The banyan tree in Muthimala stood as a silent witness to the gathering of the Blue Dragons. The group sat in its shade, the branches whispering softly in the breeze. But the usual chatter and laughter were absent today. All eyes were on Shivatmika, who sat with a gloom on her face unlike her usual vibrant self.
Celine was the first to break the silence. "What's up, princess? What's got you so sad?"
Shivatmika sighed deeply before answering, "Dad and Mom put me in another college."
Celine's eyes widened in surprise. "Eh... to where? Why such a sudden move?"
"Delhi. St. Stephen's. It's nothing sudden. They enrolled me there a while ago, but they didn't tell me anything until now."
"And then?" Celine prompted gently.
Shivatmika's voice dropped. "I'm leaving tomorrow. Classes start in two days."
A heavy silence fell over the group. The news hit them hard. Ajmal, trying to lighten the mood, asked with a smile, "What subject?"
"Biotechnology," Shivatmika replied, her tone flat.
Ajmal frowned slightly. "But weren't you studying business administration here? Wasn't that what you were interested in?"
Shivatmika looked down, her worry evident. "Actually, Dada... Daddy and Mommy want to keep me away from here for a while. Remember the stories I've told you? About the treasure in Muthimala and the princess who died long ago? They're afraid it's all going to come true. And Mommy has some soothsayers she listens to. They've used their clairvoyance and told her that I'm afflicted by Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, or Mercury for the next four or five months! It's like all the stars and planets have changed their orbits just to come after me."
Her friends listened, absorbing every word. The weight of her revelation hung in the air, casting a shadow over their usual camaraderie.
"One day, in the library of the palace," Shivatmika began, her voice carrying a mix of nostalgia and frustration, "I was reading palm leaves and so on. Dad came and asked me what subject I liked to study. I had already mentioned biotechnology. I didn't realize it would cause such a mess."
She continued, her tone growing more melancholic. "Daddy and Mommy don't like it at all. And I don't want to stay away from here either. But I don't want to argue with them. I'm the only one... so I understand their tension and worry a little bit. That's why I agreed to join St. Stephen's."
Everyone could hear the sadness in her voice as they sat together under the sprawling banyan tree of Muthimala.
"But when I saw the syllabus chart," she added, a spark of hope returning to her eyes, "I realized I could also learn more about herbal treatments."
The group remembered last night's incident—the magic that had saved Vaishnava's life using plants she had never seen before, as if they were old friends.
Sachin, always ready with a light-hearted comment, smiled at Shivatmika. "All the snakes in the world will form a union and come looking for the poison doctor. You'll have to live alone in the tower like King Parikshit."
Abid, with a teasing grin, asked, "Are we the reason you don't want to stay away from here, or is it the hope that the young monk will come?"
Shivatmika glanced at Ajmal, feeling an urge to reveal her true feelings. She wanted to say that she loved Ajmal more than the mythical young monk, but she hid her emotions behind a thin smile.
"That's a good story. I'm not that naive to believe in all that," she replied, her voice light but her eyes betraying deeper feelings.
Neeraja, intrigued, asked, "Wasn't he supposed to come yesterday, according to the prophecy, your young monk?"
"Yes," Shivatmika nodded. "Yesterday was the full moon night in Agrahayana. Granny took me to the riverbank to see the young monk. I waited for him, hoping he'd appear with his tufted hair and tree bark garments, carrying a goglet. But what can I say... Hare didn't come, and neither did the fire."
With that, she burst into laughter, a sound both genuine and tinged with resignation. Her friends joined in, their laughter echoing through the peaceful grove under the ancient banyan tree.
***************
Shivatmika returned to the bungalow just as dusk settled over the landscape. She pushed open the creaky gate and noticed Balachandran's car parked in the driveway.
"Hi, Uncle," she greeted, her voice soft but cheerful.
As she entered through the leaning door, she found Balachandran sitting alone on the sofa in the center of the hall. Her parents were conspicuously absent.
"Hi, honey... how are you doing?" Balachandran asked, his smile warm but slightly strained.
"I'm fine, Uncle. Are you okay?" she replied, taking a seat opposite him.
"Yes, yes... It's been a few days since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"
"Yes. You've been busy with the festival," she noted, noticing the weariness in his eyes.
Before Balachandran could respond, Asha Devi emerged from the kitchen with a tray of tea. Satyanarayana Varma descended the stairs from his room, his presence filling the space with a quiet authority.
"Oh, my daughter is here... where have you been today?" Asha Devi asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and relief.
"Nowhere special, Mommy... just with my friends," Shivatmika answered.
"I didn't think you'd be out for so long today," Asha Devi said, handing her a cup of tea.
"Where are you going?" Balachandran asked, his eyes narrowing with concern.
"Daddy and Mommy are sending me to the national capital, Uncle. I'm leaving tomorrow. I won't be back for six months."
"What's the matter?" Balachandran's gaze shifted to Satyanarayana Varma, seeking an explanation.
"Something... some of their superstitions," Shivatmika muttered, frustration evident in her tone.
"None of that should be dismissed as superstition, dear," Satyanarayana Varma interjected, his voice firm.
"I don't want to argue about it. I have to go tomorrow. Let me go pack my clothes," Shivatmika said, rising to her feet and heading upstairs.
As she disappeared from view, Satyanarayana Varma turned to Balachandran, his voice tinged with fear and sorrow. "When I see her like this, Balachandran, I'm scared inside. You know the stories... She turned eighteen yesterday. According to the calculations, the sacrifice should take place this year. We're sending her away to keep her safe from any danger. We don't like it, but we have no choice."
Balachandran nodded, understanding the weight of their decision, his heart heavy with concern for Shivatmika.
***************
The railway station buzzed with the usual clamor of travelers, porters, and vendors. The air was thick with the scent of fried snacks and the sharp tang of metal and diesel. For the Blue Dragons team, however, the station felt like a different world, one filled with a somber mood and heavy hearts. They gathered in front of the railway office on platform number one, waiting for the Kerala Express. Shivatmika was leaving for Delhi, and it would be months before they saw her again.
Ajmal, the gang's leader, moved among them, offering words of comfort. His calm demeanor did little to lift the gloom.
"If only I could get hold of that fortune teller..." Shivatmika fumed, her eyes blazing. "I'd smash his bald head."
"How long is the deportation period?" Robin asked, his voice laced with concern.
"A minimum of six months," Shivatmika replied.
"Then the universe will stand still for six months! The sun, moon, planets, comets, and galaxy are engaged in a third world war with me. So there will be no days and nights for six months," she declared dramatically.
Seline frowned, confusion written on her face. "What is she saying?"
"What a Christian fundamentalist..." Shivatmika explained with a sigh. "You don't understand any of these Hindu rituals. I'm supposedly facing death or equivalent harm for six months because of my stars."
"Who said that?" Seline asked, still bewildered.
"The palace astrologer, Kottapuram Unnikrishnan Namboothiri," Shivatmika replied, her tone dripping with disdain.
Sachin, always the worrier, voiced his concern. "Oh, if that's the case, you can't travel by train. It's going to be dangerous, isn't it?"
Shivatmika shot him an exasperated look. "What a fool... I'm in danger just standing here in Durgapuri."
Manish, trying to lighten the mood with bravado, interjected, "Then tell that soothsayer to go away. Durgapuri's only danger is us. Who dares to tie a yoke to a bogey's body? You will have no danger from us."
Shivatmika's frustration was palpable. "If I tell the astrologer, he won't understand," she said angrily. "He says North India is the only place where I won't be in danger. Daddy and Mummy take that on faith. They don't know North India is full of Phoolan Devis."
Suddenly, her mobile phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw her mother's name. With a sigh, she answered, "Hello, Mommy."
While Shivatmika was engrossed in her phone conversation, Ajmal's keen eyes scanned the platform. Amidst the crowd, he noticed a familiar figure. The man was tall and lean, with a composed demeanor that set him apart. Ajmal recognized him immediately. He was the one who had calmed the frenzied elephant at the festival by offering it fruit.
Ajmal's curiosity was piqued. Who was this man? He had to find out. His instincts whispered that this was no ordinary encounter.
Ajmal closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought. When he opened them, he scanned the bustling crowd, searching for the man he had noticed earlier. The man was nowhere to be seen; he had vanished into the sea of passengers and commuters.
Shivatmika had just finished her phone conversation. "Poor Mommy, she's so tense. When will the train come?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
The announcement of the train's arrival crackled over the speakers, and the sharp, familiar whistle echoed through the station.
"I'm going, Dada..." Shivatmika said, placing a hand on Ajmal's shoulder. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
Ajmal turned to her, pulling her into a warm, reassuring hug. The rest of the group gathered around, their faces reflecting a mixture of sadness and support. Many were in tears, but Ajmal, ever the pillar of strength, offered a comforting smile.
"You go and shake up Delhi, Shiva," Ajmal said with a grin. "Let Modiji and Amit Shah hear about our gang."
Shivatmika nodded, trying to hold back her tears as she hugged each friend in turn. "All the best, Shiva," Ajmal called out as the train began to move slowly.
As Shivatmika climbed the steps to the train, she turned and reached out, holding her friends' hands one last time. "Ajmal Dada... Deepak... Atul..." she called out, her voice trembling.
"I can't... leave you all... I can't go..." Her eyes shone with unshed tears, her resolve wavering as she hesitated at the train's doorway.
"No, Shiva..." Ajmal called out, his voice steady but filled with underlying emotion. "You're a member of the Blue Dragons. We'll meet again. Goodbye..."
As Ajmal spoke, the train, now fully in motion, carried Shivatmika away. The sight of the departing train, with Shivatmika's silhouette fading from view, was a somber one for her friends.
The train slowly disappeared from sight, leaving behind a group of friends grappling with their sadness. Ajmal observed their tear-streaked faces, his own worry mirroring theirs. Though he felt the same pang of anxiety and sadness, he maintained his composure. He was the rock, the one who kept his friends grounded even in their most trying moments.
Inside the train, Shivatmika leaned out of the window, her hand waving weakly at the diminishing figures of her friends. As the distance between her and them grew, her heart sank with the realization of not seeing Ajmal for an extended period. A profound sadness washed over her as she thought about their separation.
Only the physical distance had come between her and Ajmal, yet the lessons he had imparted and the strength he had shown remained with her. As the train chugged on, carrying her away from everything familiar, Shivatmika felt a deep ache. It was not just the journey to Delhi that was daunting, but the emotional distance that stretched ahead, marked by the absence of those who mattered most to her.
Will continue...