Destiny's Appetite

Crossroads

Bodhi and Kishan disembarked the jeep. They sat at the porch of Tara's hut. "What happened now?" Questioned Tara while coming out and covering her face with a woolen shawl.. She had a beautiful face only that there was a heavy scar on her right side of the forehead. As she was boiling water to prepare tea for both the guests, Bodhi got the curiosity to ask Tara about the story behind her scar. But he kept quiet and just hoped that he would talk to Tara's husband.

Hot Tea was served to Bodhi and Kishan but there was no sign of anyone else other than Tara and her two children. Her children were getting ready for school. Her 8 years-or-so daughter "Anuja", was busy collecting the scattered books and notebooks from the porch and stuffing them into her school bag. Clearly there was a streak of unhappiness and an empty space of abandonment which she could express only in her body language. Tara's younger five year-or-so old son Arindam, sat down with his school uniform and started crying. "I don't want to go to that school mama. I feel so afraid when coming back".. There was a clear sign of agony in his voice.

Tara shouted, "Ari.. if you keep doing this everyday, i will put you in school hostel. You will then wait for many months till you see mama's face". Arindam couldn't continue his crying anymore as he was afraid thinking what if his mother would actually do what she she was falsely threatening him with. He swallowed his pain through his throat and gulped it down. Bodhi was wondering if anyone is even able to hear that boy's pain. In a few minutes, a tuk-tuk style rickshaw came in front of that hut's fence and gave a strong and unpleasant horn. There were four more children in that vehicle with sad faces and a forced silence on their mouths. "Bye mama". Anuja and Arindam screamed in unison and they ran with their bags on their back towards the rickshaw.

Bodhi gave an inquisitive look at Kishan. Kishan shook his head in disagreement and he stood up. "Okay Bodhi. I am going for duty. You can continue from here".

He walked to his jeep, started it and drove forward in haste. Kishan's jeep and the rickshaw drove in opposite directions spewing dust through their tires at each other's back.

Bodhi continued to look at Tara with those invisible questions in his mind. Tara spoke with tears in her eyes: "Saheb.. My husband was not trouble to anyone in the village. He used to help people in hunting wild boars or sometimes deer. He never had any enemies. He kept us happy. This cruel tiger, he dragged my husband in front of my eyes.. I tried to defend my husband. But he attacked me and disappeared with my husband into the jungle. We searched for a whole day.. but.. found only his lower half of body.. Cruel animal has half eaten him and thrown away his rest".. i don't know how to feed and protect my children now".

Bodhi was disheartened on hearing this story. He got answers for all his questions but he was not happy about the answers. Tara's daughter and son were going to St.Peter's school in Siraki. Tara prayed everyday to just hope that her children return home alive. Bodhi finished his cup of tea and he told Tara that he was leaving. She covered her head again properly with the shawl and looked straight at Bodhi's eyes. She shook her head as a sign of acknowledgement.

Bodhi continued his walk from Tara's house to Shaolin Temple. He reached the shaolin temple. After a rigorous physical routine of shaolin practices, he rested in his bed. He thought of Tara and her family and wondered how they are living everyday and more importantly, being in the border of jungle, how they are surviving each day. It gave an empathetic shock to him to see them survive everyday without a protecting male. It was a cloudy day, so Bodhi fell asleep soon engulfed in his thoughts.