Invincible Naga

Chapter 4 Winding Path

The Dhani's urban friends used to visit the farmland, being so excited to see the untamed creatures and the tribal people who lead reclusive lives. The Dhani used to invite Pakirappa whenever they would be on an adventurous trip to the huts of the tribal Malakudiyas.

Whenever the Dhani went to Bairu's hut with his pals, he would also invite Senan, bragging that he could reach the sky from the hilltops while raising his hands high. There, it stands so close, like the roof of a house. Senan would hesitate just like Pakirappa who had been reluctant to accompany them thinking that his sweated, filthy figure would be unfit among them.

In the meantime, Senan had no misgiving or reluctance. Nothing haunted him like the overwhelming fear of death. He was not even concerned about the winding path. As soon as he got into the jeep, he felt like being caught in the tiny toy jeep he had seen earlier on the hill. Similarly, on the winding path on the steep terrain, it climbed up every stone, regardless of its size, and dangerously surpassed the hurdles it encountered.

He occasionally tried to assist the jeep without contributing his weight, slightly raising himself from the seat, imagining that the jeep had been relieved from his burden. The jeep jumped over an uneven rock-like slate stone; his head struck the top, and his leg was violently flung against the seat, inflicting severe pain on him.

Senan let out a vehement cry. Hearing it, the Dhani said, 'It'll vanish as soon as we meet Bairu. By the time we reach there, the remedy will be ready.'

'How could it be possible?' Senan asked Pakirappa in a low voice.

'It's possible for them. It's beyond our knowledge,' the Dhani replied to Senan. Pakirappa nodded in agreement to strengthen it.

The jeep had to cross the river, which had been flowing fiercely over the big rocks. It appeared as if someone had wonderfully paved the rocks, slatestones, stones of different sizes and hues of white, ash, and black, and the gravel in the river. Among them, the relatively big stones appeared above the water level as unjustly placed.

Pakirappa was seated behind Senan in the jeep. It was strange that Pakirappa sat on his haunches on the seat. Even the Dhani did not object to it. Senan was anxious that it would turn dangerous for him. As far as he knows, Pakirappa would sit only on his haunches or flat on the ground if he is highly exhausted. No other chair has suited him well than his haunches.

Unlike others, being in his squat pose, Pakirappa would hug his legs close to him with his hands. Although many laborers used to sit in this pose before their Dhani, being in it while traveling by car was unique for Pakirappa. Senan wondered how Pakirappa could maintain his balance. The more queer thing was that whenever Pakirappa talks in this pose, he would swing to his front and back slowly.

'Ask him to hold on strongly,' the Dhani said.

As soon as Pakirappa heard it, he wrapped his squatting legs tightly with his arms. When the driver accelerated the jeep, it rocked, and Pakirappa met with an inevitable fall on its floor.

'Goddamn it! That scoundrel again fell off the seat!' the Dhani muttered, giving him the slightest consideration.

Pakirappa came to his squat pose promptly after every fall, pretending that he was used to it.

'It's disturbing. You can ask him to sit properly,' the driver told the Dhani.

'Leave it. I've been seeing this for all these years. It can't be changed,' the Dhani replied. He knew Pakirappa would obey anything other than this.

The winding path looked like a tunnel of grass, and the jeep moved struggling to escape the fists of the long sharp lemon-grass blades. It had to wade through the enormous undergrowth that stood high almost covering the path ahead.