2 Missed Path
Part 2 Missed Path
Arnav looked at the joining order, wondering. He didn't know who was ready to offer him a job without meeting him. He read the joining order and wondered more. The job was not in the office but in a Landlord's Bungalow. Sathya Narayanan was his name. His job was to look after his budget. Arnav frowned. Was there no one in the town to work for him? Why should he employ someone who was far away from his state?
"Guruji, I can't understand one thing. It's a simple job. Mr. Sathya Narayanan will get many eligible persons in his town for this job. Then why me?"
"Of course, he will get many people for the job, but he needs a loyal person. That's why he gives this job to you."
Arnav was stunned. LOYAL and him? He doubted something.
"Doesn't he know about my past? I mean, where I had been?"
"He knows... he knows everything about you."
"Still, he trusts me?"
"It's because it's me who is sending you to him."
Arnav nodded.
"He trusts me... I trust you."
"Thank you, Guruji."
"You are welcome. I want to tell you something, Arnav. You may get confused at some point, but let your mind be confused. Accept reality and go with the flow. You will see miracles." Guruji smiled.
Arnav nodded thoughtfully. He somehow understood his journey would be thrilled.
As Guruji offered the job and he trusted him, Arnav didn't want to raise more questions. He was ready to go to Tamil Nadu without seeing what MIRACLE Guruji talked about. Taking Guruji's blessings, Arnav headed to the railway station in Tamil Nadu. Jailer Shankar was waiting for him there.
Arnav touched his feet. Shankar stopped him and tapped his back.
"God bless you..."
"God...?" Arnav chuckled.
"May I ask you something?"
Arnav nodded.
"You stayed in the Ashram and worked for Guruji. Still, why don't you believe in God?"
"I stayed in Ashram to earn money to manage my expenses. I didn't stay there, having faith in God. God didn't give anything to me. I'm a son whose father's name is unknown. My mother never cared about my feelings but only about her good-for-nothing husband. I was insulted. I spent the youth of my life in reform school. What's there to think, God? If God is true, would he let me suffer like this?"
Shankar smiled painfully.
"I know Arnav. I, too, asked your Guruji the same... do you know what he said?"
"Did you ask him the same?"
Shankar nodded yes.
"What did he say?"
"He said the time is near when you trust God."
If it were about someone else, Arnav would have laughed, but he could not do it because his Guruji had said that.
"You are so disappointed with your mother, yet keep her photo in your purse. You can't hate her because you are a good son. Likewise, you will trust God," Shankar smiled.
At the same time, the train blew its horn.
"See you, sir" Arnav got into the train.
Shankar stood looking at him. Arnav waved his hand at Shankar until the train left the station. He came searching for his seat. It was a window seat. He kept his bag under the seat and sat next to the window. That was his first ever train travel.
The train journey was a pleasant experience. It allowed us to reminisce about the delightful events in our lives. Though there was nothing called PLEASANT in Arnav's life, he liked it. He recalled Guruji and Shankar's words. What was going to happen in his life? Would his Tamil Nadu visit change his life? He didn't get anything; instead of confusing his brain, he wanted to rest and began to enjoy the natural beauty spread all over the way to Tamil Nadu.
It was a long journey to his destination, PANCHA NANDHI. That was the village he had to go. He travelled a whole day to reach Chennai and then again travelled towards the station called SIVAN KUDIL (means adobe of Lord Shiva)
Arnav reached the Sivan Kudil at 6:30 p.m. He got off the train—two or three people were in the station. Arnav went to the station master. The station master looked at him, shrinking his eyes.
"Who are you, beta?" he asked in Tamil.
Arnav's mother tongue was Tamil, so he had no problem understanding it.
"I'm new to this place. Could you tell me how to reach this address?" He asked in Tamil.
"Don't they know you are coming?" he asked.
Arnav nodded no.
"It's not wise to go to the place now because the way is a thick forest. You have to go two kilometres. It will start getting dark. You may miss your way. You can stay in the station tonight and can go tomorrow morning."
It didn't seem a good idea for Arnav because it was not so dark. He didn't think two kilometres of walk would be more complex.
"Will the road be branny?"
"Not completely. Despite being a dirt road, it's in good condition. At some place, the path would be narrow and difficult."
"No problem. I will go if you guide me," he said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah..."
The station master guided him with a few LANDMARK so that it would be easy for Arnav to find his way.
"Be careful... if you lose your way, it will be difficult to find in the dark, and staying in the forest is unsafe.
Arnav nodded okay and walked in the direction. He walked carefully, remembering the landmarks. The path ran into a thick forest, but it was clear. As the station master said, he crossed a Banyan tree, a big well, and a small Shivlinga under a Bael Tree (Vilvah).
The next landmark was a signboard of his destination village, Pancha Nandhi.
He walked, searching for the SIGN board told by the station master, but he didn't see it because a bull had pushed it into the nearby bush a few minutes ago. Unaware of it, Arnav walked, crossing the sign board.
It started getting dark. Arnav was sure he had walked more than two kilometres but understood he had missed the path. He didn't know what to do. He even thought of returning to the station but gave up the idea because he was unsure he could reach the station in the dark. He removed his mobile and switched it off due to a low battery.
Arnav thought something. However, there was a village nearby. If he tried, he could find the town with a little effort. He thought.
He walked ahead. He stopped sharpening his ear as he heard a BARKING sound. He looked behind and saw dog eyes glittering in the dark. He sensed a dog was advancing on him. Arnav started running to save himself from the dog. Arnav didn't know how long he ran. He didn't know how he got the power to run so fast.
Suddenly, Arnav heard a DAMARU sound. He looked behind, and the dog stopped putting sudden brakes on its legs and stopped. The DAMARU sound increased. The place vibrated with the sound. The dog sat on the ground, keeping his head on the ground like a good boy. Arnav stood, not understanding anything. He was sweating badly with heaving breath. He sensed something under his foot. He caressed the mud and took it in his hand. The cloud that was hiding the moon moved aside. It gave him enough light to see his surroundings. The thing in his hand was a RING.
He sensed a mild light behind him. He slowly looked behind and was taken aback, seeing a temple in which a KALA BHAIRAV statue with a DOG, decorated with many garlands that seemed so bright.
To be continued...
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