Chapter 9
Thunder hole water
Researchers conducted many studies in Naga Forest over the past ten years and found it very unique. For a forest to thrive soil, water and smooth flow of the air are very important. The impact of the sun also plays a vital role in its development of a forest. The sun’s rays should fall direct on a forest for at least eight hours continuously for its balanced growth. In the morning the sun will not be so hot but in the noon it will be very hot.
The heat of the sun subsides slowly and in the evening it will be very low. There is a lot of difference between the heat of the sun in the morning and in the evening. In the morning the chillness slowly vanishes and you will feel very warm by the passage of time. In the evening you will not feel that much warm and slowly you will start feeling the chillness. For the plants in the forest all these climatic changes should be unform for their healthy growth. If some tall trees only are exposed to the sunlight and if the other plants remain in the sun shade, there will not be any balanced growth in the forest. This will lead to subtle differences in the plant's chemistry, although they may look healthy.
Naga forest receives uniform sun exposure everywhere and because of this we can find many rare divine herbal plants here.
Kazhugu Medu was far away from the Naga Forest. There is a beautiful spring there and also a story behind it. It is believed that when Indra’s weapon ‘Vajrayutham’ hit the earth this spring was formed. The water in this spring has some sort of unique power in it. The animals in the forest, if they drink water from this spring, their stomach will turn into somewhat stone like.
Because of this one can find hundreds of eagles waiting here for their prey.
The area always seems like an unofficial eagle sanctuary and it is very difficult for anyone to escape from the attacks of the eagles there. Normally the tribal people avoid going to this area. The rocks up here are high in iron content.
Even in Kanjamalai in Tamilnadu there are a lot of stones with iron content in it.An iron factory is also there. Many people do not know about this.
Due to the presence of iron in the earth, when it rains thunder falls are very common here. The strength of the electrical energy generated at that time is infinite. No one knows how Raman Kutty knows all about this and the specialty of the water in that spring in Kazhugu Medu.
His visit to such a place raised so many doubts in the mind of Pamman.
"Ji ... What are we going to do with this pot there?"
"We have to collect the water from that spring in it. "
"What's so special about that water?"
"Pamma you can't understand it even if I say. It is not like ordinary water, it's something like oil. Its known as ‘Thunder hole’ water. "
"Thunder hole water?"
"Yes, it is water with high electrical energy."
"What is it used for?"
"For many things... especially if it is mixed with powdered ‘Yavana Kanthi’, and if applied on the skin, wrinkles due to the old age will vanish. Not only that, the body of that person will shine like gold. If you consume it in moderate quantity it will strengthen the internal organs. In short it can change a person of one hundred years old into fifty years. If he consumes this one more time, he will become twenty-five…."
"Ji, you are saying this, do you have any evidence for this…?"
"I will show you, wait for a little while…"
"How? "
"Let's go to Kazhugu Medu first and collect that spring water. Then you will understand ."
"Ji... won't the eagles attack us? "
"I have got a technique to keep them off. "
"How, Ji?"
"If you cover your head with ‘Poolan’ (Aerva lanata)vines, they will not come near to you."
"Oh,I know that for the smell of the ‘Siriyanangai’(Andrographis paniculata)plant the snakes will not come, is this like that, Ji?"
"That's right ..."
"Why should I come with you to do this, Can't you collect this water yourself, Ji?"
"You know well that I am aged, It is difficult for me to carry this pot by myself"
"Ji,I just feel like that you are having butter in your hands and is searching for the ghee."
"Pamma, don’t make fun of me, I can understand you…you are asking me indirectly, why I am not taking that medicine which makes one young, Isn’t it?"
"Yes,Ji."
"Pamma, If I become young, I will not get any respect. People respect me as I am now if I turn young it means that the old Dr. Raman Kutty is dead and no more. The value and respect are only for the old Raman Kutty and not for the young Raman Kutty. I tested this once and people who saw me started asking me whether I am the son of Dr. Raman Kutty. I was very happy hearing that but when they said that they want to consult only with the old Dr. Raman Kutty, I understood the reality…”
"Oh,I didn’t expect such type of complications in this..."
"That's not the only problem..... It's just like that I am no more but still I exist."
"Then how did you become like this again, Ji? "
"I stopped taking that medicine."
"Ah.... so to remain young you have to take this medicine continuously!"
"Yes. Once in three months... Once in a year… Once in three years... like that there are many courses depending on the age of the people who use it..."
The doctor continued to walk while explaining all this very to casually to Pamman. Sherlock was following them silently.
Pamman was scared to the core every time when he saw Sherlock as the doctor had already told him that the Sherlock's bite would cause death within minutes. For Pamman It was like going for a walk with a tiger in the form of a dog.
By now they have reached the Keezh Nadu from the Mela Nadu. There was a hill road there made for forest department jeep’s and cars to go through the Keezh Nadu. When they were passing through that way, they heard a clop …clop … clop… sound,the sound of a horse's hoof striking the ground.
The moment when Raman Kutty heard that sound his facial expressions changed all of a sudden and Pamman noticed it very closely.Veeran, a forest bandit was coming just opposite to them on a black horse, he smuggles sandalwood from the forest and lives almost half of his life in the prison and half of it in the forest. He is very popular among the fifteen Nadu tribal people. But none of the tribal people will say anything against him as he used to help them at times of emergency. He was very friendly with the tribal people and made it as a practice as never to disturb or interfere in their life.
Veeran stopped the horse when he saw the doctor and Sherlock started barking when he saw Veeran on the horseback.
"Hey,Raman Kutty, is this dog a protection for you?"he asked the doctor. The doctor stared at him without answering..
"Why don't you open your mouth and talk?"
"Why should I talk to you?"
"What arrogance, If I'm talking to you, can't you talk back to me?"
"First of all, don't waste your time here you bandit. The people of Naga forest may be afraid of you but I am not, know that first."
"So... If I let you talk, you will keep on talking, fake doctors like you are roaming around in this forest and are ruining it for money."
"Shut up and go back in the same way you came,Veera.If you say one more word you will not exist... "
"Hey... Raman Kutty what's up with you? Are you frightening Veera? All the people in this forest are afraid of me, and you...? "Veeran got terribly mad and jumped down from his horse.
The speed at which he got down from the horse intimidated Pamman.Veeran looked at Pamman and the pot in his hand
"You are the one who collects the civet from the forest, right?"
"Yes, bro."
"Why did you come with him?"
"He called me for help. That's why I came."
"He is not good. Do you know that?"
"Bro…"
"What bro.. give back that pot to him and run from here without looking back and get lost. This fake doctor has been roaming around in this forest for a while now with some cunning plan. In short, he is the reason why elderly people who know the secret of the forest are dying one by one. Now only one is left now…If he is still here, he will kill him too. He wants to be the only one who knows about the secret of the forest. He wants people to recognize him as a scientist. That is his plan... " Doctor's eyes turned red with anger while Veeran was talking.
Raman Kutty looked at Sherlock, signaled to him and said, “Attack Sherlock. Raman Kutty was afraid that if he allow Veeran to talk any further he will reveal all secrets about him to Pamman.
The next second, Sherlock jumped on Veeran and started attacking him ferociously. Veeran never expected this. At the speed at which Sherlock jumped and attacked, Veeran was completely helpless, yet he tried to defend himself at his best. By now he has been bitten all over his body by Sherlock. With blood oozing from body he tried to take his country gun and aimed at Sherlock to shoot, but it cunningly escaped by running here and there. It was like watching a movie for Pamman, within no time Veeran fell down unconscious with foam coming out of his mouth. Raman Kutty checked his breath and made sure that Veeran is dead.
" If it is your fate that you have to die like this, who can help? “as he said this, he looked at Pamman. He can see the fear in Pamman’s eyes.
"What are you looking at, are you afraid?"
"No...no... Yes"
"Don’t be afraid? I am an enemy only to those who oppose me and not to those people who help me.... " said, Raman Kutty.
Pamman walked slowly behind Raman Kutty carrying the pot and with a mind full of inhibitions
