The crowd stared at Jayant, fear etched on every face. He stood there, clutching the goad, his hand shaking.
"Jayant..." Sanju's voice broke the tense silence.
"The elephant is rutted. Do something."
The gathered young men murmured in agreement, their eyes full of hope turned towards Jayant. But he was trembling like a leaf in a storm.
"He can't handle it. Let me try..."
Heads turned to the voice. It was Ajmal.
"Dada... no. It's an elephant, it's dangerous," the gang members cautioned.
Ajmal turned to face them, his eyes steady. "Dear friends, when a problem arises in our land, it's us, the Blue Dragons, who must solve it, even if it costs us our lives. Right?"
"Yes..." Their voices rang out in unison, a chorus of determination.
"The problem now is the rutted elephant. It's our duty to handle this too," Ajmal declared, striding forward. He took the goad from Jayant's trembling hand and tossed it to Sachin.
"I'll climb onto the elephant's back. When I do, throw me the goad. Manish, Atul, and Deepak, you must chain its legs while I control it from above. Got it?"
"Got it, Dada," the four replied, nodding resolutely.
Ajmal gave them a final nod before turning to face the towering, raging Manikoth Chandrasekaran.
Chandrasekharan, the elephant, stood aggressively, trumpeting without fear.
Ajmal felt a twinge of fear but steeled himself, running towards the elephant and leaping onto its tusks. His plan was to climb by using the branches for support.
But Chandrasekharan flung Ajmal away with a powerful toss of his tusks. Ajmal was thrown to the ground, landing hard but miraculously uninjured. He scrambled to his feet, ready to charge back at the elephant.
Suddenly, a hand pressed against his chest, stopping him. Everyone turned to see who it was. A young man with a thick moustache, clean-shaven face, wearing a mundu with a cassava border and another draped over his shoulder, stood blocking Ajmal's path.
He smiled at Ajmal and gestured with his hand for him to stay back.
In the next moment, the young man plucked a bunch of bananas from a nearby stall and moved slowly towards Chandrasekharan, taking measured steps. His eyes never left the elephant's. Their gazes locked. To everyone's astonishment, the elephant gradually calmed. Chandrasekharan extended his trunk, gently taking the offered fruit and placing it in his mouth.
"Give it something to eat. Poor thing... how long has it been starving in this scorching sun? It's for its sake, nothing else."
With those words, the young man melted back into the crowd.
At that moment, Jayant remembered that his father had tasked him with feeding the elephant. Hurriedly, he placed some bananas and cut palmyra leaf-stalks in front of Chandrasekharan. The elephant began to devour them with gusto. The onlookers watched in amazement as the rutted elephant quickly calmed down.
Ajmal and the Blue Dragons scanned the crowd, their eyes searching for the young man who had bravely approached the elephant with the bananas. Despite their efforts, they couldn't find him.
************
As the tension dissipated, the massive doors of the temple creaked open, releasing a steady stream of relieved villagers. Satyanarayana Varma and Ashadevi, their faces lined with worry, guided the second mahout, Jayant, and the now-calm Manikoth Chandrasekaran away, rewarding them for their efforts. The elephant, pacified and sated, lumbered off peacefully.
The festival grounds, adorned with colorful decorations and buzzing with excitement, became the focus of everyone's attention. On the main stage, various artistic performances began to unfold. Children's singing and dancing brought smiles and applause, while adults participated in lively competitions and dramatic plays.
As the evening progressed, the highlight of the festival approached: the debut of Durgapuri's own music band, the Blue Dragons. Despite the vibrant atmosphere, Vaishnav remained vigilant, standing guard near the Muthimala, ensuring the safety of the gathering.
Once the smaller acts concluded, the Blue Dragons took to the stage. Deepak positioned himself at the piano, fingers poised over the keys. Robin and Sanju tuned their guitars, while Sachin, Naveen, and Abid adjusted their violins. Ajmal, the gang leader, took his place by the drums, a red band tied around his head as a symbol of their unity and purpose. Singers Atul, Manish, Celine, Neeraja, and Shivatmika waited backstage, ready for their cue.
As the others prepared for their performance, Shivatmika stood lost in thought, her mind drifting to another realm. It felt as though she was traveling through a fantasy world, soaring high above the ground, surrounded by floating clouds. The distant hum of the crowd faded, replaced by the serene silence of her daydream.
"What's up, Shiva?"
Atul's call barely registered in Shivatmika's mind. She turned and smiled at him automatically, lost in a daze ever since the elephant incident. She was semi-conscious, aware of everything around her yet consumed by an inexplicable feeling.
The Blue Dragons Music Band began their program with Ajmal's introduction. As the gang leader, Ajmal had a commanding presence, and his voice boomed across the festival grounds. He invited Shivatmika to sing the first song, a popular hit by AR Rahman.
At the sound of her name, Shivatmika stepped out from behind the curtain and onto the stage. The curtain lifted, revealing her to the expectant audience.
A sudden breeze swept in from the slopes of Muthimala, carrying the scent of bael blossoms to her nostrils. The familiar aroma brought a sense of calm to her otherwise tumultuous mind.
The band members began playing the instrumental for the AR Rahman song, the music filling the air. But when Shivatmika opened her mouth to sing, a different melody emerged, almost of its own volition.
"Chandrachuda Sivashankara Parvati Ramananinage namo namo..."
The unexpected hymn left the band members confused, and they abruptly stopped the music. Realizing what had happened, Shivatmika halted her singing, her eyes wide with surprise and embarrassment.
The crowd fell silent, a collective breath held in anticipation. Shivatmika stood frozen on the stage, the scent of bael blossoms lingering as if urging her to embrace the unknown feeling that had overcome her.
Ajmal glanced at Shivatmika and saw that she was in another world entirely. Recognizing the shift in her demeanor, he quickly signaled the group to adjust their music to the Shiva kirtan she had begun.
The band members, attuned to Ajmal's unspoken command, seamlessly transitioned their instruments to accompany the kirtan. The melody for "Chandrachuda" began to fill the air.
Shivatmika, now fully immersed in her song, sang:
"Chandrachuda Sivashankara Parvati
Ramananinage namo namo
Sundarathara Pinakadhara Hara
Gangadhara Gaja Kacharambaradhara
Dharage Dakshinakavery
Kumbhapura Vaasanu Neene
Karadalli Veenaya Ganava Madua
Uraga Bhushana Neene
Koralali Bhasma Rudrakshava Dharishita
Paramavaishnava Neene
Garudagamana Sripurandara Vithalage
Pranapriyanu Neene
Chandrachuda Sivashankara Parvati
Ramananinage namo namo..."
The music flowed effortlessly, the band's harmonious support enhancing Shivatmika's soulful rendition. The audience was captivated, their earlier confusion forgotten as they were drawn into the sacred melody. Ajmal watched, a satisfied smile playing on his lips, as Shivatmika's voice resonated through the night, bridging the realms of the divine and the earthly.
**************
Vaishnav stood vigil, peering through Sachin's binoculars into the dark valley of Muthimala. The night was shrouded in darkness, with a waxing gibbous moon casting its silver glow across the landscape. Stars twinkled in the sky, and the peaks of Muthimala were bathed in ethereal moonlight.
He knew a wind was sweeping down the glen from the hills, carrying the scent of bael blossoms. The cold air pricked his skin like needles, and he wrapped his jacket tighter around himself, seeking warmth.
Muthimala, illuminated by the moon, looked hauntingly beautiful, reminiscent of Dracula's castle. Vaishnav noticed a storm forming on the peaks, the gentle breeze that had drifted down earlier now giving way to stronger gusts. The treetops began to sway ominously.
Then, Vaishnav spotted movement. Two figures were climbing up from the foothills. He adjusted the binoculars, focusing on them. Both were clad in black, their faces hidden. They matched the descriptions Sachin had given him.
Vaishnav's pulse quickened. These were the people Sachin had warned about. Keeping his distance, he began to move stealthily, trailing them as they ascended the moonlit slopes of Muthimala.
**************
The Blue Dragons Music Band was making a memorable debut in their hometown of Durgapuri. The first song, delivered by Shivatmika, had left the audience in a temporary state of confusion. But as the performance continued, Shivatmika and the band captivated everyone, delivering one powerful song after another. Now, it was Manish's turn to take the stage. Following his solo performance, a collaborative chain song featuring all the band members was set to conclude the program. Once the final notes were played and gifts were distributed for the artistic performances, the festival grounds would empty.
As Manish prepared to take the stage, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. Seeing Vaishnav's name flashing on the display, he handed the phone to Atul and made his way to the front.
"Hello..." Atul answered.
"I've spotted the people Sachin warned us about," Vaishnav's voice came through urgently. "There are two of them, and they've headed up towards the top of Muthimala. I followed them for a while, but now I'm too nervous to climb alone. Can you come here?"
Vaishnav's words came out in a rush.
"Okay, okay… we'll be right there," Atul reassured him, quickly ending the call.
Atul moved swiftly behind the stage, where he signaled to Ajmal about the situation. Ajmal, understanding the urgency, quickly signaled to lower the curtain. Ignoring the audience's frustrated murmurs as the performance was abruptly cut short, the band members hurried backstage.
They made a beeline for Satyanarayana Varma's Mahindra Thar, which was parked nearby. Ajmal, Shivatmika and some others climbed into the vehicle, while the rest of the band mounted their bikes. With a sense of urgency, they sped towards Muthimala, determined to assist Vaishnav and investigate the situation.
************
As the Mahindra Thar rumbled up the winding path toward the top of Muthimala, Robin repeatedly called out to Vaishnav, but his calls went unanswered except for the persistent ringing of the phone.
"Dada... he's not picking up," Robin said, his voice laced with anxiety as he glanced at Ajmal.
Ajmal, trying to keep his own worry in check, reassured him, "Hey, don't worry. Nothing's happened to him. We'll find him."
As they ascended further, the headlights of the Thar caught a figure lying motionless near a tree. Ajmal quickly brought the vehicle to a halt, and the band members scrambled out of the car.
There, on the ground, was Vaishnav, his mouth frothing and his breathing labored. Neeraja, her face pale with concern, knelt beside him and gently cradled his head in her lap. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered, "Vaishnav... what's wrong with you?"
Vaishnav remained unresponsive, his eyes closed tightly. It was then that a small, red-tinged scar above his ankle caught the attention of the group.
"Vaishnav seems to have been bitten by a snake," Deepak said, his voice trembling with horror.
Will continue...