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.