Wanderlust Woman - Part 6

Radhi resembled Priya very much except that she didn’t love animals. Maybe in other words, she is scared of animals especially elephants. When she was five years old, an elderly elephant has harmed her and after five days of struggle her parents have found her beneath the tree trunk half dead.

On one side they both look similar and in other side both the girls have stories associated with an elephant, said Karthick to himself.

In two weeks of time, Karthick became close with all the living beings in the village and he was able to understand the real-time problems they face. Helping them wholeheartedly, one fine Sunday before the supper, he decided to open the truth, as all believed and worshiped him as God.

Every supper, all the people in the forest bring their meal and eat it together followed by moving their body to the beats of bird’s sounds. The children were born artists and their dance movements can make anyone go 'wow!'.

As everyone shared their bowls containing fresh vegetable soup and white rice, Karthick got up.

“May I help you? ”, Radhi asked spontaneously.

“I like to confessl one truth”, Karthick began.

The head of the village Mr Kanniya smiled and signalled him to proceed.

Karthick narrated about Priya, her love for design and education, how she accepted Karthick, their dreams together and how Priya got washed away by the sudden flood near the elephant safari just before one week of their engagement with tears in his eyes. Few women got up to pacify him whereas the head obliged them to sit down. After a pause, he also added his purpose of coming to the village and how Radhi looks alike to Priya. He took his phone out and showed the pictures of Priya along with Lakshmi, the baby elephant just before they slid down the river.

Everyone murmured and Radhi’s parents moved out without seeking permission from the head. The head understood their departure and requested everyone to finish their supper and disperse. Also, informed all of them to gather tomorrow morning at the village entrance.

None were able to eat the rice except the children who didn’t understand head or tail. The head left the gathering earlier than usual followed by others. Radhi stood there with Karthick even after everybody left.

“When is her birthday?”, she enquired covering her body with the dupata.

“December 7th.”, he replied back.

“I want to see her.”, she said.

“Me too, badly.”, he replied back.

“Will the head and people dislike me for lying and entering your village?”, he raised the question.

“How would I know that?”, she said softly. "But they like people who are honest", she added.

“Hmmmm”.

“Go sleep. Everything happens for a reason”, she said to calm down him.

“Thank you, Radhi”.

“No sorry or thanks between friends”, she said in a firm tone and walked away without biding goodnight.

He remembered Priya and sat there under the tree looking at her pictures. His eyes closed as the moon saw him brightly.

“If we help him, he may take Radhi from us. He may find that Radhi and Priya are interrelated. It was in that elephant accident we took Radhi from the basket separating from her twin sister and their parents came inside the forest looking for their daughter. After 25 years, he has come and the twin sister has been lost with an elephant. This matter sounds fishy to me. Let’s send him out and I can’t give my daughter to anyone even her parents. She is my blood”, Kannamma cried.

Stop crying. Except the head and us nobody knows this secret. Don’t reveal it out. Radhi will be here any minute, Kannan cajoled her.

Amma, why are you crying? Radhi asked.

“When did you come? Did you hear what all we spoke”, asked Kannamma anxiously.

Why are you scaring her? Come here child, Kannan said. Your mother is worried about Karthick, nothing else. You sleep now. We need to wake up early and I guess we will have a lot of work tomorrow.

The next morning, everyone got up before dawn gathered at the village entrance. The head walked in slowly. His eyes were tired and hands shook as he settled down.

“Where is Karthick”, asked the head turning to Radhi.

“Here I am, Sir.”, he replied back raising his hands among the crowd.

“The minute you came here I knew that you have come here to find a lost treasure. And in two weeks of time, unable to hide it any longer, you opened up. I like your honesty and the respect you have upon us. Also, in this two weeks you have taught our children how to be kind, self-disciplined and stronger in mind which shows your interest towards them. But of all this, your better half is important now. In this part of village we haven’t rescued any girl or an elephant. On inquiring with the other villagers, they said they have found a girl who has lost her consciousness. You may go and check if she is your girl but no elephant was found till date”, he completed the statement.

Karthick fainted.