Chapter 2
The Aghori Baba
In the Naga forest you can find not only mysterious trees but there are many unknown wonders in this forest. One of them is the ‘Sanjeevani’ lake. A miracle lake with supernatural powers .It will come to visibility only on the full moon day of the April month. Bathing in this lake during this time ensures one a balanced youth and a disease-free life. Many Siddhas used to come and take bath here on this particular day. Do not expect to see them as normal human beings they may come in any form by using soul swapping. They may appear in the form of birds, frogs and even as snakes.
It is very difficult to identify this lake in the vast Naga forest. The privilege of bathing in this lake is reserved only for those who have a very good fortune marked in their fate. Some people disregard this subject as a myth and ignore it.
Sasi’s question was quite unexpected, Jacob stood there speechless staring at Sasi.
Sasi continued,
"Bro, from your silence, may I assume that I am right!."
"Yes, Bro. What you said is absolutely correct. As a Forest Officer, I have served in our department for more than twenty years. I have come across many ‘Believe it or not’ stuffs during my forest duty. But this forest seems to be very peculiar and mystic to me .There is nothing to enforce here everything revolves smoothly like a clock work. Our job is just to sit , relax and enjoy the nature! “
Jacob continued,
“Our duty is to preserve the forest but that also is taken care here by the tribes. In particular, they have made it a practice to plant a tree in the burial place of their dear ones. The relatives of the deceased also plant a tree in memory. They never cut down such trees even by mistake. These trees grow to such heights touching the sky. They worship these trees as ‘Devatas’. In addition to all this , there is a group called ‘Sky Men’ in this forest!! ”
When Jacob finished his talk Sasi stood there a little shocked and confused.
"Sky Men?" He asked emphatically.
"Yes. it’s a group ..."
'How many people are there in it?'
“About eighteen!"
“Are you sure? "
"Yes, Bro,I even talked to them and took a photo."
"Can you show me that photo?"
"That's the problem"
"What happened?"
"To tell you the fact ,I took the photo with utmost care, but when I looked at it after they have left there was nothing in it except some out of focus images!."
"Have you tried a second time?"
“Bro, it is not that much easy to meet them .I tried many times again but I could not!”
“Ok, but where are they staying in this forest? ”
"I don't know ,Bro."
"Jacob, that is not the answer I expected!"
"But what I told you is the truth."
"Bro,If you have gone for regular duty rounds in the forest, you could have found them."
"Ha,Ha, Bro, it is now your turn ,you can straight away start working on strategies to find them!"
"So you accept that you have failed in this mission ,right?"
"Sasi... not only this...there are so many mysteries in this forest, which I am not able to make head or tail out of it. We are just toys here. If we try to enforce our power in this forest, this forest will react to us in such a way that we will simply sit and watch everything as fools! This happened to me many a time!”
"Oh, god ! I am not able to believe all this!".
"Dear, sometimes if you are a spiritual minded person you will not have any problem in believing all this! But one thing, it is very difficult to pass time here!." Jacob got ready to leave the place.
"Just a minute."
“What Sasi. Do you want to ask me anything else? ”
"Yes… you said you saw these ‘Sky Men’, how did they behave?"
"Very funny. When I saw them, they were playing cricket. Called me also to join with them."
"What Sasi ... my imagination about them was quite different , I thought they will appear as in some devotional movies and you are telling me like this .I feel something is wrong somewhere."
"Doesn’t fit right? I know you’ll be totally confused. When I saw them, once they were cricketers and some other times they were army soldiers, or they may be doing some gardening work like farmers wearing dhoti. Who knows when and how they will appear?”
"So they don't appear in a permanent form?"
"May be. By the way, I'm leaving now. There is only one bus service here to take me out to the nearest village, if I miss it, then I will be trapped here till tomorrow morning ,so I have to go now…"
Jacob left the spot as if he were not in a position to answer any more questions of Sasi.
Outside, Thoma was waiting with the Forest Department's jeep with Jacob's luggage in it. Jacob got into the jeep, Sasi waved his hand with a stiff face and the jeep started.
The departed jeep came to a sudden halt a few feet away and Jacob jumped out of it and walked towards Sasi.
Seeing Jacob coming towards him,
Sasi asked,
"What Jacob, have you missed anything?"
“Oh, Bro,I forgot to tell you something important.
"What...?"
"Bro, There is a man with a corpse on his shoulder walking around the forest. The tribal people call him ‘Aghori Baba’.”
"What? A man with a corpse on his shoulder?"
“Yes. If you are lucky you might also get a chance to meet him during your daily rounds. I saw him once. But I could not go near him .To the tribes, he is a living god! But I don't believe in all these. If he is having some divine powers, why he is wandering around the forest with a corpse on his shoulder? ”
"Who is he?"
'I have no idea. You try to find it. By the by, there is no complaint about that man in the records. Therefore we need not worry about him much. In case if you are interested you can do a research on this. All the best! Take good rest and relax. This is a forest with clean records! ”
Jacob got back into the jeep and started his journey. Sasi stood there completely frozen.
In the Officer’s Quarters.
Sheela was struggling to arrange the household things in the kitchen with the help of Neelan and Neeli. Those who came with the luggage just stacked it in the front hall and were waiting there to get paid.
Sasi came there , when she was saying, "Sir, will settle the bills you can go and get the money from him."
They left after getting paid.
"What Sheelu ,is the kitchen ready so fast?”
"Yes, dear, I've done it as fast as I can , otherwise It'll take another week or so! ”
"That I know darling. Let it go, can I get a cup of coffee now? '
"Sure, but we have just arrived here. Where can I get milk at this time?" Sheela asked.
"Mam,we will go and get it for you!" Neelan said.
"Hey, Neela, Haven’t you gone yet?
"How can we go? You didn’t tell us to go," said Neeli.
"Oh, so you will go only if we say?" Sheela asked with a smile.
"That's our custom Mam."
"Ok, Now please go and get some milk for us.”
"There are no cows here mam, only the ‘Tahr’. Cows cannot withstand this cold .Shall I get the Tahr milk for you?"
"What’s that?"
“It’s a kind of goat.”
"Okay, let's see how that coffee tastes!" said Sheela.
After they left she came to Sasi who was sitting in a sofa in the hall and was very seriously thinking about something.
"Has Jacob gone?"
"Mmmm..”
“It looks like he was living here all alone!”
"Yes, dear."
"I love this mountain forest. The climate is very good here, right?"
As Sheela said this, a man in black dress came inside and stood in the doorway. He was wearing a veil. Once she looked at his face she started screaming…
