Beauty and the Beast

14

"He seems a little agitated today. Bhairava has issued to warning that no one can go up the hills today. Everyone is issued a warning to stay out of Ahobalam." Nidhi told Chenchita.

"What happened? I just saw him last night. He seemed calm and was meditating." Chenchita asked.

"We don't exactly know but even Shesha and Garuda are staying down with Bhairava. He seems to have retrieved back into some caves." Padma explained.

A group of hunters arrived, scared and worried. "Jaya had gone up the hills of Ahobalam even after the warnings were issued. We tried to stop but he went in. Bhairava had gone behind Jaya but ..." The hunters almost felt fear. "we heard loud roaring."

Jaya was the son of the hunter who wanted to be the next chieftain. Jaya himself wanted to be the chieftain after his father. One of the people who opposed Chenchita as the leader.

Chenchita didn't wait for her chieftain's order. She grabbed her quiver, bow and rushed away.

"Chenchita, listen stop. Didn't you hear? Bhairava, a form of Mallanna himself has ordered people to stay away. Do you think this is just another animal? Don't be foolish." Aja grabbed her hand.

"Then what do you want us to do, Anna? Sit and wait for some news about Jaya to come? He's one of us. You wouldn't sit here waiting for some news if I had been the one to go there. I would do the same for Jaya what I will do for you, Anna." Chenchita made it clear.

Chenchita freed her hand and rushed towards the hills. Aja followed her. Shesha and Garuda stopped Aja and the other hunters. "Do not go up there."

"You want me to leave my cousin alone? Especially when that beast is completely out of control?" Aja shouted.

"Silence, boy. Silence. Don't get hyper. You think we would have let her go if we didn't believe she cannot handle it?" Shesha asked.

"Then we can handle it too."

"You don't know her. You go there and Swami will rip you into shreds. You cannot save your foolish hunter. You'll all end up a pile of flesh. A group of asuras had attacked the nearest village and plundered it. That triggered a temper in him. He hadn't calmed down. So, Bhairava issued a warning for humans, devas, gandharvas and Rishis to stay away for the whole until it was safe for them to see him again."

"Then why is my sister there alone with someone so dangerous?"

"Because she is not just your random hunter, human. She is Sri Mahalakshmi. If he is Akhilanda koti brahmanda nayaka, then she is Akhilanda koti brahmandas itself. He is Purusha and she is Prakriti. Mula Prakriti, Parashakti. What is the rage of Narasimha before the determination of Sri Lakshmi? The Goddess who pulls Narayana himself to participate in the world. She is the Goddess of Creation. She is the Queen of Vaikuntha. What is the rage of Narasimha before her command? She says he has to walk down the hill, he will walk down the hill. The mother of Brahma himself. The Goddess of the Earth herself. These forests, this earth, these hills, there rivers, these mountains, the very creatures in this entire creation, all of them survive on her mercy. The mother who feeds 56 crore species on this earth." Shesha said.

That stopped all the hunters in their tracks. Their Chenchita? A Goddess?

Chenchita followed up quickly towards the caves. The caves were large and dark. "Ammaa!!!" Chenchita heard Jaya. The loud sound of rocks crashing around were audible.

"Jaya???" Chenchita called out.

"Who is that??? I'm here!!" Jaya shouted. Chenchita quickly rushed to the source of the sound. Lighting a fire torch she reached Jaya.