From & To Sathish #5 - Page 84

Avan, Aval Adhu 273

She felt numb and cold all over. She heard nothing, saw nothing and felt nothing. She was in a deep state of shock which is called catatonic shock.

She heard her name being called out and saw a tall distinguished-looking police officer standing there introducing himself.

' Ma'am, My name is Asra Garg and I am the head of the police department in Madurai. We have made arrangements in a nearby star hotel for you to spend the night in and if needed the next few days and you will be protected by a team of commandos around the clock.'

Gayatri's eyes were wide open but unseeing and IG Garg realizing that she was in a state of shock, took he hand and slowly led her to the car and stood watching as it drove away towards Taj Madurai.

' What in the name of God happened there in Kodai, I wonder ' he thought and then called Inspector Sargunam who answered immediately.

' Sir, I am in the hospital and things look bad right now.'

' He is alive, isn't he? Your master is still alive, right?'

' Barely, sir and if being stabbed in the chest was not bad then the blade being poisoned has further complicated things.'

IG Asra Garg heard his Inspector's voice choke and then he heard Sargunam's soft cries as it finally hit home that the person he loved and worshipped might just leave them all.

' Hang in there, Inspector. From what you have told me, I think your master is too much of a hero to just slip away without putting up a fight. I doubt it and you and the others who love him so much must pray for him and wish that he recovers soon. Hope is all we have and God is our only hope. Pray to him and I will pray for your master.'

Looking at his watch, ' It's nearly 1.00 am in the morning. I am going home to sleep it off and I will see you at the hospital early in the morning when I want to hear your prelim report.'

Inspector Sargunam squeezed out a reply and slowly walked towards the ICU where Partha, Daksha and Dharmalinga Thevar were sitting on a metal bench and all of their hands were clasped in an act of begging, praying and beseeching God.

Then all four of them heard some noises and turned to see what was causing it and saw Ravi's mother walk towards them with the young man Ganesan popularly known as Brahma holding her protectively with his arm around her shoulder.

All four of them stood up and Rasaathi ammal smiled at them and crossing them peeped into the ICU and stared at her only son, her only sun, her only star and with whom her own life source lay linked and turning causally announced, ' He is going to be all right. You will see. Not so easy to bring down a tree. It takes hundreds of blows aimed at the root, to, fell it. One blow will do nothing and means nothing.'

Three doctors came out of the ICU and looked at all of them wondering who to report to, and Dharmalinga Thevar seeing their predicament informed them that it was okay and that all of them belonged to Ravi and were his family.

The oldest who must have been in his late thirties introduced himself as Dr Palanivel, a cardiac specialist and introduced the others as Dr Nalini, Haematologist and Dr Arul Devan Neurologist.

' It's sheer luck that the blade missed his heart by a few mm or else it would have been too late. But, more than the blade it is what it was coated with that is worrying us for it seems to be some exotic mix of poison. We are as we speak carrying out tests and have also sent the reports to our Chennai colleagues and hopefully, we should have a report by early morning.'

Hanging his head, Dr Palanivel whispered, ' I don't want to scare you but I think it is better if you prepare yourself for the worst for his pulse is very faint and I don't know how much longer he can hold on.'

He looked at all of them, ' It is a miracle that he has lasted all this while. So, all I can tell you right now is that we will fight until the end and we will not give up on Master sir.'

Ravi's mother Rasaathi ammal smiled encouragingly and said, ' That will do, child. That is all that my son wants and has wanted from his students. Their best and always. Thank you, children.'

Pointing to the bench, ' I hope there is no problem for you doctors if we sit here and wait for my son to wake up.'

' No problem, amma, in fact, I will see to it that more comfortable chairs are placed for all of you ' and with that, the three doctors went back into the ICU where Ravi was fighting for his life or fighting for death.

Gayatri thanked the hotel staff and also thanked the two armed commandos who were going to station themselves outside her room and requested them to order whatever they wanted from the hotel restaurant and put the bill on her tab.

Closing the door behind her, she slowly sank into the bed and then quickly typed a message to Gupta uncle. A few minutes passed before her phone rang and seeing it was him calling her, answered it.

' Beta, are you all right? Are you safe?'

' Yes, uncle. I am okay and the cops have put me up in Taj Madurai and have also stationed armed commandos outside my door. So, I am safe.'

' Beta, why do you sound so low and tired?'

' All the excitement and travel I guess.'

' What happened up there, Gayatri? Who was it that posed a threat to you? Please, tell me and I will personally see to it that they are wiped off the face of this earth.'

' No idea, Gupta uncle. The whole thing is totally confusing. Maybe, we will know more as the days go by.'

' Okay, beta. You must be really tired. So, rest well and call me first thing in the morning. Bye.'

Outside the ICU, Dharmalinga Thevar who had remained calm and quiet until then finally decided that enough was enough and looked at Partha who he knew very well and asked him what was going on.

' Thambi, Parthiban. I think it is time you told us what exactly is going on and how all this happened and who you think is behind my son being at death's door?'

Daksha, ever the alert advocate tried to evade the question by giving an evasive answer.

' Sir, we are also racking our brains trying to answer these questions and sadly we have come up empty for the whole situation is rather confusing.'

He knew a lie and he knew an evasive answer when he heard one and glanced at Inspector Sargunam and said ' Guna, walk with me ' and slowly moved away from them and the ICU and out of sight as they both turned the corridor and disappeared from view.

Brahma peeped into the ICU through the large glass window and spoke to his mentor, master and guardian father, ' Iyaa, my life for yours. I would happily and proudly donate my last drop of blood to you if it can bring you back safely to us. Please master, tell me what to do for I know you and that you will speak even when beyond reach.'

Faith, and devotion can sometimes spark a miracle and the love that Brahma Ganesan had for his master Ravi was a miracle by itself and it worked now.

Turning quickly, he came to Partha, ' anna, a few years ago, master adopted a small tribal family and gave them a bit of his own agricultural land to work on and they have been staying with us in Kumarapalayam ever since. Just the parents and their son, pottu. Once, when one of the students was bitten by a snake, it was Pottu's father who quickly collected some herbs and made a poultice and wrapped it around the girl's ankle where the krait had bitten and then he boiled some more herbs and made her drink it.'

Shaking his head, ' We all thought that the girl was a goner for it is well known that very rarely does a victim of a krait bite survives. But this girl did and it was a miracle.'

Partha and Daksha nodded enthusiastically and said, ' Good idea. Worth a try.'

Rasaathi ammal smiled, ' Good idea da Brahma. It is well known that hill tribals have a long history with herbs and miracle concoctions that only they know and keep it secret and safeguard it with their life.'

Partha looked at Ravi's mother, ' Hill tribals?'

' Yes, Pottu and his parents belong to the Paliyan tribal group. If anybody should know anything about poison and other weird and deadly chemicals that occur naturally then it is them, the Paliyan's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjRhwck6rEg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hyQRsXnHlI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZnMXS7PIAI

https://youtu.be/VOXYUJ46O5s

Avan, Aval Adhu 274

The mention of tribals and Paliyan made Partha and Daksha stare at each other. But since they had no proper idea as to what transpired between Ravi and the others while they were in the cottage, they decided to keep quiet about it.

Partha left with Ganesan to Kumarapalayam to go and find the Paliyan family and request them to come and take a look at Ravi and see if anything could be done. Rasaathi Ammal's eyes searched for a bit and then turning to Daksha, asked worriedly, ' where is Gayatri? Is she all right?'

Daksha smiled slightly and said, ' Yes. She is fine. She is not injured in any way.'

' Thank God Daksha. Ravi wouldn't have allowed that and would have done anything for her ' Rasaathi ammal said and leaning closer whispered, ' I think they have fallen for each other. She, more than him. But, you know my son as well as I do and know that it is not going to be so easy to get into his heart. Not with that ghost still living there.'

Daksha was beginning to feel very uncomfortable with the way the conversation was steering towards Gayatri and just when she thought she had heard enough and was ready to scream the truth and tell Ravi's mother what had happened, the heard noises and saw Dharmalinga Thevar and Inspector Sargunam walk inside looking worried.

Guna shook his head and cursed, ' 30 minutes. A bit and more than 30 minutes and already there is a huge crowd outside holding candles and banners and it is mostly college kids and freshers. Unbelievable. I strictly warned everybody that we have a bit of a security situation and that it was going to be a bit of a mess with my department crawling all over the hospital. But, sadly to no avail. People today are obsessed with their mobiles.'

Rasaathi ammal patted Sargunam's arm, ' Vidu Guna. If not now, then surely, people would have come to know about it by early morning. They will disperse eventually.'

Inspector Sargunam smiled, ' You think so. Sorry amma, I think the opposite is going to happen. I think in the next few hours, you are going to see what your son means to the world and what special place he holds in people's lives. He is not just a mere teacher and a headmaster but has been the light in the life of thousands of students and their families.'

Pointing to himself, ' you don't have to look far for I am an example and I right here and all of you know very well what Master sir means to me and to all of us.'

Dharmalinga Thevar growled angrily, ' It is he, your master, my boy who is in there fighting for his life and not one of you has had the decency to tell me as to what happened up there in Kodai Kanal.'

Then realizing something finally, ' Guna, how did you know about Ravi being attacked and how did you manage to get a helicopter and go up there so quickly when you should be actually busy handling the landslide situation in the foothills.'

Inspector Sargunam knew there was just no way of getting around Dharmalinga Thevar and so decided to come clean with what he knew about the situation.

' Iyaa, I was ordered by the IG himself to go to Palani and use the police commando chopper which is stationed there and fly up to Kodai to provide security for Gayatri.'

Dharmalinga Thevar suddenly realizing that Gayatri was not present with them, looked at Partha pointedly and asked, ' Where is our Gayatri? Knowing her and also being aware of her feelings for Ravi, I doubt if anything can keep her away from his side and that too when he is in such a critical condition.'

Partha looking lost slowly glanced at Daksha who deciding that she had heard enough about Gayatri, looked at all of them and said, ' This is a criminal case and a highly sensitive case at that. So, I think....'

Inspector Sargunam did not interrupt deliberately but it turned out to be providence for he threw a lifeline to Partha and Daksha when he jumped in and said, ' Iyaa, this case involves the temple thefts and maybe even that bomb blast that happened yesterday morning in Chennai. So, Let's not go into too many details right now and in public. I will keep you appraised of everything once I know more.'

Dharmalinga Thevar could not understand one thing and so he asked Guna, ' Why did IG Garg feel the need to suddenly send a commando team from Palani up to Kodai? What was the need for that and what was the emergency?'

Inspector Sargunam smiled, ' The orders came from Delhi and straight from the Home secretary himself.'

Dharmalinga Thevar was taken aback and also shocked for he knew what power meant and if a call was made by the Home Secretary himself and that too from Delhi, then that meant great power and connections with ministers holding cabinet ranks themselves.'

Inspector Sargunam smiled, ' I know for that was the same reaction of the IG himself. Apparently, our friend Gayatri is not an ordinary person and happens to be the daughter of someone very rich and very powerful.'

At this very moment, the person they were talking about was making good her escape from the hotel and was boarding a cab to go to Madurai airport. There was a 5.00 am flight out of Madurai and she had booked a ticket on it to fly out to Mumbai.

But, Mumbai was not Gayatri's destination. Her final destination was Europe and she would never come back to India. Ever.

Gayatri looked at her watch and saw the time was just 2.00 am and after thinking for a second, asked the cab driver, ' How far is the Govt hospital from here? Can we just go there for I have to see someone who has been admitted there?'

' Okay ma'am ' the driver said and pressed the accelerator and the sedan surged forward.

' A goodbye. One final goodbye and then I will be gone. Forever.'

Avan, Aval Adhu 275

We're defined by who we are in our hearts, who we choose to be on this earth.” “Only when we face the impossible, and experience the unbearable, do we find out who we truly are.”

“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."

"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.” Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Maybe it is true that we are all mad in our own unique ways and that we are all broken and jagged in our own strange and mysterious ways. Whose edges suit whom and who and complete whom is in a way what love is all about and how we go about pairing and bonding with each other. None of us feels the same and is not even the same down in the elemental DNA and why then does the world persist in saying that we are all the same and we are all one after all? We are not the same but diverse and it is these diversities and differences that make life a whole lot more interesting to live out. Interesting but not happy. Sadly, life is never that. It promises interesting and good sights but happiness, I fear is something Life is not good at doing or keeping.

Gayatri had always been a livewire, a go-getter and someone who had been born with unlimited energy and zeal to achieve what she set out to do. All that had changed the moment her mother had finally succumbed to disease for something broke in her and remained broken till now. Maybe, if Gayatri had been counselled by a psychiatrist and had spoken about her pain and fear of losing the people she loved, she could have been healed and made whole again. But, the trauma of losing her mother and then seeing her father remarry again was too much for her to handle and that had finally tipped her over the edge. Then, losing her dad, a messy divorce, and a miscarriage had ruined her psyche once and for all.

All that had changed the moment she had met Ravi for his light, his aura had pierced through the darkness and lifted the veil that had covered her soul and drawn her out back to life. Then all that had once again been taken away, shattered when she had learnt that Madhu, her stepmother was the woman, the ghost who ruled his heart with an iron hand and that had only served to drown her back into the abyss of pain.

To the outside world, she was Gayatri, a famous photographer, a brave woman but all that was a facade, a thin veneer that covered her fragile spirit and delicate mind.

Then seeing Ravi lying on the ground with a blade sticking out of his chest and probably dying had brought back all the memories of losing her mother and father for, in a way, Gayatri had been secretly seeking that love, that pure love she had felt in the arms of her mum and dad and who had loved her dearly.

She was there but was not there and it would be some time before Gayatri would breathe again. But that is for another time and in the distant future.

' Ma'am ' the cab driver called out to her to get her attention for his expert cab eyes had seen her through the rear-view mirror and had known that she was under some major duress.

Gayatri came out of her stupor and looked at the cab driver who was pointing at the hospital through the front windscreen and wondering what was going on looked with shock and confusion at the huge crowd outside the hospital of whom a majority were holding candles and standing peacefully outside the gates.

The cab driver spoke his thoughts, ' must be some student body leader with political connections who has been admitted here. There is no other reason for so many college students to be gathered here and that too at this early hour.'

Gayatri smiled and corrected him, ' or else it could be a teacher and a favourite one at that ' and then a constable knocked on the driver's window and when he lowered it, said that there was no way forward for the moment as the students had gathered all around the gates.

When Gayatri informed him that she was a family friend of Inspector Sargunam, the constable asked her to walk with him and slowly led her into the hospital.

' He is in the ICU and it doesn't look too good for him right now. Very sad for he seems to be very popular with the students and that itself is a huge achievement ' the constable told her and then stopped at the large glass door where two constables were standing guard and informed them that she was the Inspector's friend and they immediately opened the door and requested her to go in.

Gayatri thanked them in a soft voice and slowly walked the lonely corridor following the arrows that were pointing forward and informing what lay around the corridor. She stopped and wondered to herself, ' What if Daksha and Partha launch another verbal attack on me? What do I do then? How do I make them understand the reasons for my pain and anger and that whatever transpired was totally unintentional and not deliberate? '

She smiled sadly and asked aloud, ' What was I supposed to do after hearing what was obviously Ravi's screams of pain? How could have I stayed put knowing the person that I love more than myself was injured and was most probably fighting for his life to save me and his friends?'

Tiredly, she asked the emptiness that was the corridor and the emptiness that was her life, ' I was only trying to do what was best for him and for Madhu. I was just trying to get away and run away from it all and now it is too late.'

Hearing several voices of which a few were familiar to her, Gayatri turned and saw Mekalai, Bommi Kutty and another child whose name she could not recollect and then she Brahma Ganesan enter with Partha and another dark-complexioned man and she stood staring at all of them.

Mekalai and Bommi Kutty seeing her, ran towards her and hugged her and asked her why she had suddenly disappeared and then they began to wail loudly saying that they were scared for Master sir who they were told was not doing too well.

Ganesan's eyes, Gayatri saw were flame red from crying and she gently hugged him along with the others and consoled them. ' You know master sir very well. Better than me. So, do you really think that he is in danger? I doubt it. He will be all right and will join all of us in a few days and things will be back to normal.'

Partha's voice cut through all of them, ' Ganesan, let's not waste any more time and let this man do what he has come to do.'

It was fair and it was unfair but only Gayatri felt the sting and rebuke of Partha's words.

All of them walked through the door and into the ICU section of the hospital and Rasaathi Ammal catching sight of Gayatri stood up and happily, ' I was just asking about you and you have come to us. Thank God.'

She hugged Gayatri to herself and whispered, ' Please, stay. My son needs all the love and support he can get and yours is the most important one right now for I know how much you love him.'

Dharmalinga Thevar smiled and tenderly patted Gayatri's head and said, ' What my sister is saying is true, Child? Stay with us, please.'

Inspector Sargunam nodded politely although he was wondering as to what had happened up there in the hills of Kodai for he had heard every angry word that Partha and Daksha had launched against Gayatri.

He thought, ' that will come later but not now. Now is the time for Master to get better.'

The Dark complexioned man catching sight of Dharmalinga thevar, immediately bent his head in respect and with folded hands whispered, ' Iyaa, Kumbudren saami.'

Dharmalinga thevar's eyes went wet and his voice quivered as he enveloped the Tribal man's hands in his huge hands and said, ' No, I am no saami. You are our saami for it is you that has come to save our child and our hero.'

He looked at the tribal man, ' Please, save our child. Do that and I will give you whatever you ask of me. It's a promise.'

The Tribal man smiled gently, ' Saami, what could a simpleton like me want? Nothing. Our guardian, our master sir has provided me and my family with everything that we need. We have a place to live in, a field to work in and my only child is studying and is doing great. What more could a man like me want? Nothing.'

Wiping his tears of gratitude and sadness, the tribal man said, ' There is just one thing that I want to do, and that is, serve master Iyaa until my last breath.'

The door opened and a doctor came out holding a small tray in his hand, and all of them looked at the thin shiny blade that glittered under the lights. But, the shine was marred by bluish and a pinkish substance that coated the shiny steel and the tribal man stared at it and whispered a name that echoed all around the corridor.

' Muruga, what have you done, you evil monster?'

He hurriedly looked at Inspector Sargunam and said, ' please, there is no time to waste. Take me to master sir right now.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74b8Ud3uVFw&t=212s

Avan, Aval Adhu 276

The ICU was quiet, cool and calm and thankfully empty for Ravi was the only patient and he lay unconscious to the world on the bed. Rasaathi Ammal felt her heart tear itself in agony and shock for the sight of her only child lying still and vulnerable was too much to bear.

She began to cry and wail, ' Iyaa, my prince, you were meant to stand tall and mighty like a giant tree and cast your shade for others like me to live in and yet here you are lying on your back, felled by evil and poison.'

Gayatri hugged her and consoled her saying that Ravi was going to be all right. ' Amma, he is not like the rest of us. He is stronger, much stronger than all of us and I am sure that he will soon recover from this minor injury.'

The doctors and the two duty nurses stood on one side of the bed and their eyes and everyone else's eyes were nervously watching the Paliyan tribal slowly approach Ravi who lay on the bed with his eyes closed. He looked nervously around the strange foreign environment that was the ICU for it was all new to him.

Dharmalinga thevar urged him softly to go ahead and do what he needed to do and that nobody would hinder him in any way. The Paliyan whose name was Kandhan moved closer to Ravi and folding his hands gently whispered a prayer to Palani malai Murugar who was their tribal deity and bending closer slowly began his examination.

He looked at the doctors and requested them to remove the bandages that covered Ravi's muscular chest.

' I am sorry doctor sirs but I need to see the entry wound for only then I can understand what is going on. Please do what I ask for we soon it will be too late to do anything.'

The chief doctor looked at Inspector Sargunam and Dharmalinga Thevar who both nodded their heads and quietly went about doing what the Paliyan tribal had requested them to do.

They slowly cut the bandages that were wrapped around Ravi's chest and soon lay bare his chest for all to see.

The stab wound by itself was not very scary to look at and at first, glance looked like a thin slash. But, the area around the stitched wound was what was scary and creepy to look at for it looked like a spider's web. All the blood vessels seemed to have swollen up and looked discoloured and appeared to be sending a message. A message of impending death.

The Paliyan lay a finger on Ravi's throat and everyone around him knew he was checking the pulse of the patient and looked at the doctor and asked him what was the condition of his heart.

' Weak, faint but steady. It has stayed this way from the moment he was brought in.'

The Paliyan shook his head and whispered to himself, ' impossible. This is unbelievable and if I had not seen it then I would have never believed it. '

Inspector Sargunam asked him confusedly, ' Kandha, what is going on? Please, is it good or bad?'

Kandhan, the paliyan tribal looked at Guna and the others, ' I knew what kind of poison the blade was coated with the moment I saw it but I don't understand what is going on with Master Iyaa for he should have been...' he stopped and looked at all of them with round eyes that revealed his own confusion and something else.

Rasaathi Ammal whispered, ' Kandha, you were about to say that my son should have been dead by now from the poison ' and pointed to Ravi, ' but he is not. he is still alive and he is still breathing. That means that there is still a chance to save his life. Please, do something and make him better.'

Dharmalinga Thevar looked at Kandhan and asked him what was going on, ' please, speak frankly and openly. You are among friends here.'

Kandhan, the Paliyan nodded and looked at the doctors and requested in a very humble voice, ' please, this sheet is covering his body. Can you remove it for I want to look at his hands and feet?'

The doctors looked at each other for the request sounded not just weird but in their minds, downright silly. But, with no choice other than comply they slowly removed the bedsheet that covered Ravi and laid him bare to the world.

The moment the bedsheet was pulled down, Kandha exclaimed excitedly and pointed to both of Ravi's hands and the way his fingers were clenched.

One of the doctors spoke in a very wise and authoritative voice, ' his fingers were like that when he was brought in. Must be some kind of reaction to the poison that is inside him. We tried unclenching them, but could not for the patient was far too strong for that.'

Kandha clapped his hands excitedly and told the doctor, ' Iyaa, I am glad that you could not unclench his fingers for that is what has saved our saami and that is what is keeping the poison from spreading all over like it should have done by now.'

Dharmalinga thevar grabbed Kandhan by his shoulders, ' what are you saying? Please be more clear and explain to us properly what it is you see?'

Kandhan smiled happily through tears of joy and pointed to Ravi's clenched fingers, ' That is the Sanjeevini Mudra or otherwise called the Vayu mudra and it is one of the most secretly guarded mudras in the schools of Varmakalai.'

All of them exhaled loudly and Partha yelled, ' But of course, Ravi is a Varmakalai master and he was trained by one of the most revered vaathiyars in Kerala.'

Gayatri could not follow any of it but she had heard a lot about the ancient fighting arts of Kerala and Tamilnadu and so she asked kandhan, ' How did he know? How was he prepared for the poisoned blade?'

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/varma-mudras-from-left-to-right-and-top-to-bottom-elephant-face-mudra-horseface_fig4_273422300

Avan, Aval Adhu 277

It is a question that has been asked again and again over thousands of years. By minds great and also by minds small and weak. The question is who am I? The funny thing about this question is that it immediately sets the tone and allows for other questions to follow through.

Who am I? What am I? How am I? and the most important of all Why am I?. We, belonging to the human species have been blessed with so much power, knowledge and skills and among all life on earth are the only species to contemplate on the above mentioned questions. Somewhere along the way, we developed something called conscience and became even more conscious about life and death and the tiny amount of time allotted between those two events that take place in all our lives.

Maybe, just maybe this is the reason why we invented the greatest invention of all and named it GOD. Maybe, just maybe we struggled to answer all those unanswerable questions and discovered that there must be a power, a higher power than even man and named it GOD to suit our purpose and convinience.

Hence, we bring in God to balance all the equations and problems in our lives starting from poverty, sorrow, heartbreak, betrayal and death. Unable to handle the pain and too weak to carry all the heavy burdens that stemmed from our own lives, we instead decided to transfer it on to GOD'S shoulders. So good means GOD and bad means GOD. Makes sense. Right?

No other species on earth has the same life style as we humans do. Thank GOD for that.

So you see that each and every human has so many questions that are never answered and maybe just maybe we look to the other for answers and we search for another to fill us and complete us.

Kandhan the Paliyan tribal looked at Gayatri who had asked ' How did he know? How was he prepared for the poisoned blade?' and smiled like an innocent child and said, ' I don't know amma. But, I know one thing and that is Master Iyaa is not an ordinary being but a blessed one and a man who thinks of everything.'

Partha could not help mumble, ' Forget being like him, the world would be a better place if everyone at least listened to him and followed his advice.'

Dharmalinga Thevar looked at him, ' what was that, Parthiban? Enna soneenga, thambi?'

Daksha the smart one jumped in saying, ' Adhuva, sir. What Partha is trying to say is that the world would be a better place if everyone followed Ravi's ideals and practiced it like him.'

Inspector Sargunam looked at kandhan, ' Okay, kandha. What do we do now? Where do we go in search of the medicine to treat Master sir?'

Kandhan smiled, ' The answer to your questions is in what I just said. Master iyaa thinks of everything and about everything.'

All of them looked at him confusedly but there was no confusion in his face when he said, ' I will find everything in Iyaa's thottam.

Rasaathi Ammal gasped loudly and exclaimed, ' Of course. Kandhan is absolutely right.'

The Paliyan tribal Kandhan looked at all of them with a weird expression, ' I come from the hills and I spent my entire adult life among nature. I and my kind are the few remaining souls who know of certain hills deep inside the Blue mountains that contain all kinds of herbs and healing plants but even I was surprised and taken aback when I was asked by master Iyaa to help in his garden.'

With a calm smile, ' All of you must have wondered about Master iyaa's garden and why he spends so much time with his plants and trees. But have any of you ever wondered and asked him about the dozens of exotic plants that he has there. People talk about Siddhar malai and Mooligai malai but hardly any of you know that in Iyaa's garden you will find the rarest of rare herbs and medicinal plants. Idon't know if any of you have noticed but for the past few days the number of birds visiting our village has dropped drastically. You people have failed to notice it but I haven't and the reason for that is Iyaa has been missing for the past few days.'

Gayatri recollected painfully her conversation with Ravi's mother before she had left to Kodai in search of Ravi and it all made sense Flashback to Chapter 93 of Avan, Aval, Adhu https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/sensational-south/5207625/from-and-to-sathish-5?pn=42

Rasaathi Ammal walked slowly holding Gayatri's right hand less for physical support and more for mental support. She stopped at the Thulasi Maadam and looked at Gayatri, ' do you feel the silence?'

' Yes, amma. It is deadly silent and pretty oppressive in nature ' Gayatri replied and then let her eyes slowly gaze all over the garden and then raising her eyes scanned the trees and said, ' I felt it the moment I entered your compound. But, I was not able to put my finger on what felt different from before and why the whole area was unbearably quiet.'

Rasaathi Ammal too raised her eyes and looked at all the trees that stood in and around their compound and shook her head and said in a sad voice, ' All the birds have disappeared. They always do ' and slowly looked at Gayatri and said, ' for now.'

' Amma, what do you mean all the birds have disappeared? Where to and why?'

Rasaathi Ammal looked at Gayatri, ' would you believe it if I tell you that they must have all gone off in search of Ravi?'

' In search of Ravi. But..... he is in Kodai, right?'

' Yes. The birds will tire and return to their roosts by the end of the day. But, they will remain dull and silent until his return.' Smiling sadly, ' Gayatri, There are times when I have wondered about the sanity of my only child and especially during these times when he takes off for a few days or a few weeks at a stretch.'

She slowly leant forward and plucked out a few newborn weeds that seemed to have found a refuge in the shade of the Thulasi plant and stared at them and said, ' sorry but wrong time and wrong place' and flung them away with a force that would have put a younger woman to shame.

Rasaathi Ammal pointed at the houses that lay in sight but about half a km away and said, ' Just think what the people of this small village town will be thinking and how worried they will be without Ravi among them. Imagine their state and all the children who flock around my son. If the birds themselves can feel my son's absence, then imagine the plight of the people, and the children who look up to him for everything and anything.'

-------------------------------------end of flashback---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dharmalinga Thevar requested Inspector Sargunam to take Kandhan in his police vehicle for that would be less of a headache and traffic would not be a problem.

Rasaathi ammal sent the kids with Kandhan so they could be dropped back in Kumarapalayam. The children refused to leave but Rasaathi Ammal insisted that the hospital was not a good place to spend too much time in.

' Go back and pray for your master sir. He is going to be okay. Tell the others that he will soon return to our village safe and healthy.'

The kids left reluctantly and with tears in their eyes.

The place fell quiet again and then it threatened to erupt when Rasaathi Ammal whispered loudly, ' why would anyone want to hurt my son? ' and looking up at Partha and Daksha, ' that too with a poisoned knife.'

Dharmalinga Thevar deciding that he had heard enough and seen enough confronted Partha and Daksha and demanded an explanation.

' What is going on? Why do I feel that you kids are hiding something from me? What was a Paliyan tribal doing up there in your resort?'

Gayatri deciding that it was better to speak the truth did so.

' I think he and the others came for me and the reason for that was my spoiling their theft at Sadayaperumal temple. Ravi as you are familiar with his nature, told us to stay safe and hidden in a cottage while he went out on his own to handle them.'

Dharmalinga Thevar looked at Partha and asked how many thugs had come to attack them.

' Six, I think for that is all we saw. But, there could have been more and who remained hidden like us and waiting for us.'

Dharmalinga Thevar growled, ' This will not do. It will not do at all. I am not going to just stand by and do nothing while the person who I consider as my own child lies fighting for his very life. I will get to the bottom of it and will kill each and every person who is involved in this.'

Rasaathi Ammal looked at him sternly, ' Dharma, please,control your anger for this is neither the time nor the place to show it. You are a member of the parliament and our city's MLA. So, please measure your words and importantly your anger when you are in public. There is a time and when that time comes, you can do what you think is right. But that time is not now. Just think of Ravi and what he would have done and how he would have behaved if he was facing this situation and just do what you think he would have done.'

Gayatri was about to say something when she felt a hand grip hers and looked up and saw that it was Daksha who held her hand and who silently shook her head and mouthed, ' Meenakshi is his daughter. All hell will break loose. So, stay silent.'

Dharmalinga Thevar took out his phone and called his Personal secretary who had been with him for more than 30 years and quickly explained what was going on and how Ravi had been injured.

' Ramaswamy, I want to know if there are any Vaathiyars in and around Madurai. Contact them and tell them that it is a personal request from me. Use my name freely and tell them that we will arrange for a vehicle for them to be picked up and dropped back. Now, get to work and call me back as soon as you have found someone who can help us in this situation.'