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Chapter – 26
“Paaa . . . ni”
“Amme Mahamaye!! All
in your grace”, head priest sighed in relief and whispered a short prayer in
honour of the deity. Devi has come back home and she has safe guarded the
child.
Roohi is mumbling
again, “paani”. She hasn’t opened her eyes yet, but clearly her consciousness
is setting in. They need to hurry, he gestured to the fellow priest who was
tagging along, “Shankara, run before me and inform the others. Get some water
on the way”.
The little, lean
priest didn’t need further encouragement. The thick forest is getting on his
nerves and they are yet to reach the clearance. Noise of a stick breaking
somewhere, then another . . . Was it a bad idea to leave the two constables
behind?
“Roooohi!”
“Oh! Roohi my
darling, are you alright?”
“What happened?”
“How did you get
her?”
“Where are the
others?”
It’s a commotion and by the time
Memana Namboodiri got back to his senses, Roohi was lying on the lap of a
weeping Tara. Shekhar’s eyes too are filled and he wrapped his hands protectively
over his exhausted wife and darling child.
Jennifer
opened the eagle flask, her constant travel companion of years, poured some
water and put it to Roohi’s lips. Her face is gaining back its natural hue and
the small eye lids flickered for a moment before revealing the brownish light
inside.
“Mumma?”
*****
Manu
is sitting calmly under the shade; the two constables are standing guard
watching his movements. It seems unnecessary though, the little rascal is too
clever to do any such foolish things. Under different circumstances, he could
have been mistaken for a second Buddha with that calm, meditative look and
sharp eyes that seems to pierce through one's heart.
“So
the thief has come back from the dead. Why may I ask?”, Sudheeran’s words were
dripping with sarcasm.
Manu appeared nonplussed. He wasn’t
expecting anything else from someone born with a silver spoon in mouth. He, on
the other hand, had to get through with the scraps they got as a poojari. His father was no Drona to
bring the real milk to his son, he needed to step into his place . . .
“Why?
Do we need some special medicine to make your majesty speak?”, Sudheeran’s
words broke his reverie. The spoiled brat is demanding answers.
“I never left. Not
really. I had my ways to know what happens here in my village. Time demanded me
to stay away for some time. Father, that good for nothing coward, was too
scared to sell the idol. And without the chosen child, no one can access that
location without suspicion of Devi’s wrath. Then there was the chance of the
fake idol being found.”
“So you killed Shivan
to get away”.
“Don’t be so sure. I
am not a murderer. Shivan was already dead when I found him in forest, I just
exchanged his talisman with mine and made sure his body is not found easily. By
the time they came on it, signs showed that its me.”
“A perfect getaway”
“Told you I was never
really gone. I knew I would be back one day”.
“Too bad we spoiled
the party on this second coming”, the constables too laughed on hearing
Sudheeran’s words. Suddenly they could hear the voices of the other search
party. That had the quick effect of calming everyone.
“Quick! It’s not too
late. Release me now and we can share this fortune. You will need that to clear
your secret debts, Mr. Varma”, colour drained from Sudheeran’s face. No one is
supposed to know about that. Manu’s face beamed triumphantly.
But only for a moment.
Varma slapped him hard. "Never ask me to share our Devi's wealth! Never again!"
But only for a moment.
Varma slapped him hard. "Never ask me to share our Devi's wealth! Never again!"
“Mr. Varma, are you
fine?”, Ravi has come to take charge of the scene; “What the . . .”, his body
went rigid on seeing Manu’s crest fallen shape.
“Yes, that is Manu.
Our culprit”, clarified Sudheeran.
“Manu? Manu who?
This is not Manu”.
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