'I'm sorry', he mumbled, brushing past one of the few pedestrians on the cobbled sidewalk. His each step was calculated and with precision at the exact time he was supposed to make it. Today was not as usual. He had to make it big. His target today was not the usual low life double agents. But someone big, bigger than he could imagine when assigned the task. It was the chance to prove himself and be there amongst the best; the top league. A difficult assignment on it own and that too in broad daylight. But, no worries here. He had everything planned out, perfect, no errors. He was confident.
He rounded a corner. Just a couple of blocks and he would be there at the Town Hall. The Ambassadors big speech and one move of the finger to finish it all; and he would escape unscathed. Cage smiled to himself. He walked briskly, yet steadily. He was after all a seasoned assassin.
WhiteSnake kept low, stepping into alleyways and occasionally pausing to stare at the shop windows. She had Cage in view. She couldn't lose him. She had to take him out quietly without arousing suspicion. She knew Cage and his methods. That was why they had picked her. She had tried to talk her way out of this but they had ways to persuade her. She carried a bag with her. Something heavy. It was difficult to follow Cage without getting noticed. Owing to the few people on the streets and the keen eyes of Cage.
By the time he reached the Town Hall, people had crowded the entrance. He was not worried as he knew another way in. The Ambassador had not yet arrived. He waited outside. He looked around casually. He froze. Something or rather someone had caught his eye. A familiar face some distance back on the opposite side of the street.
WhiteSnake knew she had been spotted. She needed to act before Cage realized he was targeted. She got into an alleyway and up the stairs of an unusually distorted building. She reached the top. This would do. She had theperfect Vantage Point. She opened her bag and drew out the Sniper and adjusted the view. She had Cage right where she wanted; at the center of the crosshair.
Although he had seen the face only for a moment he was dead sure. He knew the face. A second look around didn't give any leads. She was gone by then. He wasn't sure his mission had been compromised. May be it was just a coincidence. But he thought against that. The two of them at the same place at the same time, wouldn't be a coincidence. That was how they had worked, away from each other. Cage began to contemplate his next move. He was the hunted now and in perfect view of the hunter. He had to act fast and think faster. He moved on from the town hall and started walking. He glanced back for any sign of her. None.
Suddenly he felt numb. He couldn't take a step more before he fell on the pavement with a THUD.
WhiteSnake had taken her aim. She was about to shoot when she saw Cage falling. Even before the thought reached her brain, she felt a strong kick from behind. She fell down the building and onto the pavement.
Kannan watched as the whole world crumbled before his eyes. It was not a battle any more. The war had begun. 'SHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAMMM , I am going to kill you.....' , Kannan got up and ran after his brother. The G.I. Joe figures and Lego blocks scattered every where.
Cage lay there, his mission failed. It will take weeks of planning before he can complete the assignment.
Darkness was falling. He quickened his steps. He had to reach the valley before nightfall. Falling prey to some hungry carnivore was not the best of ideas. Shridharan Mashu ( Mashu means master in Malayalam) checked the time on his watch and also the sky.6:30, the twilight was fading, and that was bad. It would be dark in a matter of minutes, as it happens in this part of the country. The old battered torch was of no use in this dense forest.
Shridharan Mashu was a respected man in the village. Still a bachelor, and in his early thirties (Sweet 30's as he would call it); he was a teacher in the village in Wayanad. He taught at the only L.P. school in the village. He was happy that at least there was a school now. During his days, he had to walk 20 miles to the nearest school where he studied. He was perhaps till now the only person in the village who had gone to college. Being the son of the forest officer he was more privileged than the other children of the tribal village. After his Father had died in service, he had stayed on in the village as a teacher. His younger brother had got a job in the forest department and he had moved on to another range. During his college days he had read extensively the work of Marx .Though not inclined to any political party, he had circulated socialist ideas amongst the tribes. They were all ears and their eyes filled with admiration for him whenever he spoke. He was shunned by most of the tribesmen for his ideas, but they still respected him; because he knew more of the unseen world.
This day he was returning home after taking tuition for the Engineer Sir's daughter. The school had closed for the summer vacations, when the Engineer Sir came and requested him to help his daughter in maths. Mashu wanted to keep himself busy so he agreed after a lot of cajoling from Engineer sir.
He knew the forest well, but after night fall even the most experienced tribesman will find it difficult to find his way out. He had been walking for half an hour now. If he had been on the right path he would have reached the village 10 minutes back. He knew it was futile to continue again and that would result in going into more unfamiliar territory. His only protection was to find an Erumaadam (Tree house built by hunters) and take refuge in it and resume his journey at dawn.
He climbed a nearby tree to see if he could find anything in the diminishing light. He saw a light up ahead. "Ah!! Civilization, at least I am not lost." He thought. The light was stationary and that meant it was a house and not someone who had lost his way as he had. Vanquishing the shrubs in the path with his mighty torch, he followed the light. He cried out aloud, but couldn't get a response back. He was not even sure his voice reached there.
The hut stood in a small clearing. The source of light was a ranthal (kerosene lamp) at the window. He went forward and banged on the bamboo door. No response. Twice and thrice he tried. He went around the house. No sign of life. Just as he was about to push open the door, it opened.
She would be at least 70 odd years old, the lady. She was stooping. She would have been to his shoulder level if she stood upright. Age was showing on her face and hands.
Wrinkled and loose skin on her neck and hands. Her ears were sagged with holes, the size of bangles, where once ear rings had adorned. He wondered what she might be doing here, so far in the woods. And by the looks of it she appeared to be alone.
He suddenly found that she fit woman in the story, he had heard in his childhood. In fact, any child in the village heard from their parents; the story of the old woman in the forest who stole children and ate them for dinner. He was too old for that story now and smiled unknowingly; what all parents cook up to keep their child safe and from going into the woods.
She stared at him for moment through the cold grey eyes. He met her eyes. She seemed startled by the presence of the stranger.
‘Amma’, he called her. 'Do you know how to join back to the path to the village?'
She nodded. She raised her hand halfway, as to show him the way, but brought it down.
'The woods are dangerous in this time of the day', she warned. Her sparingly cultivated teeth showed. What was left had the dark brown colour of chewing betel leaves.
'Then can I stay here till dawn, Amma?' he asked. 'That is, if it is not a burden for you'.
She looked bewildered. Had he asked something wrong, Mashu thought.
She looked down, and said 'If you want to stay here you are most welcome. But let me
remind you no one likes to come here to stay, lest talk with me.'
That was a strange remark. 'It is no problem with me Amma, I will stay here. And I won't cause any disturbance also, I promise Amma'. He smiled. He could see her gaze shifting when he called her Amma.
The hut was a single room. Except for a charcoal stove in one corner, it was more or less empty. A mat made of palm leaves was rolled up against the wall and a few utensils made of clay were near the stove. The stove was cold. A small pile of dry branches decorated another side of the wall, to indicate cooking was done once in a while. She ushered him inside, rolled out the mat and gestured him to sit. As a polite gesture Mashu stood there until Amma had sat down. She sat with great difficulty. But after resting her legs she seemed relieved. Mashu sat down on one side of the mat.
She seemed to be in her own world, staring at the wall, as though it was a screen with a movie playing. Mashu decided to break the silence.
‘Amma , what is your name?’ . She was startled and looked around to see who had disturbed her from her dream. She saw him sitting there and remembered she was not alone.
‘Amma , what is your name?’ Mashu repeated softly. She started laughing loudly, baring her brown teeth. She stopped suddenly.
‘Kakkathiamma is what they call me, the children. They run away on seeing me’. He face turned sad. ‘They run away on seeing me. They think I will hurt them, don’t they?’.
She looked at Mashu, her grey eyes had a glint in them. Mashu had no answer. He wanted to change the topic. But he said, ‘No, they don’t . Who would run away from a sweet lady like you?’
‘They have heard stories. They know they aren’t supposed to come near me. ’ she retorted.
She continued on, ‘I fell in love with a man, an outsider, was it my mistake. They stamped me an outcast. They shunned me from the tribe.’ She continued as though there were many things she had to say, ‘I married the man, we moved off far away from the tribe.’ She stopped. Tears had started flowing from her eyes. They shone on her skin like beads. Mashu understood her and the loneliness over the years. ‘Now I am all alone, couldn’t bear a child, my husband taken by the forest gods and I live because I cannot die.’
He placed a gentle hand on her palm, rubbed it. She clutched it firmly. She looked into his eyes. He could see not coldness in them now. Only the remains of a youth trampled down by customs.
‘Thank you son, for listening to me. It’s been long since anyone….’
‘Say , did you have dinner.’ . Time had well passed 8:30 now. The question made Mashu’s Stomach grumble. Kakkathiamma stood up and picked up a pot. She approached him with a fistful of berries and handed it over. Mashu and Amma ate together. After the dinner, Kakkathiamma, offered him the mat to sleep on. Mashu declined . He helped her settle down and laid down to sleep. Kakkathiamma had left a deep effect on him.
The sun rose as always. Light poured into the house through the lone window.
Shridharan Mashu rubbed his eyes, stifled a yawn and sat upright. The cottage looked as he had entered it yesterday. The mat was rolled up. The only scenic change was the water boiling on the stove and the billowing smoke that rose out through the window throwing patterns of sunlight in the smoke. He stretched his legs and walked out through the open door. His eyes were searching for Kakkathiamma. She was no where to be seen.
He waited in the doorstep for a few minutes before calling out again ‘Amma, where are you?’.
He walked around the house and followed a path he saw.
He heard the sound of crackling of leaves in front. He advanced towards it, and saw a person collecting wood . He had a closer look. It was not Kakkathiamma. It was a tribesman he knew, Muthu. He called out to him. Muthu spotted Mashu standing there and rushed to him. Mashu told Muthu how he had got lost and about Kakkathiamma. Muthu’s eyes widened. Mashu asked him to help find her. Muthu was reluctant at first. Mashu convinced him to do a favour and that no body would know about it. Finally Muthu agreed. They traced back to the hut and started searching the surroundings. No signs still. Suddenly Mashu heard Muthu’s shout. He raced to the grove of cocoa trees.
She was lying there face down, a clutch of cocoa leaves in her hand. Mashu picked her up and asked for Muthu’s help. Muthu took a step back, ran and vanished into the woods.
Mashu took her in both his arms and edged forward. He reached the hut and laid her down in front of it. Checked her pulse. It was feeble. Hearing a sound he looked back and saw Muthu carrying a stretcher made of wines and bamboo.
Mashu helped Muthu to get her on the stretcher. Muthu led the way and in minutes the forest path was clear. A jeep came around the path loaded with herbs to the local market. Mashu stopped it and with Muthu’s help got Amma on the jeep.
Muthu stayed back and watched as Mashu and Kakkathi made way forward. Mashu completely understood and looked at Muthu with grateful eyes. Muthu smiled and went back into the forest.
Doctors and nurses had tried their best at the Clinic. There was not enough time to take her to the nearest hospital. She opened her eyes for a brief moment. She held his hand. ‘God Bless you son’ . He could feel the warmth of her body receding. A life devoured by the ghosts of her past.
Six years have passed since that day. He couldn’t blame the tribesmen, this was how their tradition had survived over the years. Untouched by outsiders, their customs still lived on. And Kakkathiamma still lived on in the heart of Shridharan Mashu.
Phew!!! with to the core GRE and GMAT prep going on in the house its prettydifficult not to catch a word or two. For some days it was medical terms and shit they are hard to study and more hard to listen.My ear tried escaping those words but with the complexity of them and the pronunciation.. you have to hear them, man . Here is some word diet for you to chew on.After seeing that there are a good lot of words i don't know,i thought i will start with fear...phobias..These words really scare the shit out of me...There are some crazy phobias that you won't believe exists (Well at least I didn't!!).
Scolionophobia - The fear of school .I had it... I admit...If i had known about this then, it would have been a perfect excuse to skip school.How come they don't teach all these things at school??
666 Did u freak out now??? Then you have got the Fear Of 666.And they actually have a word for it : Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia . :)The number 666 or the Satan's Number really freaks out people. I wonder how they did at Maths.If they were asked 222*3 for an exam would they really scream their brains out???!!!
Vestiphobia : This is one kewl phobia . I know the kind of people having this-the bollywood hot chiks... oh!! and it means Fear of clothing.Nowadays you can't play a Hindi song on TV for Fear of Family.It also means poor husbands don't need to take their Vestiphobic wifes out for shopping.. :)Hoping for a Vestiphobic world!!! ;)
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia :Hahaa!!! It is not the fear of Hippopatamus...guess what !!! its the Fear of long words. And they couldn't make a longer word to define that.What in the hell? Anyone looking up on the name of their long word fear would shit in their pants reading this.How would anyone having fear of words speak at all?? They might act dumb and use those sign languages and plug their ears lest some words start drinking their blood.. Oooh!! Vampire Words...
Thats it from me on Phobias!! I will find better ,crazier words and post them for the ignorant lot like me.
Aaahhh...My boss is coming ... Bye bye for now...
I sure have "gettingsickonseeingtheboss"ophobia...
Location : Office, Bangalore
Time :Lunch time.. :)
--Rahul S. Nair
Data Collected from : http://phobialist.com/
Disclaimer : Image is obtained from the web and I don't claim any ownership for it.
