Invincible Naga

Chapter 25 At the Sacred Grove

'Then you're blessed,' Chandu opined on Senan's mysterious experience.

'Yes, yes,' Senan replied hastily, turned dejected at the same time, and continued, 'But I can't hold back the emotions I'm going through. It's not in my hands to escape it.'

'Why should you escape it?'

'Until you understand that it was a boon, you feel at a more threatening edge of danger,' Senan said, and Chandu agreed. Senan had been staring at the vacuum with his eyes slightly protruding out, unable to follow his thoughts. as soon as Chandu patted on his back, he regained himself.

Now, he could see the sacred grove a little far behind two big trees, with huge, thick climbers falling like thousands of hanging snakes whirled up everywhere. The whole atmosphere retained some mysterious ambiance and deep silence. The bamboo trees were entangled on the top and were beautifully kept, like a small tunnel made of greenery.

At the mouth of it, Chandu stopped and said, 'Better chant any mantra of Naga. Do you know anything?'

Although Senan heard it, he seemed engrossed somewhere else and did not reply to Chandu; he did not chant any mantras of Naga either.

There was a small, mounted base made of big slate stones with three naga idols. The Naga idol in the middle was the most prominent one and looked like the Sesha Naga. He clasped both of his hands in reverence. Four sides of the open temple were kept clean.

Chandu was chanting something fast, which Senan did not know. Senan thought that the Naga he saw in the nightmare at the hospital was also this large. He recalled its loving, beautiful deer-like eyes looking at him. at the same time, it gave him a shudder. Fear projected from his eyes.

Senan thought of praying to Naga for the first time, although he had no idea what he should ask.

Amidst it, he took the turmeric powder and sprinkled it piously above the Naga idols, then lit the small stone lamps with the gingelly oil.

Chandu was praying loudly. He had been asking for so many things, and Senan felt that he needed none of them.

Senan had so many doubts in his mind that needed to be clarified. He wanted all of them done. That was his only prayer. Moreover, he didn't want to risk his life in the dark woods. So he asked Sesh Naga to save him and to impart him the power to survive anything and anyone. He imagined that it was all granted and he was in bliss. While turning back, he once again moved back to the Sesha idol. Touching its head, he wished for the Naga to manifest with its superintelligence whenever he required it.

While contemplating it, he was so confident that he believed that he was close to the Naga, and the Naga heard his prayer. As he was about to take his hand off the black Naga idol carved out of slate stone, he felt an electric shock from it through his right hand. It felt like a low vibration. Instead of abruptly taking his hand off and staying back, he remained so for a while but was confused and unable to speak.

Chandu felt something strange from the look in Senan's eyes. He repeatedly asked Senan, 'Anything wrong? Anything wrong?'

Senan was too perplexed to reveal anything. Seeing his posture and weird expressions, Chandu hollered at Senan, 'Come back, come back. Let's go from here. Although we can pray to them, we should be careful.'

(to be continued ...)