PROLOGUE

MAYA SARINI

A MYSTICAL TALE ON INDIAN WITCHCRAFT.

-BY ABHISHEK MISHRA

PROLOGUE

It’s a really chilly winter new moon night in Sharangul, unusually windy and thunder clouds crackling every now and then. Shambhu is running restlessly in the dark forest chasing his cattle heard that started running out of stable and right into the forest. He’s puzzled by this sudden unrest in his cattle herd, however having no time to think, he is chasing deeper and deeper into the forest, blinded by darkness directionless just following the noises of bells. The is sweet smell of night jasmine blossoms filling this part of the forest and there is the smell of dry crushed leaves with dust, Shambhu doesn't have time to stand a moment and take it all in though. Neither he has any time to look at the starry night sky glistening with starts. Hes focussed of sounds of bells. "I must get my cattle back!!!", is the only thought he can afford. 

Suddenly there's random rattling in nearby bushes and he is startled by the noises, the next moment he is on the ground face down with a thud!! He lays low as dust rises around him. He scared to get up was he attached by an animal, It cannot be, there were no claws. As he turns his head up again a chill runs through his nerves. Dark shadows shoot across the trees deeper into the forest. The starry night sky is not so beautiful to him anymore, all of a sudden. He holds his breath and lays low for a while random thoughts shoot fast across his head, faster than the shadows in front of his eyes. He has to get his cattle back cause going back without his cattle is not an option. His kids are not going to feed themselves, neither will his fields plough themselves, he need them, he has to get them back. But its not just fields or kids but his curiosity is driving him mad too, so he mumbles the hanuman chalisa as quietly as possible and moves towards the sound of his cattle. The wind keeps getting stronger as he moves deeper into the forest. The night jasmine isn't so evident either. Shambhu is cold and he pulls his ragged towel closer to his shivering body as he crawls his way into the woods.

The fear of unknown and the cold is making him shiver like a dead leaf on a branch and the bedlam of cattle at a distance puzzles him. He is blank as he approaches the sounds further in pitch black darkness. Suddenly his toe hits something hard. Shambhu almost reeks with pain. Blinded by the pain he sits down and draws it close to his face and only to find it red; a wound is the last thing he desires at the moment. Soon he realizes that its kumkum from a sacred stone. He looks around and is relieved by the thought that it’s the abandoned ancient temple site. It’s the shambhunath shrine thats visited only once a year on an auspicious day, visiting otherwise is not advice able. The very thought of standing on a sacred ground gives his pounding heart courage to stand up. However hes also confused whether or not he should enter the temple, but curiosity gets better of him, so he approaches closer. He is startled by the sight of it. The peripheral ground of shambhonath is circled by womanly figures and the cattle are running right on to them. But they get back up again holding their ground chanting. There is strange light coming out of all lantern holes from inside the temple. Bright colourful lights. These women are making weeping noises in unison and the place is filled with a strange pungent smell. He climbs up on the nearest tree to get a view of it. Is it a secret ritual hes not supposed to see, he doesn't know but he will definitely find out in some time. As he’s trying to peep into the temple, he’s blinded by the flashes of light emerging from the temple. He goes even higher to find out.

Shambho is confused to see the sight of what was happening there. So he slaps himself to see if he is dreaming or if it is the ganja is working its way up his head. There are six light sources glowing with the brightness of a thousand moons and their lights emanate to merge at the center where floats a womanly body. It springs into life every now and then squeaks and turns motionless again.

There are distant but clear chantings, so soothing that he goes dizzy for a while and right when he is about to doze off on the branches a loud cry disrupts his peace. When his eyes open he finds the womanly body inverted and her hairs shoot into the ground with a loud noise and the earth starts shaking. The light sources fade into human figures that fall back and dissolve into thin air. The squeaky cry keeps getting louder. The women outside the temple stand still. Earth keeps on shaking as shambo grabs onto the tree branch hes sitting on. The trembling earth has turned the temple into ruins. The woman in the centre sinks into earth as her hair spreads into ground forming roots, whereas she herself turns into a leafless tree.

The temple vimana completely collapses and theres a strange silence in the air all of a sudden, the dust of the collapse fills air with the smell of fresh dust and his cattle are nowhere to be seen...