The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

The Shakti Saga Part 6- 'The Healer and the Mountain'

"When you can't find the right leaf, just take all of them dammit, take the whole damn mountain if you're a demigod, and even if you aren't, figure out how to multiply your strength by 1106391693173 because there's a Lakshman bhaiyya on ground with a big spear in his chest and he needs to freaking live!"- Hanuman, probably.

"Or, you could take this manual on the herbs of the mountain, you know?"-Neel, I think

"NO! We. Need. The. Mountain."- Hanuman, for sure

"When you find a purpose, something in life that drives you, even for a few minutes, somehow, your mind cancels out anything else that could possibly matter. When there is a will to do something, the ingenious mind of a person will find a way. However crooked, twisted and turned it may be, the human brain will find a road."- @theactualquote.com

For what seemed like the thousandth time, a monkey was flying through the skies of Lanka. Except, this time, he was not seeking attention. Rather Hanuman, who was a sucker for attention in general, was trying to stay out of the eyes of the Lankan guards. Lucky for him, Ravan was running out of personnel to keep at the gates. The few that were positioned there were sleeping.

So Hanuman soared over the golden gates and into the city of Lanka, his choppy hair flying past his face. If he had looked down, he might have seen the pretty yellow lights underneath him that looked like stars dotting the Earth instead of the sky. But Hanuman had no time for sightseeing, for appreciating landmarks and the beauty of Lanka. In fact, if he did have the time, he would have burned the city up all over again.

Sushen, Sushen, Sushen. There was only one name reverberating through his mind like a second heartbeat, and that was the name of the healer who could save Lord Lakshman. Hanuman had spent nary a second thinking about whether to go or not.

If he wasn't helping, he was useless. What was the point of staring at a body rapidly losing life if he could do something about it? You evil demon. Hanuman thought. I should put you in a pot with some salt and boil you like an egg and have you for breakfast, but it is Lakshman bhaiyya who should have that opportunity.

The tears which collected at his eyes and dripped down his cheeks were left there, rapidly drying and leaving uncomfortable tracks on his face as the wind hit it like a blizzard. Curse this universe! Curse those weapons! And curse whoever designed Lanka because why did all the freaking roofs look the same?

Suddenly, like he hit a wall, Hanuman stalled, hovering uncertainly in the air. Right below him was a rectangular house, secluded from the city, surrounded by rows and rows of tiny little saplings. Herbs. There was only one man in Lanka who would have a use for herbs. The healer. Sushen Sahib.

----O----

Slowly, like a tile being slowly edged onto the floor, like a feather landing softly on the grass after a long, tumbling breeze, Hanuman landed on the ground, the only sign of his arrival being the soft puff of dust which slowly rose from the open Earth like a storm.

Inhaling the musky scent of the Healer's hut eagerly after a long journey of inhaling the putrid smell of rotten meat and alcohol; celebration. Celebration at the death of Lord Lakshman. Suddenly, Hanuman jumped with a start, and with some sense of newfound determination at the name of the man waiting for him, strode towards the Healer's hut with purpose.

And then he paused again. For a man who had so much purpose and so little time, Hanuman was pausing a lot. But this time, it had a reason. The healer, even if he hated Rvana more than anything, was a demon. And a resident of Lanka. He'd probably not exactly go willingly with Hanuman. Which would make a scene. Which would alert Ravan. Who would probably figure out a way to kill Lakshman bhaiyya, defenseless. And then the celebrations would be very justified.