The Golden Trident
Chapter 1
The mystic trident
Believe it or not …
When you look at a person, your eyes are focused on him and you never notice who is in front of him or who is behind him..
After so many days, Parvathi felt a little happier today and there was a reason for that. Also, that reason had a name called Vignesh. He was not someone but her only son.
He came and stood in front of her with a smile, with a file in his hand, wearing a white shirt tucked inside a pair of dark blue formal pants.
“Is it time for the bus, dear?”
“Yes, mom. It’s getting late. If I start now I can reach the office in time, otherwise, I would get a black mark on the first day of joining itself…”
“Oh! No...No… You start now.”
“Mom, put the sacred ash on my forehead and bless me..”
Parvathi fulfilled her son’s wish. When he left the house, she sighed seeing her husband, Neelakandan’s photo.
It was adorned with a rose garland!
Seven to eight years have passed since Neelakandan died. The happiness that left her came back only today when Vignesh left for joining a job.
However, the death of Neelakandan was a real tragedy. He was driving behind a truck loaded with iron rods in his two-wheeler. When the lorry driver applied the sudden brake to avoid hitting an old woman who was crossing the road, Neelakandan lost his balance and his scooter went straight in to the iron rods, protruding from the back of the lorry. The sharp rods pierced into his chest and came out on the other side. He died on the spot.
It was photographed and published by all the leading newspapers, creating an unhealable wound in Parvathi’s heart. Not only husband’s death, Parvathi’s brother in law, Mukundan, that is Vignesh’s uncle too died in an accident, more or less in a similar way. He was a building contractor
and was supervising the construction of an apartment standing on a knuckle lift, suddenly he lost balance and fell on the pillar rods, which were protruding vertically up from the partly completed construction and exactly three rods pierced into his chest like a trident.
Parvathi was heartbroken as more and more such news came to her one by one. Fortunately, there were no financial difficulties as she has inherited sufficient family properties in her name from her forefathers. She never faced any problems in giving the best of education available in the country to Vignesh. In this era where education has become more or less a product and has become very costly and slowly becoming a dream for the middle class, Vignesh was really blessed to have his education from one of the top institutions. He was very intelligent and smart in his studies. He studied well and secured ranks in many subjects. All these led him to a bright career path and helped him to get a good job.
A project engineer post in a famous Windmill Company!
Thirty-two thousand salary per month!
Nowadays, there are only two options left open before the job seekers; either opting for a low paying job to get employed immediately or to wait and compete on merit and get a high paid job. Those days old people used to say, “I started my career with fifteen rupees salary per month and gradually got a rise up to five thousand rupees, working very hard day and night”. But now, there’s no need for that. Time has changed everything, a starting salary of five figures is not at all a mere dream nowadays for the right candidate with the right qualifications. Whether this is good or not we have to wait and see …
Fortunately, Vignesh got a good job with a high salary. Parvathi was a really proud and happy that her son has got a good job.
That Windmill company was a new one. It was launched by an NRI. One of the two major problems India is facing today is shortage of fuel and power! But we have to think for a minute about how men might have managed to live without these two elements starting from the period of Adam and Eve? We couldn't even imagine it. The moment after a power cut, our body starts to sweat and irritation spreads. Even worse the situation, when it comes to petrol shortages. Those days people used to walk for kilometers. Now our kids want and demand bikes at the age of ten. The use of human legs is now limited to walking indoors and for kick starting the bike. Perhaps that’s why petrol sales didn’t go down no matter how much it rises.
The intellectuals in the world are constantly on the lookout for solutions to fix these two problems which has become a nightmare to the rulers.
The Windmill company in which Vignesh joined is a company that produces electricity from wind. One way to use that electricity for them was to use it immediately, Just like converting water into ice, shifting it and then using it by melting. The company is going to find out if it is possible to store wind power in batteries and use them later where needed when needed…Vignesh was chosen to research on this.
He was waiting in front of the G.M room to join the duty. It was a beautiful A.C room. The company’s logo was clearly visible inside the room. He liked the text, “The two most abundant forms of power on earth are solar and wind, and they're getting cheaper and cheaper.
Ed Begley, Jr.” When he was observing that, G. M’s P.A, Babu called him and took him inside the G. M’s room.
“Welcome Vignesh,” G.M Suresh invited him inside. He was wearing a five face Rudraksha in a silver chain… That helped Vignesh to identify him as a strong believer in God. He shook hands with him and took his seat which was just opposite to him.
“Tell me, Vignesh. You are going to become a project manager for a big concern, are you happy?”
“Very happy, sir...”
“You have been very responsible from your college life. You don't even have an interest in sports that everyone has. It is obvious from your marks that your full concentration was in your studies. This is a wonderful thing, without showing much interest in TV and movies, you have been like this, it seems like that you were born to learn and learn … Am I correct?”
Suresh said with a smile.
“Yes, sir...I’m a bookworm… In fact, I don’t have any interest in the activities you’ve mentioned...”
“You are very unique, Mr. Vignesh. It is quite common to find that ants are fond of eating sugar. Likewise, it is very difficult for a person of your age to avoid certain things but I see you are an exception!” as he said, he called his HR manager in the intercom and said, “Vignesh is our new project engineer. Show him his seat and explain him his duties...”
The HR manager took Vignesh with him.
“Sir...My name is Dileep… You are Vignesh, right?”
“Exactly…”
“Which college?”
“University College …”
“Oh...One of the topmost colleges in Kerala, right?”
“Yes, sir,”
“Did you have exposure in any other Windmill areas?”
“No, sir. I have published a research paper on this topic.”
“These kinds of projects are the future of our country. For now, there are a number of Windmills in Kanjicode… We have also selected some hill spots in Idukki for this project…”
He came to the road outside the office as he was saying. On both the sides of the road there were plenty of neem trees in a row. In all the trees the leaves were very green and was very pleasant to see. In some places along the road, construction works were going on. Some masons and helpers were seen busy with their work.
“Your office is there at… These are all office buildings under construction. Accounts section is going to come there.” he said, as he showed a semi-built building. Vignesh also observed that the constructions were going on in a full swing. At that time, a supervisor called Dileep, “Sir, please come here.”
Dileep said “One-minute, Mr. Vignesh” and went with the supervisor. Vignesh moved to the side of the road under the shadow of a neem tree. His eyes unknowingly turned to a golden trident glittering in the rays of the sun which was fixed under a neem tree on one side of the road with a red rose garland on it… He asked Dileep about it when he returned.
“What is it, sir...Like a trident.”
“Not like...It is exactly a trident.”
“Surprising, is it really made of gold!”
“Yes, one day, milk dripped from that neem tree. It tasted very sweet. Earlier the workers used to sit and relax under that tree for a while. After they saw the milk dripping from it, they started to worship the tree as their divine mother. Now it is slowly developing into a temple!”
“Why trident…!”
“They believe that if the trident is there it will protect them from all evil forces and that passersby will know that it is a place of worship.”
“How did the company permit this?”
“First of all, we do not allow or encourage these kinds of things. We advised the employees not to create any story related to this. But the next day, a cobra came there. At that time, a woman worker went into a trance state and started saying about the past, present and future of the workers standing nearby.. Our M.D is a devotee of Maa Kali so he allowed them to worship and donated this golden trident as per their wish. He told me that he is seriously thinking about constructing a temple here…”
Dileep said very casually. Vignesh giggled. But Dileep found it to be a smirk.
“What, sir? Are you an atheist?”
“Not like that, sir but I do not believe in any type of superstitions.”
“So, you take this as a superstition and a foolish act?”
“Surely sir. There is a scientific reason behind this. The state of trance is related to neurology … When everything is crystal clear, how could I believe in this?
I would like to ask you one thing. This whole world is created by the supreme. If it is so, why it should be like that the supreme has chosen a place inside this company to show miracles. I have read in many stories that the supreme appear in the dreams of a certain person and show signs of its existence in a particular place if it likes, it’s enough that it says this in our MD’s dream… Why does the supreme has to show all these signs in the neem tree…?”
Hearing Vignesh’s questions, Dileep understood that he would speculate everything wisely. That second, it was clear for him how he would perform in his career.
“Correct, Vignesh, your judgement is correct. I too agree with you in this context… But we are workers. We can’t say anything against the management. What can we do?” as he said, they reached near the trident.
Vignesh laughed observing the trident a little closer. Coconuts and bananas were seen placed under the trident. The holy red saffron was scattered all over the ground. When he was about to go to see the tree’s milk drained part with his footwear, a woman worker’s voice stopped him, “Sir! Sir…”
“Don’t go with the footwear.”
“What will happen if I go?”, saying, he went more closer to the tree. The spot from where the milk was dripping, now, almost looked dried. He touched the milk with his index finger and tasted it, really it was very sweet.
“It is purely genetic. Even this milk may have some medicinal properties.” he returned to the road where Dileep was standing.
Wide expanses of neem trees made the place feel pleasant.
“You have so much guts! You are super confident,” Dileep praised him.
“Oh, god! What is this, sir. You are praising me for just going under that tree with the footwear on, I told you sir I don’t believe in all these stupid things.”
“It’s not like that, sir. That cobra I have seen that day, it’s posture everything is very odd. In fact, I too believe that there is some positive power here.”
“Hearing your words, I wish to see that snake.”saying, he stepped a foot forward. The next moment he moved back with a shock, something fell from the top of the tree where he was standing. He was really a little frightened when he turned back and looked at what he saw…
It was that snake which he wished to see….
It looked at Vignesh ferociously.
