7. Neither hunger, nor thirst, nor sleep, nor fatigue, nor boredom! No one moved from their place. Every one was listening intently to the story of the Monkey King.
"My Father set out a journey around the world like a young man, but what did he have? No wealth, no valuable possessions. In just a few days, he was on the brink of starvation. Sure, he could find some thing here and there to cover himself with, but to fill his stomach, he needed some thing every morning and evening.
He encountered many different kinds of people during his travels. Once,a wise man told him that the most nutritious and delicious food in the world is the 'brain' of any creature. That is, the mind or brain.
From this moment on, he was obsessed with the idea. Whenever he came across a dead animal or human being during his journey, he would take out their brain and keep it with him. Sometimes, on islands, shores or in forests, he even found dying or severely wounded people. He would take out their brains and keep them for later consumption if needed.
Hearing this, Aish jumped up with joy and amazement. She excitedly said, "yes, you are right. I have seen your father. He once came to our house on the Hudson shore. He had been caught in a terrible storm at sea. He stayed with us one night and left the next morning." Aish spoke so excitedly that her breath became rapid. She didn't even realise that she had started addressing the great saint Monkey King with 'you' instead of 'Sir'. Perhaps there was so much truth in the King's words that Aish began to see him as a small child whose father had left him alone.
The Money King and all of Aish's friends stared at her, their mouths open. Every one was covered in goosebumps.
Aish went on to say that her father had also told her and her friend Rocky about eating the brains of dead creatures. Infact, they were even given some brains to eat.
"Really?" asked the Money King.
"Yes", Aish continued. She began to explain that eating the brains had the effect that you started behaving like the creature whose brain you had eaten. After eating a human brain, both Rocky and I acted like humans for many days. We even ran a business on the Hudson shore, selling unusual creatures to enthusiasts and made a lot of money.
Hearing this,all of Aish's friends were stunned. They looked at her in disbelief.
"Absolutely true, absolutely right. It's the truth" said the Money King.
The Money King told them that his father had returned from his journey some time ago. By the time he returned, he had become very old and frail. His body had shriveled up like a twig. He was so weak that he could barely move. He would lie there, trembling and panting, and tell his son, the Monkey King, all about his experiences during the journey.
He had told his son about a strange thing he had learnt from a remarkable man while resting in the forest during his journey back. He said that the result of eating someone's brain was also strange. If the creature whose brain you ate wasn't completely dead at the time the brain was removed, then after sometime, you would start talking on the form of that creature whose living brain you had consumed.
Oh! All the listeners were astonished. They were spellbound as they listened.
The Money King told them that his father had passed away some time ago. Before dying, he had told his son that there were only two instances when he had removed the brain of a wounded struggling monkey and an unconscious hunter.
The story went like this: his father was traveling along the water's edge through the forests in his boat when he saw a fierce tiger attacking a monkey writhing in pain, so he stopped the boat and went to him. The wounded monkey was almost on the verge of death. He removed the brain and left the monkey there and moved on.
After his father's death, the Monkey King might have unknowingly consumed that very brain some day. And then, one day, while sitting quietly, he suddenly started jumping and leaping around."
From the next morning, Aish's life became miserable. After learning this whole story from Monkey Maharaj, all her friends started to distance themselves from her. Who knew what might happen at any moment, and this innocent bird might turn into a young woman in some mysterious way.
A suspicious heron immediately asked Monkey Maharaj, "How did you find out that your father fed a human brain to this bird? And this happened a long time ago; even if she ate a human brain, why hasn't it affected her yet? When will she become a young woman?"
Monkey Maharaj smiled softly at this question and said, "There are some little children here, so I don't want to say anything in front of them. Therefore, I will only answer this question to you in private. Or, if you wish, you and Aish can come together."
After this mysterious conversation, Monkey Maharaj revealed that the effect of the human brain Aish consumed would only take place when she formed a relationship with someone.
"Did the same thing happen to you?" The heron's inquisitive question made Monkey Maharaj feel embarrassed.
Monkey Maharaj also solved the mystery of how he knew that this bird had eaten a human brain.
He explained that his father had clearly stated that a bird that has consumed a human brain would have a small red mark visible on the back of its head from a distance. Monkey Maharaj had recognized Aish the first time he saw her pecking for grains in the temple courtyard, which is why he wanted to share the secret with her.
Now, there was no reason left to doubt Monkey Maharaj's words.
Shortly after, everyone dispersed, leaving Aish alone. After being awake all night, dawn was breaking, and everyone was feeling drowsy.
Aish felt as if she had woken up from a long dream. She was also feeling a bit hungry, but she had no desire to join her companions in foraging for food.
At that moment, she wanted nothing but solitude. She blinked her eyes as if bidding farewell to everyone in her mind and fluttered her wings, taking a high flight. She had no idea where she was going, but as soon as she soared into the open sky, she felt some relief.
She had no sense of which direction she was heading. She didn't know if she was moving forward on her journey or returning in the same direction she had come from. She was aimlessly moving forward.
For some reason, hearing the secret of turning into a young woman as told by Monkey Maharaj didn't sit well with her. She was missing her companion, Rocky, terribly. She regretted parting from Rocky without any reason. Who knew where he might be at this moment?
She also remembered that evening on the Hudson Riverbank when an old sailor, rowing his battered boat to safety from the storm, came to their home. It felt strange to Aish to know that this old man was Monkey Maharaj's father. And the most thrilling part was that this monkey was actually a young man who had transformed into a monkey after consuming a human organ given by his father. Oh, poor guy, who knew how long he would remain like this!
After flying for quite some distance, a mischievous thought crossed Aish's mind. She thought, Monkey Maharaj said that the result of eating a human brain would be revealed when she formed a physical relationship with someone. At that time, due to embarrassment, no one could even ask Monkey Maharaj who he had formed a relationship with? Did he get married? If so, where is his life partner now? Is she a human or a monkey? There were many questions.
Her eyes started darting around playfully. She saw a large flock of her own species of birds by the shore of a big lake.
The flying Ash was torn between two thoughts. One part of her mind urged her to immediately find out the truth behind what King Monkey had said. It wouldn’t be difficult either. Across the lake, there were many birds sitting around. All she had to do was descend, and one of them would come eagerly, licking its lips at the sight of her. Men naturally get feverish at the sight of women. And for a young and beautiful bird like Ash, there was no shortage of suitors.
She had managed to protect herself from them so far, otherwise, who knows when she might have turned into a young maiden! But her other mind told her that she should first find Rocky. She should bow her head before him and confess that yes, this is love. Ash belongs to Rocky, no matter what happens. Even if she transforms into a human, she would do so only in front of Rocky.
But then, like a bolt of lightning, Ash suddenly remembered that Rocky had also eaten the human brain given by that old man. So, did that mean he would turn into a boy too?
The thought made Ash both happy and excited. Yes, she clearly remembered that the morning after the old man had left, when she was eating the bland piece of meat he had given her, Rocky had come up to her. The mischievous Rocky tried to snatch the piece of meat from her beak, and when Ash, trying to tease him, quickly tried to swallow it, he leaped and pressed his mouth against hers. In his eagerness to steal the meat, he sucked on Ash's mouth for who knows how long.
Remembering that incident, Ash blushed, even though she was alone. Although not entirely, Rocky had certainly eaten some part of it.
So, what now? Would Rocky also become a human? Or would he turn into a half-human? Half bird, half man!
Would Ash turn out the same way? Half woman, half bird. If that happened, it would be so much fun. If only this thought had occurred to her while she was sitting before King Monkey, she could have asked him what happens if the brain is eaten only halfway.
But now she had come too far. Who knows where King Monkey was now? She didn’t have the courage to go back. The king, always hopping and jumping around, wouldn’t have stayed in the same place.
But Ash started thinking. She suddenly remembered that if Rocky had eaten that piece of meat, he should have had a red mark on his head as well. That’s what King Monkey had said!
But it could also be that such a mark had appeared on Rocky's head, but Ash hadn’t noticed it. She never really paid attention to that poor thing. He would always try to come close to her, to cuddle, but she would push him away indifferently. How hard-hearted Ash had become! She felt a bit of remorse.
In fact, at that time, Ash was possessed by a different obsession. She always believed that if a creature formed a bond with another species, it would give the world a new breed of creatures—unique, different beings. Wouldn’t that be fun?
This very thought kept her away from Rocky. Her mind would always wander into strange ideas. Sometimes she dreamed of Rocky marrying a cat, and sometimes she imagined herself marrying that cute little dog. After all, Ash was just Ash.
But what would happen by doing this? She began to ponder.
Aish loosened her wings slightly and began to descend towards the edge of the lake. She had been feeling hungry for a while now. She first picked some delicious insects from the water's edge to satisfy her hunger, then perched on a damp rock. A wave of drowsiness and sleep overcame her, and in the blink of an eye, she was enveloped in slumber.
The sky was dotted with scattered patches of white clouds, casting alternating shadows and sunlight on her. But the lake’s water was cool, making the atmosphere pleasant. Exhausted by the stress and mysteries of the past days, Aish drifted off into a dream world.
She felt as though the rock she was sitting on suddenly transformed into an icy slab and began floating on the water. As she swayed on this drifting slab, she sensed the soft touch of a flower’s branch fluttering against her body. Soon, the rock seemed to change into a large flower bud.
Oh, what was this unease? What was this relief? It felt as if a young bird, breathing heavily, had come close to her. She could feel the trembling wings of that lively bird wrapping around her body.
Aish stretched lazily. Her beak slowly opened like the petals of a delicate bud. But before she knew it, a shadow encircling her long, slender neck gently placed a flower petal in her mouth. Aish squirmed. The rock beneath her started to spin and sway, and she began to twirl around in a circle on this watery ground. Suddenly, she realized something was happening today that had never happened before.
Stopping this game now seemed not just difficult but impossible. Her eyes wouldn’t open. Someone had taken control of Aish's entire being. A mysterious guest had entered the untouched chamber of her body, a chamber she had never opened for anyone before.
Many of Aish's friends and companions had sought to claim this space, but it had never been given to anyone. Today, somehow, an invisible key had come and unlocked it on its own. Aish was in a state of such intoxication that she couldn't even say, "Don’t come any closer!" Aish, with open arms, embraced the warmth of this affection. The guest also playfully merged into this new world. Oh, the guest kept dancing, swaying with joy, and Aish twirled along, the earth kept spinning, the clouds kept swirling. Whether it was sleep or intoxication, the guest was warmly welcomed, an overwhelming atmosphere enveloped them. Let it be, let it happen, why stop it, nothing can be stopped now! ...Deep in the ocean’s depths, a drop of thirst is hidden... Stealthily, the water finds its way there!
Time passed unnoticed.
The world spun so much that a new world was formed. What had never happened before, happened now.
It rained. The drops drenched the earth.
Aish's trance broke. She opened her eyes. The sunlight, the shadows, the clouds, the wind—everything was in its place, except Aish’s world had changed.
A profound peace had descended upon her.
When she looked up, she saw a bird hastily walking down the slope of the rock. Aish let out a scream. It was not a scream of pain or sorrow... but of joy. It was a cry of delight, the song of Aish's life. She recognized the deep red mark on the head of the bird that was hastily walking away, and it was this mark that caused Aish to let out this ecstatic cry.
Aish almost leaped and flew to block the path of the fleeing bird. And now, that male bird looked deep into Aish's eyes, filled with a fragrant depth. He let out a cry, a cry that could only come from an excess of joy. Both were overjoyed to see each other again.
Aish and Rocky were face to face after a long time!
Repeated announcements had been made. Now, a woman came in and, looking around, said in a loud voice, “This is the last and final call for passenger George Bublu. The airplane gates are about to close... wherever he is, he should proceed to the gate immediately.”
The other passengers in the waiting lounge, observing the silence around, thought that Mr. George Bublu would surely miss his flight. The woman making the announcement, with vigilant eyes, was signaling the guard at the gate to close the door with a glance.
But then, some commotion occurred at the shops at the edge, and a young man, wrapped in bizarre clothes, rushed toward the gate.
The people standing there and the woman looked at the boy with stern, annoyed looks as they nearly pushed him inside the gate. However, the passengers in the lounge were not at all interested in which country or city’s flight was being delayed because of this careless traveler. Many were indeed curious about what this strangely dressed youth was doing that had caused such a stir at the airport. He did not look like a student. His age did not suggest he was a businessman or a commercial worker. His untidy appearance, tribal-like hair, shiny white shoes with loose, trailing laces, an unusually high T-shirt with the waistband of his shorts swaying and the brightly colored bag with a half-open zipper dripping with what seemed to be juice or water—everything about him was unusual. He disappeared into the glass door amid the gaze of everyone.
Silence followed. The gate was closed.
An employee informed the woman who made the announcement that there had been a problem with this passenger’s check-in luggage, which was why he was called again. There had been considerable argument about this, and the passenger had even raised his hand against a security staff member at one point. A police officer nearby had intervened to protect the security staff.
Just then, a laughing cleaning staff member arrived with a trolley and shared the passenger's story, which many found hard to believe, but they gathered around to listen.
The young man was actually a staff member working in a bird museum and aquarium. He had special permission to transport two rare birds and had purchased their tickets. However, four hours before the journey, the permission to carry these creatures was revoked because their weight was found to be much more than what was stated during booking. In fact, intelligence officials suspected it might be a case of human trafficking, thinking that the rare birds might be hiding a child wrapped in special clothing. There was considerable argument over the refund of the ticket. He was subjected to a thorough search.
Eventually, the rare birds were sent via water transport. However, the high insurance cost for air travel was not considered valid for sea transport because it was for a very limited period. After settling all this confusion, the young man was able to catch his flight, and his companions took the birds back.
The museum expressed surprise and ignorance about the sudden weight increase of the animals. The fact was that a unique species of birds had been found in the jungles of Peru, and the museum had sent its expert staff to catch and safely bring them. These people had been on this mission for the past three weeks. The story of finding these birds in the wild, tracking them for days, keeping an eye on them, and capturing them was very intriguing.
There were various rumors. Some said these were not birds but humans raised among animals. Others believed that these were not entirely human either. They were creatures living in a deserted area by a river, who, although similar to humans, had large wings that allowed them to fly. Their appearance also resembled that of birds.
What was true and what was false? So many stories, so many opinions. Some journalists had even uncovered the entire story of this campaign, but the museum was making every effort to keep the matter confidential. A girl even made a statement to journalists that she had heard them speaking like humans in the jungle. She claimed she didn’t know their language but heard words like "Ash," "Rocky," etc., coming from their mouths, which she thought were their names!
Remarkable! The media was keen on uncovering the truth.
The crowd was massive. The captain had to intervene repeatedly, but people were not listening. They stood outside the cabin, peering and trying to figure out what these peculiar creatures were that were being taken to New York with unprecedented security.
Until now, no one had seen them. Everyone was sharing what they had heard or asking each other about them.
One person said, “I was there during loading. They looked like ostriches, but their eyes are like human eyes, large and round.”
A young man interjected, “Brother, I even bumped into their trolley. They are just like humans, except their necks are bird-like. They stood straight like penguins.”
A small boy laughed and then quietly asked, “Do they wear anything?”
“Crazy, they are wild creatures. What would they wear? Have you ever seen a hippopotamus in jeans?”
“Are they completely naked?”
“Go ahead and touch them if you want. The young man said this, and people around laughed. Two women glared at the boy with some irritation, and he quietly walked away.
“Do they show themselves?” an elderly woman asked.
“No, not at all. The cage is completely covered with colored sheets from inside. The color is deep.”
“Oh, they are paying the price for human curiosity. It must be so suffocating for them. Oh my God.”
“No, ma’am, they are quite comfortable! There’s air conditioning. The cage is open from the top.”
“What do they eat?” As soon as the woman asked, a well-dressed old man stepped forward from the crowd. He said, “Research is still ongoing. I’m the Technical Director of the Birds Museum.”
“Oh! Great,” the woman extended her hand for a handshake.
The old man said, “During observation, they were seen eating food similar to storks or penguins. But recently, there have been unprecedented changes in their bodies. Thus, our people are unable to understand how they will be nourished by algae, insects, and small plant products. They have also been given meat, fish, and crabs.”
“Strange! Are they eating all this?”
“A little bit... they might be a bit nervous after being captured. In such cases, wild animals can be indifferent to food.”
“Are they males?”
“No, it’s a pair. One female and one male.”
“Oh, fortunate...”
“Excellent! Otherwise, we would have to find a companion for them. By the way, what’s your interest in them? Just curiosity, or is there any professional involvement? Your interest is commendable! It’s rare these days for people to care about the life and death of even humans!”
“Oh no, don’t say that. Aren’t everyone standing here, leaving their cabins?”
“That’s true. You are right. Sorry…”
“It’s okay, then… Goodbye.”
The crowd had thinned a bit. Curious people had understood quite a bit from the conversation between the inquisitive woman and the museum’s director, and their curiosity had somewhat diminished.
A caretaker from the museum brought a cup of coffee and a sandwich for the old man, and the remaining people scattered.
The boy bringing coffee lifted a corner of the curtain slightly and saw that Ash and Rocky’s fear had lessened. They were now more at ease. Rocky had even eaten a considerable portion of a large fish hung from the wire.
Both were very intelligent creatures who had seen the world and tasted many experiences, but now, having ended up in the human world by chance, they were being treated as animals and received such behavior.
Humans... after all, the most intelligent creatures in creation!
