Chapter 8
Taming Pamman
There is not one but many surprises in the Naga Forest. There is a small lake in this forest called Deva Lake. The specialty of this lake is that it fills up completely on the full moon day and It slowly starts to dry out and dries completely on the day of the new moon. At that time you can see a Shivalinga inside that dried-up lake. The anointing of the Shivalinga will take place on that day of the new moon. The Moopa(Village Head) will grind some very special medicinal herb and will apply it as a paste on the Shivalinga. This paste get dissolved in the lake water. By the passage of time the Shivalinga will get submerged under the lake water and the water will become a medicinal water. For the tribal people, the herbal water in that lake is a cure for the common cold and fever! Even the elephants in the forest used to come in search of this lake to drink this unique medicinal water!
The Mela Nadu in the Naga Forest was fully covered with tall trees. All the trees there were tall and very strong. Evergreen mangroves, which will steal the minds of any nature lover were there all over. The branches of the trees were there only from a height of fifteen to twenty feets.It is very clear that no one other than the local tribes can climb those tricky trees!
The civet cats used to lurk in the natural hollows of the tall trees in the forest. Below them, Pamman would spread his specially sewed leaves for collecting the litter of the civet cats at any time conveniently.
Civet cats are so weird and not like other cats, they are not carnivores and do not eat rats and squirrels, they eat fruits and pulpy fruits only. That is why their waste smells odorless. During the day time when the sun shines bright, the civet cats come out in search of food.
At this time Pamman will put his hand in the holes in the trees and will take out the sewed leaves to collect the civet. In these leaves the droppings of the civet cat may be there of the size of a gooseberry. Sometimes they dump their waste in the place where they go in search of food. So getting even a small quantity of civet depends on the person’s luck.
When the doctor asked for fifty grams of civet Pamman could understand that there may be a an important reason for this. While climbing the tree he was wondering about the mystery behind this. He decided in his mind that after handing over the civet, he should observe the doctor’s activities.
After climbing about twelve trees Pamman was surprised to find that Raman Kutty has so much luck as his collection of civet has now crossed more than fifty grams. When he was getting ready to leave the area he saw a kerchief which was lying under a tree.. He bent down and took it and looked at it.He remembered seeing it somewhere but...where?
Suddenly the image of Mohan sneezing and taking that kerchief out of his pocket came to his mind. The traces of Mohan’s shoes were also there under that tree.
Pamman realized that something very bad might have happened to Mohan in that forest. Thinking of this he started his walk for three hours to reach the main road in the forest. To his luck, the lorry which went for unloading the firewood was returning now. The lorry driver stopped and handed over the newspapers to Pamman. The driver smirked and teased him looking at the civet in Pamman’s hand, "Hey,Pamma, When are you going to stop roaming around looking for cat faeces?"
Pamman felt like someone slapped him straight at his face very hard. It is true that civet is a medicine on one hand but still, it is cat faeces, on the other hand! For the first time Pamman felt very sad for being in such a profession for survival. With that grief in mind, he walked towards the cave on the hillside where the doctor has asked him to come.
A bunch of guava trees caught his eyes. Slightly far away he also saw some jack fruit trees with the ripe fruits at its base. The mountain squirrels used to come and eat this from time to time. Pamman felt like eating them as he was very much tired and hungry. If you eat a guava, in half an hour you will feel like that you want to go to the toilet. Jackfruit may give you some throat problems. His hunger forced him to eat both the fruits.
A Nona tree was there nearby! He could see a honeycomb in it.The thought that If he eat honey with these fruits, the honey will act as a medicine and there will not be any problem for him. This forest honey contains the nectar of a number of wild forest flowers. Mountain honey also have a sedative effect. One should only take a limited quantity of it..
He found a way to take honey. Looking around, he broke a stick-like part from the centre of prickly pear and aimed it like an arrow and threw it towards the honeycomb with the force of a spear without missing the mark, it penetrated in to the hive and stood still there. Within seconds the honey began to drip through the stick. He didn't even wait to collect it in his hand. He just stood below the stick opening his mouth and let it drop directly in his mouth..
A mixed taste of bitterness and sweet ... he took a piece of jackfruit and put it in his mouth. It tasted so divine. He ate half of the guava. The honey kept on spilling and he did not want it to spill on the ground. So he just took a stone and threw it aiming at the stick and the stick fell down. Still the honey was dripping from the hive. But Pamman knew well it will stop in a few minutes. Now some bees started flying around the hive.
With the civet collected from the forest Pamman started walking towards the cave Raman Kutty has told him, thinking what next?
MatruBharti TV Office.
The phone in front of Menon rang. He picked up the receiver,reading the notes before him.
"Menon sir? "
"Yes, may I know who is this?"
"I'm Chandran, Manolal sir's P.A.."
"Hi,how is our super star?"
"He is great...just now he called me from Germany."
"From Germany?"
"Yes... sir, he went on a vacation."
"Really?"
"Why are you asking as if you don't know, sir? In your film bites program last week you have answered one of your viewers that ‘Manolal says he is abroad but only god knows where he is’!"
"Chandran, that program was based on an information collected from the film industry."
"Maybe, but when he called me, he discussed about this and told me that he is very much worried about these type of gossips about him, which may affect his career very much."
"Don’t you think that what we said is the truth? Crores of rupees remains frozen in the film industry because of him. Two films which are already completed are waiting for his arrival and many others are remaining incomplete."
“He will be back very soon ,sir and the film world will look at him with envy. "
"Good. Did you call me to say this only? "
"Not only that ... you are the first channel who is going to interview him as soon as he comes back from Germany. He told me that it is an exclusive interview for your channel."
"Many thanks, by the by when he is coming from Germany?"
"A maximum of one week ..... you can send your news reporter and crew to the airport. Another important thing is that lal sir now looks very young after undergoing some special treatment in Germany. If you see him now, you will say that he is only about forty!"
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Ok ,can you please tell me how old is he now?
"What sir...I think he is in his fifties."
"Don’t you know his exact date of birth? "
"Normally he do not disclose his age to anyone. However, I'll ask him about it for you, sir. "
"Thank you ... Is his real name Manolal?"
"No sir...sir's actual name is Mangalathu Manoharan. Manolal’ is the name he use for films."
"Ok,that’s good.."
"Menon sir, please be a little patient otherwise you will be short of questions when Manolal sir comes! Let him come, you can personally meet and Interview him. That would be more nice, right?"
"Thank you very much…"
The call got disconnected. Menon was in total confusion.
"What is this...his P.A. is saying that Manolal is in Germany. But Mohan says that he has seen him in the Naga Forest what is the truth? "
He called Mohan with many doubts in his mind.
But Mohan’s mobile was in switched off position.
Menon cut the call and started thinking …
The Naga Siddha Cave near Pandava spring was fully covered with numerous vines. Raman Kutty was not found there anywhere nearby. But Pamman heard the barking of a dog mixed with the sounds of some brown rabbits. If these both are there then the presence of any other wild life will not be there. To him this showed the signs of some human movement is there.
The dog barked again to show that someone has come. Raman Kutty came out of the cave hearing the barking! When he saw Pamman waiting there, he said,
“Come inside.” and stood at the entrance of the cave.
The dog which barked, kept on barking it was a country dog of about three years of age. Raman Kutty looked at the dog and said, “Be quiet, Sherlock.” Taking courage Pamman looked at the dog, turmeric and saffron were smeared on its forehead. Normally people used to apply turmeric and saffron on the foreheads of cows only. That, too, during some tribal festivals only. Pamman was very much surprised to see this.
"Doctor, what's this, you have applied turmeric and saffron on this dog's forehead? '' The doctor did not replied anything but just went inside with civet Pamman gave. When he came back with a clay pot tied with ropes in his hand, which can be held like a hand bag. He gave it to Pamman.
"What is this? "
"Just carry this and follow me!"
"I am not a porter to carry whatever you tell and to follow you wherever you go. "
"Then.. are you a collector … or a big millionaire?” the doctor asked back angrily.
"Oh, what you mean is either, I should be well educated or rich otherwise I have to just act as a porter for you is it?”
“Pamma,you talk too much"
"You make me talk. You asked me for civet. It's my profession. I brought the civet and even for that you have not paid! Now you are asking me to follow you wherever you go.Doctor,what is this? Do you know that, still I haven't eaten a mouthful of porridge. In the forest I had some honey and fruits that’s all. “before he finished saying this, Raman Kutty took ten two thousand rupee notes from his bag and offered it to Pamman. He has seen a two thousand rupee note before but has never touched it! A stunned Pamman stood staring at the currency.
"What are you looking at, come on take, this is for you!."
"All this for me?"
"It's for you only. Hope you won't talk anymore, right..?"
"Doctor ,Ji, now I am even ready to kill anyone for you. I need money."
"Then stay with me. Listen and obey me. I’ll make you the richest among all in the fifteen Nadu.."
"Really?'
"In the name of Lord Bairav I promise you!"
"Who is Bairav, doctor?"
"That's him."The doctor pointed at Sherlock. Pamman thought that the doctor is making fun of him.
"Doctor ..."
"Ha…Ha ... Pamma, Lord Bairav’s vehicle is a dog. Like for Muruga the peacock, for Perumal the Garuda and for Shiva the bull, so for Bairav it is a dog. So I'm worshipping this dog as if it is Bairav himself. Whoever this dog bites, they will start barking like a dog and will die within minutes...."when Raman Kutty said this a kind of fear enveloped Pamman.
"You don’t believe, right..."
"I know that the dog bites are dangerous and it can be healed with injections. But you are telling as if this is a snake bite? "
"It's like a snake bite only… I am giving him a herbal medicine known as ‘ Sarpagandha’this will make his blood poisonous!"
"’Sarpagandha’, Is there any such herbal medicine…Ji?"
"It is one of my inventions..... what did you think about me ... the only thing I can't do is to give life for a dead person! I found even the cure for AIDS."
"Is it related to a sexual disease, right... "
"Do you know about it? "
Raman Kutty laughed when Pamman replied very frank and open saying,
"Once when a priest came with a group to visit forest, he told me that it spreads more among the illiterates like us and that we should be very careful..."
"Now, where we have to go, Ji? "Pamman asked with respect.
The doctor replied "Kazhugu Medu."
A shocked Pamman with fear filled in mind said, "Ji, It’s a very dangerous place!"
