The white Light calling Episode: 5

[iniyamalar]

Part 1:


She felt something warm on her eyelids. Like a tender and warm hand stroking her face with a breezy finger. She was drugged by the pleasure it gave, and didn’t open her eyes for sometime. The warmth slowly spread across her body and she felt heavenly.

The rare perfume of ‘pavaza malli’ (a variety of jasmine) mixed with some herbs was a concoction magical enough to send her rising mind back to sleep. She fought harder than usual to open her eyes.

It was morning sunshine. A pair of misty clouds floated past her eyes. Oh God, Am I in heaven? she thought, and a very cold thought followed it. Am I dead?

A purple butterfly flew across her nose and cleared her thoughts. She let her eyes follow the tiny thing. It sat joyfully on a yellow flower, it’s fluttering wings slowing down as it drank the nectar. She gazed up. Wow. A beautiful sight was waiting for her to see.

Chemba got up and freed herself from inside her sleeping bag. The morning breeze was colder than she had expected. She shivered slightly. They had spread their sleeping bags on a big and bare flat space among the sparsely green hilly section the night before.

She moved out of the circularly spread sleeping bags and went near the cliff. She just couldn’t stop gawking. “When there is something this huge and beautiful and yet so humble and quite, How could I have been amazed at merely a house?” She thought almost instantaneously.

The sun was slowly waking up as he had already thrown out his golden bed spread on the earth. His lady love, the earth had eagerly accepted it and was hugging it hard and tight and was turning greenish yellow, its ecstasy turned into tears that overflowed as sparkling waterfalls all over her body. Looking at the love scene, the sky had blushed pink. Her breath was waking up all those sleeping flowers out of their slumber and their fragrance called for all those lovely birds and bees seeking nectar. The trees too had woken up as the earth’s breath- breeze had danced around them for which the birds sang hymn.

The nature at its best sat quietly before her, smiling at her. She removed her slippers and put a foot out and closed her eyes.

“ To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug” Helen keller’s words came to her mind like a stroke. How wonderful would it be to have a steaming cup of coffee, she thought.

“Coffee?”

She turned at the voice. Mathanan was standing there with a mug of something steaming. He looked dangerously heavenly in this yellow lighting. She turned her eyes away but her nostrils picked up the strong aroma of coffee.

“Come on, don’t hide your feelings. You can have this. This would make your beautiful smile even pretty.” he said.

“Why are you so..so…” Chemba was searching for words.

“Open?” he asked with a brisk smile.

“Why do you have to close yourself up? Why can’t you be just open like this nature for instant? I like it that way. I like you. You turn me on and I just am not ashamed of myself for accepting that simple fact.” He said calmly. ”coffee?” he asked again.

“I don’t have the habit of dringing coffee before brushing my teeth” she said and walked away from him, feeling weird inside her. I turn him on? mm..


It was 8.00 am when everybody was up and ready for the trek. They had had ‘uppuma’( a dish made of sooji) for breakfast which vangs simply hated, but not after Oviya taught him how to eat it with sugar. Shekar was throwing admiring glances at her now and then.

They had started to climb. Everybody was properly attired in thick boots and shorts, a light shirt and a coverall jacket tied at the hip and backpack perfectly stuffed with necessary paraphernalia. The group started their trip like professional climbers.

Few hours of easy climbing passed, all the while the youngsters chattered away and clicked away innumerable snaps. When it was about 11.00 am they reached a big clearing and they decided to take a break. They were sharing bread sticks. But Kuttan refused to take anything. He seemed to be distressed on something.

“What’s the matter?”Smitha asked him in broken sign language. He looked sad and forlorn.

He then showed her the sky.”what?” she asked. He again showed her the sky and turned few leaves upside and said something in sign language. Nobody could understand him except Madhanan.

“I think he says that something he saw in the sky and the upturned leaves were kind of a bad omen. I guess he is worried about his loved ones.” He asked him if he had anyone back at home in sign language.

Kuttan brightened up at that and shook his head vigorously up and down. He showed one finger and showed something small. “Probably a baby sister or brother.” Mathanan suggested. “Even some native American tribes have beliefs like these.”

“Yeah all natives have these stupid beliefs.” Vangs said.

“You can’t rule out all of them like that. Once even our astronomers were considered stupids beings when they were star gazing. Even Us, Indians were considered stupid natives once. And look now, half of the medicinal herbs our ancestors used in daily life are now accepted as having medicinal values- like urmeric. All that is unbelievable is not exactly impossible, Vangs. I think A.P.J Abdul kalam said something along these lines right?” he turned to Chemba. Chemba was really impressed and was beginning to suspect that he was trying to impress her. But his looks were so genuine.

“well, he even said something about dreaming. So let’s take a break and a short nap. The place is awesome.”Vangs suggested.

“No you silly. We can’t ,we are already late. We gotta go if we have to make it to the ‘ainthalai pothigai’ by dusk."

“Ok then, come on lets go” Oviya dusted the back of her shorts and whisked them all.

[iniyamalar]

It was a strenuous climb now. The terrain was getting difficult and rocky. At about noon the climate suddenly changed from cold to chilly. Mist was everywhere. They coudldn’t see even a few feet away. They decided to settle down and have their lunch.

Shekar was chatting with Oviya. Vangs was bragging about his US life and Smitha seemed awestruck at it.Vikki seemed to be obsessed with his camera and right now was cleaning its lenses.

Kuttan sat alone on a rock bad. That left the other two alone. Madhan came near Chemba. Chemba unusually got tensed. She took deep breaths to pacify her fast beating heart. He laughed softly.

“What?”she asked.

“You are scared.”He announced.

“What? Scared of what, (she knew what)?”

“Scared of me. That you might reveal your real feelings for me.”

“Which is?”she challenged him and he gave such a flirting look which made her blush. Oh heavens. Won’t somebody come for my rescue? she thought.

“guys, shall we move?” Oviya asked loudly, for it was getting impossible to see where one was standing.

Chemba jumped from the rock. Just miss, she thought.



The group starting climbing again with Kuttan as the lead. Suddenly they reached a cliff and a loud sound greeted them. Is that a waterfalls?

The girls ran to the cliff and saw. A huge waterfalls of about 50 feet height was doing beautiful free fall from beneath their feet.
“Cool” Oviya said.
Chemba stood transfixed. The place looked like it was torn out of a fantasy storybook.
Madhanan stood in the nearest corner and enjoyed the drizzling of the falls.

Kuttan said that they had to cross that huge waterfall. One misstep and you are one with the nature forever. It was a thrilling experience for those young minds.

It took about half an hour to cross that place all the time in human chain for balance. As easy to imagine, Madhanan took Chemba’s hand eagerly and held it like he was holding her for the holy matrimony itself. Chemba couldn’t help but laugh behind his back. Silly guy she thought, but did she know that she was already developing a soft corner for this guy?

They entered a dense forest in a while. Kuttan said in sign language that they could encounter animals in these parts.
Suddenly Smitha started to scream.

The girls had applied some cream to ward off leeches. But it looked like it was not enough. Few leeches were climbing up her boots. Kuttan suddenly ran somewhere and came in with few leaves in hand. He squeezed them and applied on his legs. The leeches went crazy and didn't bother him anymore.

Everyone followed his example. Madhanan was amazed. “Shekar can you get a specimen of that herb?”.

“Yes “said Shekar and went to pluck few of those leaves. Chemba stopped him. “Didn’t you read that you are not supposed to take anything from the bio reserve?”

It was then they saw a group of people on that side. They seemed to be of kuttan’s tribe. One guy came running towards them. “What are you doing here? This is a dangerous place. This is not a trekking path.”

“Yeah but we do have kuttan with us” said Vikram who till now was totally immersed in his Nikkon D60.

“Kuttan is here? Kutta ! people are searching all over for you. Your brother fell from a tree. His head is injured and he has got an arm fractured."
That was enough for Kuttan. He didn’t ask or say anything to anybody. It looked like he had wheels instead of feet.

“Oh boy, what do we do now?” Vikram was very upset. He was too keen on capturing the path less traveled in his camera.

Chemba felt disappointed too. “Can’t we go on without him? We have come this far.” she asked to one of the kanis.

“Are you crazy? These parts are very dangerous even for us. Where are you planning to go? This way will lead you to ‘neyyaaru origin’( neyyar is a river and has a dam in its name). Are you going there?”

“No actually we planned to go the other way to agathiyakoodam through ‘ainthalai pothigai’(a rock formation that looks like five headed snake the adhishesha).

The men looked like they were struck several times by a ghastly ghost. “You are joking right?” One man in ‘lungi’(an attire used by men) asked in whisper.

“No we are not.” Oviya reassured him.

“Why is there a problem en route?”Shekar asked seriously.

“Problem? You people don’t want to go home alive? Is this is a mass suicide mission or what?” an older looking kani asked them indignantly.

“Oh.. come one. Don’t bluff, ok” Vangs was clearly agitated now. He was beginning to enjoy the climb only now and he didn’t want to miss out the fun.

“Believe me, this is a dangerous terrain. And you are planning to go to ainthalai and from there agathiyakoodam? That is the stupidest path anyone could have drawn for you. Who did the mapping?”

“I did” shekar said meekly.

“You know nothing about these parts. How did you do it? How did kuttan accept this?”

“We showed him the map online. He liked it and said it will be dangerous but will be thrilling to go.”Vikram said equally.

“You cannot. Now since he is not here. You definitely cannot.”The old kani said again.

“Sir, don’t worry we have all the necessary tools.”Smitha tried to smoothen out.

“what tools? Do you know how an ‘arokyapacha’* or ‘iswaramuli’* or the very simple ‘karunthulasi’* will look like? Do you know how to treat if you are bit by a snake, or know what kind of snake bit you?”

(* herbs used by the native tribes.)

“Well we don’t know all that”

“wow. are those herbs you just said?”Madhanan had a glow in his eyes.

“Leave it..If you go by the ainthalai it is like you are going into the abode of the adhi shehsan himself.”

“Then that snake god will take care of us, won’t he?”smitha mocked at him. He gave her a stormy look and continued ”Besides it also comes under a part of the tiger reserve.”

“But all these are minor things.” The old man said and stopped. He looked at the group standing before them.

“I don’t think you would stand a chance before the anger of maamuni.”

“The what muni?”

“Maamuni agathiya. He is here. He is back. Many of us have seen him and so many other siddhas. And he is very angry these days. People who willingly go to their part of the forest have never come back themselves.”

“What do you mean?”

“They are all half gone. They see things. They see people. All gone mad and then dead. Please don’t go” He finished with a plead.

“Oh please..I have had enough. Shall we move now?”Smitha was clearly pissed off.

“Listen child. Agathiyar is angry . He sends out angry thunders at night. His anger is shown as the white light in several parts of this forest. I am not joking. Please believe me.” He said.

“ The white light ?” Chemba looked interested.

“First you threatened now you are pleading. That’s disgusting. Just leave us alone ok?. We can take care of ourselves.”Vangs said to them as he came near smitha and held her shoulders.

“ Vangs. We cannot just ignore this.” Mathanan said quietly.

“Oh please don’t tell me you believe in this stupid story of a stupid sage coming alive after these thousands of years of sleep.” he barked and exactly at the same time a very bright spark of lightning tore up the sky blindingalmost everyone followed by a very loud thunder that cracked open the sky .

[pavalamani pragasam]

Quite thrilling! How adventurous the kids are! Almost foolhardy in their trekking mission, I fear!!!
Very cool narration1 Carrying one along as if one were part of the group!

[AudazJay]

I agree with PP maam! Great narration Iniyamalar You seem like a seasonal writer, great going

[Querida]

Hey sorry,
only know did I find that for each episode you have a new thread
was waiting for older thread to be updated
anyways am all caught up now (with the story and with the excitement!!)
hope to read more soon!

[iniyamalar]

Dear PPmam, jay and querida

Thank you so much for the response.

Yes I will try to make the posts a little faster from now on, probably once a week. Thank you for the interest.