VAISHALI-5

5

"Shaalu you amma  babuji and dadi ji in that big car. Me Rishi and the rest of the people in my car." Tejas said for which Vaishali just gave him a punch on his shoulder saying," accha? so you guys are going to have a blast while i have to come with the elder gang..? No way!"

"What is going on?" Rajeshwari walked out with her hand bag. "Take her with you Tejas. Common. She will get bored with us oldies."

"You are a sweet heart you know that amma?" Vaishali said.

"Chal aajaa ! "Tejas winked at her. She ,Tejas, Rishi, Raju and Lakshmi their domestic help who accompanied them settled in Tejas's car while the rest were accommodated in the tourister which was specially designed for the family to travel long distances.

They all started their journey back to Delhi and as Tejas started driving Rishi swiched on some latest western pop music and they were enjoying the view through the winding ghat section which had the hills on one side and the valley and Vaishali saw her ancestral home and its proud walls slowly fading into the distance...

She was sitting towards the valley side and was the only one in the seat as Raju and Lakshmi sat in the rear. Rishi was sitting in the front with Tejas and chatting with him.

As she looked into the valley to the right she saw the fog settling and suddenly she found it to be travelling like a thread up the hill towards them. For a moment she thought she was imagining it but no! It was moving fast towards the hills which they were climbing now to go down on the leeward side.

She looked towards her left towards the hill just in time to catch the shadow of someone  moving at such great speed that whoever it was would meet their car by the time they started the desent on the other side. The shadow stopped moving and stood at one place and Vaishali had a strange feeling as if their car was being observed. Whoever it was, he was gauging the speed of their vehicle or was it  simply a tribal who just wanted to watch the vehicle move from the cliff top?

'What the hell?" Tejas bellowed and applied a sudden break as the car was caught in the fog and visibility became almost nil. As it was past six in the evening, the darkness was setting on to the ghat section fast and added to that the fog made it quite dark. They could not see anything past their windows.

"It is common with this kind of a terrain" Rishi said eyeing Vaishali who was a little tensed. She somehow did not feel good.

Ever since! Ever since she came here on this trip... she was going through strange situations which appeared normal on the surface but felt to have deeper inner meanings. Was it her imagination? what should she do? should she share it with her brothers? would they believe her?

But what would she tell them? what was there to prove what went through. Just now she saw the fog lifting and settling on the valley and then suddenly coming up... this was queer and as she saw it coming and obstructing their vehicle. And that continuous shadow of a person she feels all the time around her and the feeling that she is being watched adds up to what?

------VAISHALI-----

At a temple in a remote area deep in central India... in a forest...

An ascetic sat under a big banyan tree in Dhyaana! 

He looked to be 60-65 years in age but people in around the place called him the Siddha and they estimated him to be several hundred years in age. 

For generations he was known to appear at different places in and around the forest called the siddhaaranya and was known to appear on auspicious occassions and several tribals and nearby villagers whose generations have known this phenomenon sought his help in different matters of faith and preservation of the habitat. 

It was widely believed that the hundred odd hamlets spread across the dense forests in that area never suffered from any epidemic cause of the Siddha and his retinue of Siddha Purushas who were believed to be dwelling  in the forests. 

There was an unwritten pact between the villages and the Siddhaas that one would not enroach into the other's area and they would live harmoniously.

The tribals never divulged any details to outsiders except for the district authority( with whom they only mentioned that it was their faith thus, shutting them off from entering into controversial territory )who was posted there that too to preserve the sanctity of the forest and the ancient Pashupatinath temple in the borders from where none proceeded into the forests further without authorization from their respective village head man.

The areas outside of the temple were free for them to move collect firewood and other forest products but beyond that none ventured.

For centuries the Siddha Purushaas patiently cured ailing villagers or saved people from snake and scorpion bites and other mishaps and also the full moon day of every Kartheeek there was the Siddha who came out and met the village priests and members of panchayat every year and gave valuable inputs to save wildlife water and balance in the ecosystem.

Whenever there was an emergency the tribals beat the drums in the temple and found a siddha purusha to their rescue. 

When the Siddha came to meet them he would blow the conch that reverberated the forests for all the villagers to flock to have a glimpse of the divine soul.

However this was rarely. It happened two times before that was known to the current generation of the tribals and it was a legend in itself that they narrated to their children for ages.

It was past six in the evening and the place was dark as if midnight owing to the heavy vegetation. The Siddha was clad in a white dhoti with his torso bare.

He had an aura that was so radiant that in that pitch dark forest he looked like a glowing lamp with the three lines on his forehead smeared with the holy ash and marked by a small dot of sandalwood paste in their center. His body was lean owing to disciplined life and penance and exuded divine fragrance that could not be compared to any incense. His body had a golden hue and his hair was secured in a knot on his head and cascaded to his waste. It was pearl white with golden high lights giving him a very etherial look.His forehead exuded radiance and his eyebrows tangled and he opened his eyes abruptly. His eyes were warm and full of love and radiated peace.

Sam Kara! He chanted! He then said Bhadra!

A  Purusha clad in yellow loin cloth came forward and stood before him and said "Swami!"

The Siddha said in sanskrit, "The time has come.The golden city should be preserved! Go now as the shadows of the dark are luring the dove.Raksha is already on vigil but he will need your help. Then he  extended his hand forward and blessed Bhadra. He then spread his palm upwards. Hot Ash formed in it. Bhadra took it and a silent dialogue passed between the sage and him and he took leave and vanished from where he stood." 

The Siddha looked into the sky above and put his foot on the ground and pressed his big toe into the ground and said "ruddh(stop)!"

-----VAISHALI-----

"...Right! But difficult to drive!Lets park to the shoulder and wait for the fog to clear. Hey call dad and ask them to slow down and rest at the tea point we passed just now so that they do not need to drive through this fog." Tejas was talking to Rishi.

Tejas stopped the vehicle and got outside and was joined by Rishi. Rishi immediately exclaimed "look at that beauty! "The sun almost set and the orange hue left by his setting were highlighted by his rays and the birds were slowly flying back to the eastern horizon. This was not being visible as the fog was pretty thick.

Rishi grabbed his camera and started climbing the rocks on the cliff side of the road for a better shot.

Tejas urged Vaishali to come out and enjoy the scene and as she set foot on the road alighting from the car, birds settled on the near by tree fluttered and flew off making a loud noise with thier wings. She started and moved closer to Tejas.

Suddenly there was a bird that swooped over their heads and they ducked to avoid it! The bird came back swooping lower and Tejas made a go at it shouting' you blind coot 'while Vaishali walked back to avoid him and found her footing loose balance and realised she was slipping into the valley below. She opened her mouth to scream but her voice would not come out. The fog was thicker and her sari caught on to the roots and scrubs hanging on the edges and tore. she grabbed a strong branch of a tree below and hung on to it and felt dizzy as she looked down.

Her hand started aching and the branch was giving way under her weight... this time she screamed and the branch broke hurling her into the valley below.... her scream echoed into the valley which was strangely silent for that part of the day as not even the birds returning made any noise.