Vandevi

Nagesh, Masood, and Joseph were enjoying the warmth of the campfire on the bank of a stream. They had come from a city to that remote village named Belgaon and erected a tent on the bank. When the villagers asked the reason for their visit, Masood replied that they had come on vacation to enjoy the beauty of nature.

 Belgaon was located in a lush valley in the Satpura mountain range, surrounded by hills. The villagers were simple and religious by nature. The valley was famous for its jungle, animals, and forest products.

 Nagesh was preparing tea. Masood was cleaning his revolver. All of a sudden, Joseph saw someone coming towards them. 

He said, 'Masood.' 

Masood put the revolver in his backpack.

 It was the headman of the village, an old man of about sixty. He came to them, sat down on a stone near the campfire, and said, 'I am here to tell you something important.'

 Masood said, 'Tell us what it is.' 

The headman looked at all of them and said seriously, 'People from the big cities don't know some things about the villages and their traditions.' 

Joseph, Masood, and Nagesh all began to look at him with curiosity. The headman continued, 'We villagers believe in Goddess Vandevi. Vandevi protects the jungle and its wildlife. She punishes those who cut down trees, kill animals, or steal products from the jungle.'

 He paused for a while and then said, 'We villagers don't cut down trees. We take wood from trees fallen by wind, water, or other reasons. Sometimes, if needed, we cut down trees only after offering prayers to Vandevi. So please, keep this in mind. And one more thing: don't hurt or kill any animal in the forest, otherwise Vandevi will punish you.' 

Masood replied politely, 'We don't believe in the existence of such a Goddess, but we would like to follow your advice. We will not cut down trees or hunt animals. If we need wood, we will ask you.' 

Hearing this, the headman was satisfied. Nagesh served him tea. While sipping tea, the headman advised them, 'Beware of a tiger that comes to drink water at a spot about five kilometers away from here. It may come toward you.' 

Masood said, "A tiger."

The headman said, "Yes, tiger."

Masood said, "Thank you for warn us about the tiger."

Masood began to think something.

After having tea, he returned to the village. But later, Masood made fun of him and said to Joseph, 'We don't believe in this Goddess. We have killed so many wild animals and nothing bad happened to us so far. We have cut down hundreds of trees, sold them off, and never got caught by the police.'

Joseph said proudly, "And this illiterate old man came to us to tell us if we cut trees or kill animals, the Vandevi will punish us."

 Masood said mockingly, "Who saw this Vandevi? Where does she live? I don't know." 

Joseph said, "I also don't know." And both of them began to laugh.

 Nagesh was preparing breakfast; all of a sudden, something occurred to him and he began to think about Vandevi.

 After lunch, they decided to hunt an animal. Nagesh said, "But what about the Goddess Vandevi?"

 Masood said, "What Vandevi! You began to believe in that old man's nonsense. We are hunters. Nobody could do anything against us so far. What will that unseen Goddess do?" 

Joseph said, "If he doesn't want to come with us, let it be. We will hunt without him."

 They went hunting in the evening. They returned with two rabbits and some wood to use as fuel. Masood said to Nagesh, "Look, we have hunted two rabbits and also cut trees with an axe. We returned without any trouble. No Vandevi came to punish us. So you don't need to be afraid of Vandevi." 

They cooked the rabbits for dinner. After this, their daring increased. But at night, Nagesh dreamt of a holy, gorgeous lady with a goddess-like aura who was preaching to him to quit his sins and crimes and go the right way. In the morning, he thought about the dream for hours and decided to mend his ways. He made excuses to Masood and Joseph that he was going to meet his family and relatives and would come back soon. Saying so, he parted with them for good and went away on the right path. 

Masood had an idea to hunt a tiger for its skin and nails. One day, he said to Joseph, "We have not seen any police or forest officer in this area since we came here. I think this area is not patrolled by any officer. So we have a chance for big game." 

Joseph looked at him and said, "We are already involved in a case of hunting a leopard, and the police are searching for us, yet you are speaking of hunting a tiger!" 

Masood replied, "The forest department is not active in this area. This morning, I went to the village and inquired about the forest department. The villagers told me that the forest officials and police don't come here. Just hunt a tiger, skin it, take out the nails, and get away as soon as possible." Soon, Joseph agreed with Masood.

          They chose a tree at the place where the tiger used to drink water. They prepared a machan (temporary platform made of wood) and set it in the tree amongst the dense foliage. They climbed the machan before sunset with their guns. They waited for the tiger patiently. 

           Around midnight, they saw two bright white lights. These were the eyes of the tiger. Joseph whispered, "Look, the tiger has come." Without making any sound, Masood took his gun and began to aim at the tiger. The tiger was busy drinking water. Taking aim at the tiger, Masood fired his gun. Masood was a sharp shooter. He had never missed his aim, but this time he missed. Hearing the report of the gun, instead of running away, the tiger raised its head and looked towards the machan.

       When Masood and Joseph saw two bright red burning eyes, a chill ran down their spines. Masood's hands went numb. Joseph cried, "Open fire, Masood, open... what are you doing?" When Joseph felt that Masood was shocked and nervous, he took the gun. But it was too late. The tiger was running towards them. Within a few moments, the tiger was under the tree. Joseph was trying to aim at the tiger. His fingers and hands were trembling. The tiger did not give him a chance to fire the gun. The next moment, the tiger jumped up onto the machan. Now the tiger was face to face with Masood and Joseph. Instead of pouncing on them, the tiger began to roar. They had never seen such a ferocious beast in their lives. Masood and Joseph were both trembling in fear, soaked in sweat, and unable to move even an inch.

            All of a sudden, they felt that the appearance of the tiger began to change. This was the scariest thing in their lives. Within a few moments, the tiger turned into the holy goddess Vandevi. "Now is the time to reap what you sow," echoed in their ears. And all their crimes and sins began to float before their eyes. They were feeling sorry, but it was too late. The Goddess Vandevi disappeared, and the hungry tiger was before them, ready to devour them.

                The next morning, the villagers found their dead bodies in the jungle. The headman of the village said, "It's karma. Some people don't know about karma. They sow bad, they reap bad."