Chapter 4
The black is as black as the black.
Atharva Veda is a collection of mantras which is sacred as the other Vedas. All will not get a chance to learn and practice it unless written in their book of fate. And those who have in their destiny to learn mantras, they will learn and practice them by themselves or through a guru and others, they may not believe in it.
That graveyard was very vast by both area and capacity!
We could see several tombs there amidst the dense forest located in the south of the town.
Four to five burial grounds there; were separated by low- level fencing!
They often keep on burning the bodies, so the graveyard always had dim light and moderate smoke even during nights.
Aghori was the in-charge of the graveyard. But even he was afraid to stay there at midnight and would leave that graveyard by eight or nine at night.
Only a few witches and black magicians used to visit that particular desolate graveyard occasionally after that time. They come wearing amulets for protection and with a wooden staff with bells on its tip.
At that odd time, Kalidas, the black magician, entered the graveyard. He had covered himself wholly with a black blanket and was holding a wooden staff in his hand. Dust flew away as he walked. He was wearing khadau slippers, which are made of mace tree wood as some roots and trees give protection against evil spirits.
There were two giant tamarind trees at the entrance of the graveyard.
Few sparrows come and suck the honey of the flowers that bloom on this tree. Squirrels also love this tree as they could sleep comfortably in the tree hollows. Knowing well that they were sleeping like this, snakes will come in line there during night time. This tree is also a shelter for some wandering chicks; they would be resting in between the tree branches. They are the most favourite food for snakes. Owls also come to this tree to compete with snakes.
The entrance gate of the graveyard was under this majestic tree. Aghori, who is in charge of that graveyard, was standing near the gate. It is to mention that generally, he vacates the place before nine, but today he was waiting for someone, the black magician Kalidas. When Kalidas arrived, he bowed humbly to show his respect.
“How are you, Aghori?” Kalidas asked him casually.
“Not bad, Guru.”
“Is there any problem?”
“Nothing. Only if I stay here…”
“Why are you afraid…? This work is your fate. No harm will come to you.”
“It’s not like that …Guru. My heart pains, Guru. When I saw that people are not following our old rituals now, they are not bringing the dead bodies here as before, all of them have changed to ‘Electric crematoriums’. The rites that must take place on the 16th day; have been completed on the same day of death itself; people have no time. Everything has changed a lot.”
“Do not say that to me. I can see four or five bodies burning there...”
“Those are the bodies of people, who believe in Shastra...”
“Those people will always exist. Let it go; I told you to wait because I heard that one virgin girl was dead and brought here… ”
“Go straight…You will find that girl in that corner near the tamarind tree...”
“What would be her age?”
“She might be twenty to twenty- five. She drank poison and committed suicide because of being a love failure...”
“Okay, fine. Shall I go?”
As he asked, Aghori stood there with the expectation of getting some tips from him.
"You will never change." he said, as he gave a five hundred rupee note to him.
"Guru…"
"What?"
"This is not enough… Guru, I will have to do all the jobs again after you leave. There is a lot of work involved in this which I have to do alone, you can understand. I need not explain to you in detail…"
"You always say this to me."
He gave one more five hundred rupee note to him. Aghori was now quite happy; he stood with folded hands before Kalidas while showing him the direction in which he has to go. Kalidas walked towards the tamarind tree, which was on the extreme corner of the graveyard.
The time was about two o'clock…
Narayanan Nair’s tea shop was open even during that time.
When Aghori came with a wooden staff in his hand, Narayanan Nair looked at him with fear and hate.
"Why are you looking at me like this, Nair Bro? I am also a human being. Give me tea."
"Let it be. Are you coming back from the graveyard?"
"That is none of your business, Nair Bro. Why do you want to know that?"
"Oh! Then okay. I was waiting for those who will be returning after the second show. Not for those who are ‘friends of ghost’ in the graveyard."
"Oh god! You have got everything wrong ... Nothing is like that. Bro, just as you burn the garbage, I am burning the dead bodies. There are no devils and ghosts; all are lies…"
"Do not blabber to me for a single tea. I saw Kali going that side a few hours before…If there are no spirits, why is he going to the graveyard very often...?"
"He is a fake magician. He is cheating the public. Whatever he claims about controlling the spirits, are all lies."
"Why should he, who deceives the public, come at midnight to the burial ground…? That too specifically when virgin girls get buried. He could cheat the people staying in his own house itself, right...?"
"Everything is a setup."
"Whatever you say…I cannot trust you. You first leave this place…There is a foul smell coming from you."
"Trust me, Nair Bro, he is a fraud. He comes to the graveyard in search of the bodies of virgin girls. Rituals, controlling the spirits all are lies …”
Nair could not decide whether to believe him or not. Perhaps, he might have lied for a cup of free tea.
At this time, a group of people came walking towards the tea shop. They were returning from the nearby theatre after the second show.
Aghori did not want to stay there anymore, so he left murmuring something.
The morning sun just signed in…
The milk kept boiling in the copper vessel on the stove, has got wholly dried by this time. Nair fell asleep while sitting near his cash table.
In his dream, somebody hit him on the shoulder with a stick. He suddenly got up.
Kalidas was standing in front of him, covering himself with a black blanket and a red turban on his head.
“Guru…”
“What, Guru? What is this, Nair? Is this the way to run a tea shop? You were sleeping like a log…”
“I fell asleep, Guru…”
“Okay, okay... one black tea.”
“Sure.” He started preparing the tea and asked,
“It seems like that you have gone to the burial grounds …Are the rituals over?”
On hearing Nair’s question, Kalidas stared at him for a second. By that stare, he was indirectly asking, ‘How do you know?’
“That Aghori came here last night, Guru, he said that…” Nair confessed.
“What did that fool say?”
“He said...you are doing some special rituals in the graveyard…”
“Is that all he said...or anything more?”
“Don’t get angry, Guru…, Earlier I had only very few customers. After placing the yantra, you gave in the cash box, my time changed…. Why should I lie to you?
Kalidas took a small bottle with a lac colored fluid in it and showed it against the face of Nair.
“Do not play games with me. Shall I say what Aghori told you?”
“Guru…”
“Did he say that ghosts and spirits are humbugs...?”
“Guru…”
“Did he said, I’m a fake black magician, and I'm searching for virgin girl’s dead bodies for sex...?”
“Yes...Guru, this is what that fool said! How did you find it, Guru?”
“It’s kid’s play for me…shall I tell how much money is there in your cash box?”
“Really..?”
“Wait a minute. I will tell you accurately, then you will start believing me.”
Kalidas took his stuff and touched its end to his forehead; and murmured some mantras.
Then he said, “There are five hundred and thirty rupees and fifty paise in your cash drawer, count that and tell me if I am wrong…”
Nair started counting the cash inside his drawer …
He was stunned.
“What?”
“It’s absolutely correct, Guru. How, Guru...How did you find…?
“That is my tantric power.”
“What’s that power, Guru?”
“You need not know that now...it is none of your business. I warn you, do not utter a word to that Aghori about what we discussed here.”
“Never, Guru, I will not …but I wonder; how he said that there are no ghosts and spirits, even though he is working in a burial ground.”
“It is not a ‘Choice Paradise’ building to be visible to everyone’s eyes… It took me more than thirty years to see a spirit with my physical eyes. I could attain that power only after I had chanted specific mantras for more than lakh times...”
“You are telling something amazing, Guru …”
“I didn’t complete yet …! There’s a lot more. There is one unique lamp. If I find where it is, it is enough for me for a lifetime and more. I need not wander in the graveyards like this anymore.”
“What is so special about that lamp, Guru…? Is it something like Aladdin’s lamp?”
“Aladdin’s lamp is different. If you rub that lamp, a genie will appear to make your wishes come true. We don't even need to rub this for that purpose. Not only that, this lamp is made of …”
Kalidas paused in between and changed the topic, “Leave it...you need not know anything about it now.”
He summoned a lemon by snapping his fingers in the air and offered it to Nair.
“What is this, Guru?”
“Take this lemon. Hang it in front of your shop. Your business will develop. Do you pay rent for this shop?”
“Yes, Guru Ji…”
“You will buy this land within three months.”
He got excited. Kalidas drank the tea in one gulp and moved away from there silently.
Quite a different black magician he is …!
