Okay, let’s do one thing, shall we have lunch together?”
This was getting out of control. An astrologist was inviting me to have lunch with him. He didn’t even know me. And he didn’t even know whom he was talking about.
“It’s the working of the sixth sense. Maybe that person will join us for lunch. I’ll tell my wife to prepare the table.”
“No way. I mean…..sorry…..uh…..I’m stuck. Look…..I’m not going to Sahasrapuram.”
“But you’re destined to,” he said shaking his head. “You can’t afford to even postpone let alone cancel your visit.”
“I’m not convinced. You don’t even know whom you’re waiting for.”
When logic met insight, it was better to agree to disagree and move on. Both constructs belonged to entirely different realms.
“Would you believe me if I gave you a reason?”
“If it is a strong reason, yes.”
He led me to his living room. Most astrologers used a part of their home for their consulting activity. He bade me to sit in one of two wooden armchairs placed beside each other. I did as told and looked at the floor which was coated with red oxide paint. I became completely distrustful of this man who called himself an ‘astrologer’. If he relied on insights, why did he need to study the positions of the planets and stars? And whoever thought he looked like Hanuman when he was in concentration? I thought he looked like a monkey all the way through. Though he had his astro-board and shells, he didn’t use any of it for me. He had neither prescribed any stone-studded ring nor read my palm with his magnifying glass. Should I give up my MBBS entrance exam attempt? Two years would be completely wasted. By the way, why did he offer to host lunch? I hadn’t heard of anybody giving lunch to a client, and that too, a stranger. As these thoughts flooded my mind like gremlins, I was taken aback by the dissonance from the chair next to mine. When I saw who the person was who had just sat next to me, I almost jumped out of my seat.
I couldn’t believe what I saw. I was speechless. It was Keerthana! Almost immediately, my eyes began to swell up with tears and I could barely see her pretty eyes and her smile. I felt embarrassed and girlish. As I looked away from her to hold back my tears, I noticed that the person whom I had been mocking was standing right next to me.
“Now do you believe?” he asked in a teasing tone. I looked back at Keerthana to find her still staring at me.
“Yes, I do believe,” I said after having a good look at her face.
“Good. Sit here for a while. Let me talk to this young lady.”
Keerthana followed Namboodiri to his consultation room while I sat in the chair. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a blouse having a loose neckline. With carefully shaped eyebrows, pearl white teeth, and an innocent smile, she was unbelievably beautiful. She hardly had any make-up on and was carrying a backpack which added to her cuteness. She was still the fair, thin girl with that gorgeous smile.
I could hear the clatter from the vessels being moved and placed on the table in the dining place. It took what seemed to be half an hour for the two of them to come out of his office. We then proceeded for our déjeuner. A table was ready with banana leaves spread out for each meal. Keerthi sat to my left at the table while Namboodiri sat facing me. I didn’t dare to look beyond my leaf—I nervously tried to concentrate on my food. And I was startled when Namboodiri powdered his papadam to mix with his rice.
“Shyam, this madam told me that you were classmates.”
“Yes, for BSc.”
“Hmm…..she deserves a lot of praise. Nowadays, we won’t find people like her. She has come all the way from Chicago with a purpose. A woman on a mission. During her last visit, she had introduced two of her friends to each other. They fell in love and married with her support. Now it seems they are headed for a divorce. She has come to make them reconsider their decision. I would say that many would be ready to stand as witnesses for a register marriage for their dearest friends. But after that the husband and wife only have each other to look up to. Later on, would these so-called ‘friends’ actually chip in to find a solution to a problem that the couple might face? Very few, I think. Our girl in question is different. She even spoke to them this morning and the next round of talks will happen after this trip. Right Keerthana?”
I finally looked at her face and saw her smiling in modesty. An old mate had told me that she had gone to the US. But I didn’t know where exactly she was. Perceiving things with an objective frame of mind, her present aim was consistent with the character I knew during our college days. She definitely was the sort of person who would set out to do a thing like this. I stole another glance at her. Her face was expressionless. Crunch! Another papadam turned to powder.
I hadn’t noticed that my steel glass filled with water was placed precariously along the edge of the table to my left. When Keerthi reached for the sambar, her elbow hit the glass from which the water spilled on to my jeans. In the midst of her apologies and frantic search for a handkerchief, Namboodiri called for a towel.
“You aren’t made for each other,” he observed, much to my annoyance. Maybe he was joking.
As it transpired, both of us were ready for the trip. After lunch, Keerthi revealed that her backpack had all that she needed for a few days except food and water. Namboodiri handed me a slip of paper which mentioned the name of the pooja which was to be conducted at the temple. He asked her whether she had the ‘sword’ and ‘chakra’ to which she nodded. I didn’t know what it was and decided to ask her during the journey, most of which would be covered by going in a bus. We were to embark on a twelve hour overnight travel to Agnipuzha via Thiruchal in a bus, in between we would have to change buses twice, then a boat-ride and finally a three kilometer long walk to Sahasrapuram. We would finally reach there in the morning or maybe at noon. This would be the second instance we were going to Sahasrapuram. Keerthi and I had gone there on an unforgettable trip before---our Final year excursion---and I wondered how we could go there again. We had camped at a landlord’s place. This time around, we were going to the same fellow’s place---landlord Siddharth. Namboodiri warned us that the law and order situation at the village was managed by the head of the village named Devarajan and the police had little access or even the will to access that place. We had had first hand experience about that.
“You must meet me on your return,” said Namboodiri with a loud burp.
We agreed and embarked on our journey.
1
The intent was to withdraw two hundred rupees. But all it took were an innocent additional press of a button and a lousy confirmation. The result was two thousand rupees in my wallet. I made up my mind to stop at Nilay’s bakery. He was a nice guy and a good friend. He would give me change for a five hundred rupee note.
“Nilay my man, how’re you doing?”
“Good man, it’s been some time since we last met. How was your entrance?”
One question can spoil a whole day. As I averted my gaze, he probably thought that it wasn’t the best thing to ask. ‘How’s your dog?’ would’ve been a better one.
“Listen Shyam, get a load of this.” I looked curiously at the ring he was wearing. It had three precious stones arrayed on it. “Have you heard of Raman Namboodiri?” he asked.
“No.”
“He’s a renowned priest and astrologer. Many mortals also consider him to be a mystic. The say when he sits in complete concentration, his face resembles that of Hanuman.
“I had consulted him two months ago. He recommended wearing this ring. He said it would ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. And you know what? Since wearing this piece of jewelry my business has improved. Had I told you about the new baking equipment which I had bought? Things are looking much better. I suggest you meet him.”
“For what?” I asked somewhat skeptically.
“You want to hear some good news right? You never know. Maybe he’ll prescribe a solution.”
Wait a minute. Should I meet an astrologer to pass my MBBS entrance exam? What could he possibly do now that I’ve already written the exam? Nilay showed me the mystic’s number on his mobile phone. It was true that I did have a moderate amount of faith in astrology, though I didn’t completely believe in it. I had sometimes wondered whether there was a connection between astrology and religion.
“Okay. Maybe I can ask him whether I should go for a fourth attempt.”
“Life is strange. You never know what would happen. Could you go back one year in history and picture yourself imagining all this happening exactly as it is today? I couldn’t.”
“Well, I can…..because I’m basically doing the same thing I was last year---writing the MBBS entrance exam and bombing it.”
“Don’t be concerned man. There’s a solution for everything. I’ll tell you what…..I’ll fix you an appointment. He knows me.”
I agreed. My eyes ran over the biscuits placed in the cupboard as Nilay called Raman Namboodiri and spoke to him. I looked outside the store to see whether there were any pretty college-going girls. None.
“Got it! 12 pm. Day after tomorrow.”
“Great! Thanks man. I’m going to my friend’s place the day after. I think I can meet Raman Namboodiri and from there go straight to my friend.”
Nilay explained the whereabouts of the consultant. Okay! Let’s do this!
“Nilay my man, how’re you doing?”
“Good man, it’s been some time since we last met. How was your entrance?”
One question can spoil a whole day. As I averted my gaze, he probably thought that it wasn’t the best thing to ask. ‘How’s your dog?’ would’ve been a better one.
“Listen Shyam, get a load of this.” I looked curiously at the ring he was wearing. It had three precious stones arrayed on it. “Have you heard of Raman Namboodiri?” he asked.
“No.”
“He’s a renowned priest and astrologer. Many mortals also consider him to be a mystic. The say when he sits in complete concentration, his face resembles that of Hanuman.
“I had consulted him two months ago. He recommended wearing this ring. He said it would ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. And you know what? Since wearing this piece of jewelry my business has improved. Had I told you about the new baking equipment which I had bought? Things are looking much better. I suggest you meet him.”
“For what?” I asked somewhat skeptically.
“You want to hear some good news right? You never know. Maybe he’ll prescribe a solution.”
Wait a minute. Should I meet an astrologer to pass my MBBS entrance exam? What could he possibly do now that I’ve already written the exam? Nilay showed me the mystic’s number on his mobile phone. It was true that I did have a moderate amount of faith in astrology, though I didn’t completely believe in it. I had sometimes wondered whether there was a connection between astrology and religion.
“Okay. Maybe I can ask him whether I should go for a fourth attempt.”
“Life is strange. You never know what would happen. Could you go back one year in history and picture yourself imagining all this happening exactly as it is today? I couldn’t.”
“Well, I can…..because I’m basically doing the same thing I was last year---writing the MBBS entrance exam and bombing it.”
“Don’t be concerned man. There’s a solution for everything. I’ll tell you what…..I’ll fix you an appointment. He knows me.”
I agreed. My eyes ran over the biscuits placed in the cupboard as Nilay called Raman Namboodiri and spoke to him. I looked outside the store to see whether there were any pretty college-going girls. None.
“Got it! 12 pm. Day after tomorrow.”
“Great! Thanks man. I’m going to my friend’s place the day after. I think I can meet Raman Namboodiri and from there go straight to my friend.”
Nilay explained the whereabouts of the consultant. Okay! Let’s do this!
Monday, July 5, 2010
PROLOGUE
“In whatever way I am approached, in that way do I respond. All men come, by whatever paths, to Me.”
My day began, as usual, with a recital of a quote from the Bhagavad Gita. After that, it was time for contemplation. Sitting cross-legged on the mat, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. After a few seconds, everything seemed to slow down. My breaths became deep. I waited for the feeling of the presence. And it came.
I wanted to prolong it. Perhaps an insight would appear. What is salvation? Is it something you get after death? Or is it possible to achieve it while being alive?
Nope. I wouldn’t gain a sixth-sense if I wouldn’t stop thinking. I decided to try again. But rather than getting an insight, I heard a loud Nokia tune.
“What the hell?”
It was my phone. Irked, I slowly opened my eyes, got up from the mat and walked towards the table. Just as I was about to pick up the phone, it stopped ringing.
“Nonsense!”
I checked the missed call. Instead of showing a name, the screen displayed a number that began with the code +1. Who could that be? I had friends and acquaintences in the US. But I didn’t know the code of any state.
“Ignorance is bliss,” I noted with sarcasm. “So much for my sixth sense.”
***
I picked up the tools and began working on my Honda Activa. In a few minutes, I removed the spark plug.
I had at least a fortnight’s time before the results of the All-India MBBS Entrance exam would be published. The catch is my age. I’m not a seventeen year old guy. This is my third attempt at getting a medical seat. I’m neither nineteen nor twenty. I’m a B.Sc. Zoology graduate. The entire college had expected me to come first in my final year exams. Nobody had promised that I would get an award from college if I bagged that position. My romance with a classmate also had nothing to do with my performance at the exams. The death of a classmate too wasn’t an excuse. As it turned out, it was a class fellow hailing from a financially backward family who not only came first in college, but also stood first in our university. She was showered with medallions, gifts and certificates.
“So, finally, defeated,” was the class teacher’s comment, as I met her at college after the results were declared. Justice had been served. The non-existent type of person who never mixed with anyone and anything but books and lab instruments had come out resplendent.
So, no complaints about who deserved what and eventually got what. The degree fiasco was very significant because it made me pursue an MBBS seat which I haven’t been able to bag even after spending my time at a QD Thomas asylum.
I call it an asylum…..not because I was kicked out of classes for a week for ‘talking in the class’, when I wasn’t even whispering a religious mantra; not because I was asked to shut up when I realized and tried to speak that they had allotted me a seat in the wrong class…..an engineering coaching class; and not even because I was in a room with absolutely everybody programmed to think each and every second of their existence about a problem, so that they had to actually be trained to stop thinking for a second. It was Keerthi. No, she wasn’t an inmate at our place. She had been my degree classmate. Every waking hour of my life was interspersed with my study lectures and her expressions. Eventually every page of revision was filled with memories of this female.
What had she wanted from me that she eventually got and left the place without telling me a word? If I had written a poem about her, then I’m sure I would have given people like Omar Khayyam a run for their money. Almost every moment was alive with imagination…..about her.
In about half an hour, I finished my work on the Activa. It wasn’t as good as new. But a gentle push of the ignition switch got it started.
Hmm……the Nokia tune again. I reached for the cell in my pocket. Another missed call. The same number from the USA. I wore my helmet, mounted my scooter and rode away.
It was a sunny day. The sky was blue with a few shades of white dancing slowly as if in synchrony. All creatures of nature are fabulous to observe, to listen and to feel. I was immersed in the beauty of the surroundings….until I spotted the Highway Police Patrol. One of the khaki clad men signaled me to stop. I obeyed his command. Before being asked, I produced the vehicle documents.
As the police examined my documents, I noticed an auto-rickshaw pass by. It had a name painted in front: Keerthana. Yes, that’s her name. Keerthana. But I liked to call her ‘Keerthi’.
“Son, all your documents are ready,” the policeman said. I wondered whether there was any prefix or suffix for the word ‘son’. But he was the kind sort of guy.
“Wear the strap of your helmet,” he commanded. Actually……not so kind. I discovered that I hadn’t put it on.
“Oh! I’m sorry.” There! I strapped it.
“Son, wear a helmet properly. Don’t you read the newspapers? Do you know how many people die in bike accidents everyday? If you enquire, you’ll make out that almost all of them weren’t wearing helmets at the time of the accidents. If YOU don’t care about your life, should WE?”
“Wearing headgear is not sufficient,” added his partner-in-crime. “You must also secure your strap. Else there is no use having the thing on. Okay, we’re letting you off now, but from now on, be careful.”
They resumed their hunt as I resumed my journey to the nearest ATM.
My day began, as usual, with a recital of a quote from the Bhagavad Gita. After that, it was time for contemplation. Sitting cross-legged on the mat, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. After a few seconds, everything seemed to slow down. My breaths became deep. I waited for the feeling of the presence. And it came.
I wanted to prolong it. Perhaps an insight would appear. What is salvation? Is it something you get after death? Or is it possible to achieve it while being alive?
Nope. I wouldn’t gain a sixth-sense if I wouldn’t stop thinking. I decided to try again. But rather than getting an insight, I heard a loud Nokia tune.
“What the hell?”
It was my phone. Irked, I slowly opened my eyes, got up from the mat and walked towards the table. Just as I was about to pick up the phone, it stopped ringing.
“Nonsense!”
I checked the missed call. Instead of showing a name, the screen displayed a number that began with the code +1. Who could that be? I had friends and acquaintences in the US. But I didn’t know the code of any state.
“Ignorance is bliss,” I noted with sarcasm. “So much for my sixth sense.”
***
I picked up the tools and began working on my Honda Activa. In a few minutes, I removed the spark plug.
I had at least a fortnight’s time before the results of the All-India MBBS Entrance exam would be published. The catch is my age. I’m not a seventeen year old guy. This is my third attempt at getting a medical seat. I’m neither nineteen nor twenty. I’m a B.Sc. Zoology graduate. The entire college had expected me to come first in my final year exams. Nobody had promised that I would get an award from college if I bagged that position. My romance with a classmate also had nothing to do with my performance at the exams. The death of a classmate too wasn’t an excuse. As it turned out, it was a class fellow hailing from a financially backward family who not only came first in college, but also stood first in our university. She was showered with medallions, gifts and certificates.
“So, finally, defeated,” was the class teacher’s comment, as I met her at college after the results were declared. Justice had been served. The non-existent type of person who never mixed with anyone and anything but books and lab instruments had come out resplendent.
So, no complaints about who deserved what and eventually got what. The degree fiasco was very significant because it made me pursue an MBBS seat which I haven’t been able to bag even after spending my time at a QD Thomas asylum.
I call it an asylum…..not because I was kicked out of classes for a week for ‘talking in the class’, when I wasn’t even whispering a religious mantra; not because I was asked to shut up when I realized and tried to speak that they had allotted me a seat in the wrong class…..an engineering coaching class; and not even because I was in a room with absolutely everybody programmed to think each and every second of their existence about a problem, so that they had to actually be trained to stop thinking for a second. It was Keerthi. No, she wasn’t an inmate at our place. She had been my degree classmate. Every waking hour of my life was interspersed with my study lectures and her expressions. Eventually every page of revision was filled with memories of this female.
What had she wanted from me that she eventually got and left the place without telling me a word? If I had written a poem about her, then I’m sure I would have given people like Omar Khayyam a run for their money. Almost every moment was alive with imagination…..about her.
In about half an hour, I finished my work on the Activa. It wasn’t as good as new. But a gentle push of the ignition switch got it started.
Hmm……the Nokia tune again. I reached for the cell in my pocket. Another missed call. The same number from the USA. I wore my helmet, mounted my scooter and rode away.
It was a sunny day. The sky was blue with a few shades of white dancing slowly as if in synchrony. All creatures of nature are fabulous to observe, to listen and to feel. I was immersed in the beauty of the surroundings….until I spotted the Highway Police Patrol. One of the khaki clad men signaled me to stop. I obeyed his command. Before being asked, I produced the vehicle documents.
As the police examined my documents, I noticed an auto-rickshaw pass by. It had a name painted in front: Keerthana. Yes, that’s her name. Keerthana. But I liked to call her ‘Keerthi’.
“Son, all your documents are ready,” the policeman said. I wondered whether there was any prefix or suffix for the word ‘son’. But he was the kind sort of guy.
“Wear the strap of your helmet,” he commanded. Actually……not so kind. I discovered that I hadn’t put it on.
“Oh! I’m sorry.” There! I strapped it.
“Son, wear a helmet properly. Don’t you read the newspapers? Do you know how many people die in bike accidents everyday? If you enquire, you’ll make out that almost all of them weren’t wearing helmets at the time of the accidents. If YOU don’t care about your life, should WE?”
“Wearing headgear is not sufficient,” added his partner-in-crime. “You must also secure your strap. Else there is no use having the thing on. Okay, we’re letting you off now, but from now on, be careful.”
They resumed their hunt as I resumed my journey to the nearest ATM.
NOTE ABOUT LORD NARASIMHA
The Bhagavada Puranas speak about a demon called Hiranyakashipu who secures mystical powers from Brahma that makes him almost invincible. His intent is to destroy Lord Vishnu to avenge the death of his brother. But his own son Prahlad becomes a devoted follower of Vishnu. The disappointed demon makes several attempts on the life of Prahlad, but all his efforts are thwarted by Vishnu’s occult powers. Frustrated and to disprove Prahlad’s claim that Vishnu is omnipresent, Hiranyakashipu smashes a pillar with his mace, but Vishnu emerges from it in the form of a half man-half lion known as Narasimha. In defence of Prahlad, He kills the demon by taking advantage of a loop-hole in the boon given by Brahma.
Based on this story, it is believed that Lord Narasimha protects his sincere devotees when they are in extreme danger.
Based on this story, it is believed that Lord Narasimha protects his sincere devotees when they are in extreme danger.
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