Chapter 7
Turning back biological clock
Just as the Azhinjal tree is supposed to have sorcery powers, the Yanai Vanangi (Dicksonia Antarctica)) herb has the power to control the mind of elephants. Experiential knowledge is very essential to find the herb Yanai Vanangi in the forest. It is believed that it will neutralize enmity or hostility with powerful people within a short period.
Next up is the Poolan Kodi and its flowers... If one keeps it inside their turban or pocket, whatever one intend to do will be successful.
There are so many miraculous herbs like this in the forest.
Yavana Kanthi is a divine herb that restores youthfulness. It is believed that this herb has come from the heavens where the Karpaga Virutcham (A divine tree)is also there. Grinding its root and applying it on the skin or ingesting it's budding leaves and drinking the infusion of its flowers, will apparently regain one's lost youth.
It is very rare to find Yavana Kanthi which is always guarded by snakes.
Mohan stood shocked!
Both Manolal and Raman Kutty left the bungalow and disappeared in to the thick the forest. Mohan struggled to find where they went in that dark night.
Mohan longed to follow them but he could not make out how, Kaladharan was watching him from a distance.
Mohan came to him
"Bro, I want to follow them. It's Manolal who just went out with that doctor!"
"I know... but how will you go?"
"Somehow I have to go…"Before Mohan completed, the person who went to bring the toolbox came back with the manage.
"Hurry up and finish it fast...you can't stay here for long...." - said the manager.
"Is the star's family here?"
"Yes.. they came for holidays."
" Lal sir is abroad, right?"
"Yes..he is in Germany now! “The manager lied. Kaladharan smiled which was not visible in that dark night. At the same time, Mohan escaped from there cleverly.
"Where is that person who came with you? “The manager asked.
"He went to the guest house to bring my sweater and bicycle. “Kaladharan managed the situation beautifully.
"You could have brought them when you came...you should not have allowed him to go alone what if something happens to him…"
"That is his fate…what can I do?"
Saying this Kaladharan took the spanner from the toolbox and started doing his work!
The doctor and the old man were walking through the path of Naga forest which was leading to the nearby lake. Mohan was following them at a distance of about one hundred feet!
The moonlit night guided them. The doctor walked a bit solidly but Manolal was walking stumbling a little, not a little actually, a lot, he fell down at many places got up and continued to walk.
Is he the same Manolal who used to fight tirelessly even when surrounded by ten people in the movie? Is he the one who sings duets with young girls who were not even eighteen? Mohan continued to suppress all these questions which came up in his mind one by one. In that rough path Mohan also fell down in many places and got up. It seemed to him that he has made a big mistake by not bringing his backpack in which there was a high resolution compact video camera. If it was with him now he could have captured all these events as a record.
In the dim moonlit night, Mohan continued to follow them at a distance he could now see the shore of a lake!
A small boat was there on the shore of the lake!
A boatman with a paddle was waiting on the boat as if he was expecting someone.
The boat set off once the doctor and Manolal boarded the boat, Mohan’s heart began to pound out of curiosity. He came to the shore and stood there blaming his bad luck for missing such a golden opportunity.
By now the boat has gone a long way from the shore!.
When Mohan touched the lake water it was as cold as the ice he immediately withdrew his hands.
His intuition told him that he is in danger and someone is behind him.
The next minute someone hit him on the back of his head very hard with an iron rod. He fell unconscious on the spot forgetting where he is and what he is doing!
Dawn! The forest filled with the sounds of chirping and whistling birds and the fog slowly withdrawing when the rays of the sun pierces in.A villager came and stood before the hut of Punuku Pamman.
“Pamma,Hey,Pamma. ”the way in which he called made Pamman to come out of the hut and look at once.
"Who is it....? "
"The village head wants to meet you immediately."
"Why?"
"Can you come or not, don’t ask unnecessary questions... "
"Ok,you move... I'll come." he took the powdered charcoal from a old tin can and brushed his teeth with it.He took the bottle with the filtered pepper water in it and drank it in one gulp.
Behind his hut, there was a toilet covered with an old sack in the entrance. He entered in to attend the nature’s call. When he washed some froglets also came with the water.
After he has washed his feet he entered the hut and wiped his hands and feet with a rag. A sweater was lying there on the top of a wooden frame. A foreigner who has come to visit Naga forest has gave him that as a gift. He started walking wearing it.
His elderly mother was lying there asleep wrapped in a woolen blanket in a rope cot.Although the thought of the regular dried ginger coffee, he used to drink from the hands of his mom came in his mind he did not disturbed her, he walked towards the hut of the village head.
Their abode in the Naga forest was in the slopes and not on the plains. So the walk was not smooth it is to be noted that any newcomer who visits here will definitely face breathing problems due to the strain they encounter while walking. But for those who are born and brought up here they are very much used to this. Pamman walked briskly..
Doctor Raman Kutty was sitting in a rope cot in front of the village head’s hut. The village head Nagan was making rice porridge mixing some herbal medicine in it given by Raman Kutty and was drinking it. In Naga forest's fifteen desams, he is the village head for the desam known as Spring desam. Under his headship, there were about hundred people. He is under the care of Raman Kutty for the past three years for his asthma problem.
Pamman came and stood before them.
Pamman stared at Raman Kutty. The doctor also looked at him indifferently.
"Come “said Nagan.
"Tell me why you called me?"
"First you sit there..."
"Moopa,why you called me?"
"If I tell you to sit you have to…I am the village head."
"Moopa,I am not your slave, Tell me why you called?"
"Pamma, Doctor wants 50 grams of civet, it is very urgent ..."
"How much...?"
"50 grams…"
"50 grams... why this much?"
"It is none of your business! He will give you the money you want. Go with him and do whatever he asks this is my order. "
"But Moopa,why should I work for him...?"
"I am a fool, I have done the big mistake of permitting you to learn up to eighth standard and now you have grown up to the level of questioning the village head.... listen Pamma…this is my order and you have to obey it, do you understand? “the sternness in the village head's voice made Pamman to accept what he said halfheartedly.
Raman Kutty got up, he appeared very simple in a green colored dhoti and white Jubba. Good physique. He stood straight as if he was not feeling the chillness of the morning and started walking. Pamman followed him.
While they continued to walk, Pamman remained silent as he was not sure of what he is going to do.
Raman Kutty turned back and looked at Pamman when they reached the forest road where the heavy vehicles used to ply. Now Pamman asked the doctor boldly,
"Doctor, how far we have to walk like this? "
"I'll say... you wait, a lorry will come now for firewood. It will be going downhill to the town. Go in that lorry and buy all the Malayalam papers and weeklies for me to read from the town…"
"But, doctor, you asked me to collect the civet? "
"After you do this, you can go to the forest and collect it."
"Doctor, for the newspapers, why should I go, if you pay the lorry driver, he can do it for you. "Raman Kutty smiled hearing his reply.
"That is also a good idea. You can go or someone else can go, what I need is the newspapers."
"After I collecting the civet, where should I meet you?"
"You know the midfield?"
"Who doesn't know, I am born and brought up here only? "
"Then come to the Naga Siddha Cave there. "
"Are you staying there now?"
"I will stay wherever I like it is none of your business. Do you understand? “The tone in which doctor said it made Pamman to stop ask any further questions. Raman Kutty gave a five hundred rupee note in Pamman’s hand and started walking back briskly through the way from where they came from.
Raman Kutty’s activities raised many doubts in Pamman’s mind! On the way, he heard the sound of a lorry coming down from uphill. He stood in the middle of the road and waved his hands to stop it and gave the money to the driver and told him the details. The driver put the money in his pocket and started the lorry. Pamman started walking along the path leading towards Melanadu to collect the civet.
Kaladharan was coming just opposite to him.
"Hey,Pamma…"
"Bro…."
"Where are you going at this time? "
"For what else bro, for my business only!. "
"To collect civet?"
"Bro,the monkeys and the wild cats are also half-humans. They also start roaming around in the forest in the morning, right?"
"Listen carefully, Pamma, stop with the collection of civets. Don't hurt those poor cats. "
"No,bro,never, my livelihood is dependent on those cats, right?"
"Even if you say so, I don't believe it, I find very less number of wild cats in the forest these days. I fear that someone may be selling them for money."
"How can they enter our Naga forest? If they come here and do like that Nagamma will not allow them to go out alive from here!"
"Oh, you are saying like that ,ok be careful while climbing the trees and also be on the alert when you put your hands inside those holes where the wild cats live...sometimes the mountain snakes might have entered those holes and swallowed the cats and may be taking rest there ..." saying this Kaladharan who was about to go came back and stood before Pamman.
"What bro,do you want anything from the forest? "
"No... Did you meet any outsiders?"
"Outsiders?"
"An youngster with a big backpack yesterday...? "
"Oh...Mohan, bro?"
"Oh,my god, do you know him?"
"Yes, but I didn't met him today."
"He was with me yesterday night after that I don't know what happened to him or where he is.His backpack and other things are with me in the guest house.."
"Then, didn’t he stayed in the guest house last night, maybe he might have gone for collecting some news! ”
"Hmm,who can stop the press. Only if they are brave and bold they can collect news. I have got a doubt maybe he might have gone behind that siddha doctor for some information."
"Which doctor?"
"Hey,Pamma, don’t talk like as if you do not know anything, we all know it is our Raman Kutty."
"Oh ...so what you say is Mohan bro went behind Raman Kutty doctor following him for collecting some news!"
“Yes,Pamma,if you happen to meet him anywhere in the forest, please tell him to come to guest house immediately. Who knows the poor fellow might have been attacked by some wild life and may be lying somewhere in the forest."
When Kaladharan said this and left there, a suspicion began to brew inside Pamman’s mind about Raman Kutty.
