Time's Up: Every Moment Counts

by Vasu Velamur

  “Yes dear, we can '' she cuddled Banrilin and massaged her soft shoulders. She pondered where to start the story, hesitated for a few seconds. She practiced a few sentences and discarded some, too. Finally, sat up straight and looked confident to start “your friend Banrilin’s father”

  “What is his name, Maa ji” interjected Vashist as usual in any story

  “Ooh forgot to tell you, his official name is different but we call him as Tiplang within the family. His family has been ruling this community for the last 5 generations and they are good people.”

  “Then how did he get killed? Any enemies?”

  “Nothing like that. Let me finish the entire story and you stop me only in places where you don’t understand. Get it?”

  “Yes Maa ji continue please”

  Vindhya and Ranga both bit their teeth and looked annoyed at Vashist. He knew that and circumvented his eyes opposite to theirs for some time.

  “A few months back, let’s say about 8, a strong and dignified man named Kibor came to meet my husband. He wanted the job of a security guard for the entire community. Tiplang then gave him around 10 diverse tasks and he came out with flying colours. He was very gifted with excellent skills. So Tiplang offered him the job, but he had a condition for us.”

  “What, the employee demands a condition?”

  “Yes, he demanded 1000 annas every month as salary, and his family’s food and shelter are outside the salary. For an entire day, Tiplang and I argued if such a huge salary for a security guard was necessary? Then we assessed the person and evaluated his true worth. We agreed to review him for 3 months and then take a long-term decision”

  “Wow, can I also apply for it? It’s way better than working for Wall street” Vashist jumped. Ranga immediately pulled him back and asked her to continue with the story “Don’t bother about this guy. You need to ignore him.”

  “OK, so we got him engaged, and he also performed his duties with at most care and a righteous attitude. Everyone in the community endorsed him. He was a very shy and private person. So no one knew what he did outside his work. We also wanted to know what he used that sizable sum of money for. One day Tiplang followed him on the salary day and saw what he did.”

  “Did he go to the forest and hide it somewhere?”

  “No, boy, he did something that no one could envisage. After receiving his salary, he came straight to this temple. Here he donated 400 annas into the temple collection. Then he proceeded to the primary school and gave 200 annas to the Guru present there. He then traced his route to the medicine man in our community and presented him with 200 annas. Finally, he gave 150 annas to his old parents and”

  “What about his family?”

  “The remaining 50 annas he handed out to his wife as savings. His house and food management are already taken care of. The very next day, Tiplang approached him and inquired about him. What was his motive to distribute his salary and why those proportions? He disclosed the temple saved most of the people and kept them in good shape. He added that focus on education and health is a must and so he donated to the Guru and the medicine man. Finally, he paid tribute to his aged parents and gave what remained of his savings. Also reiterated that he donated on Tiplang’s name - so everyone was fonder of my husband”

  “So, did Tiplang sir approve of Kibor permanently?”

  “What a silly question, boy, from the very next day he got inducted. Kibor also did a great job in protecting us and our community. He was very sincere and mindful of time. He managed time such that we never looked at the sun but watched him and calculated the time of the day”

  “So he was a true watchman then”

  “Yes boy, you are good at listening to stories but don’t interrupt unless required please.”

  “Sure will try to”

  “Every time that my husband called out for help, only Kibor would be there first to arrive. He had a heart of gold and served with passion. Yesterday evening my husband finished the general council meeting for our function. He then called for Kibor and instructed him to stand guard at the entrance. He followed as per the order and stood there from the start of the evening. Then, around 9, I recollect we all heard a deafening noise”

  “What was it? The thunderstorm?”

  “No, it looked more like a desperate cry of a young woman. So Tiplang got up and called out for Kibor, but he did not respond, as he was at the entrance. So Tiplang went up to him and entrusted him to sort out the problem and resolve it. Kibor loaded his weapons and traced the sound”

  “Where did the sound come from?”

  “Wait boy” said Banrilin’s mother in a little irritated fashion “I will complete the story for you soon. Have patience”

  Vindhya muttered a few harsh words and signaled for him to stop interrupting the story. She pressed her ears to imply only to listen. Vashist acknowledged and requested for the breakfast parcel. She conceded with the assumption that with his mouth filled would stop the interruptions. Vindhya passed the package and relaxed. She then confirmed, “Maa, please continue the story. The interruption problem has got fixed”

  “Oh OK. Where did I stop?”

  “Kibor followed the sound is where you finally stopped”

  “Yes, Kibor followed the sound, and it led him straight to this temple. In front of this temple was a beautiful young lady dressed in full gold ornaments. She was the one who cried. So Kibor approached her with care and enquired, ‘Lady, are you lost?’. The lady replied ‘No’. Then Kibor probed about her whereabouts. She replied, ‘My name is Deepali. I come from the next village and belong to the royal family of Puri’. Kibor asked on impulse, ‘Did they send you out of the family?’ She replied, ‘No, I have come here to warn you about something bad. It is going to happen tomorrow’ and she cried again”

  “What bad thing would that be,” thought Vindhya aloud “oh sorry Maa ji, this behaviour is very contagious. You carry on”

  “Kibor asked the same question. The lady replied that the planetary position of Shani was in a dangerous alignment. It would bring great misfortune to the tribe and hence she was crying. This news came as a shock, but Tiplang had followed Kibor since the crying sound distracted him too much. So he heard it too and hide himself to watch how Kibor responded”

  Tears rolled down the mother’s cheeks. She wiped it and Banrilin moved a little closer to her and comforted her. Vindhya’s emotions touched a deep point, and she felt empathy for the mother. “If it is very difficult. Leave it Maa ji, we will ask the priest to continue the story. Do not trouble yourself much”

  “Not much dear, I will continue” she gulped a tumbler of water and then cleared her throat. “Kibor shocked, remained silent for a few seconds and then asked the lady. If you are aware of the terrible event, then you should also know how to reverse it. For which she replied it’s unstoppable and they could only stop it by performing one event. So, without thinking for a second, Kibor asked what it was. For which she replied that if someone from the community sacrificed his son with his own hands, it will end. The tribe leader would survive”

  “Oh god” gasped Vindhya in shock “how is this possible?”

  “Tiplang also heard this and wanted to gauge what happens next. How did Kibor react to this, So he stood behind that gigantic tree there and waited for Kibor to make his move. Kibor did not react and stood there for a few minutes, contemplating what to do next. He thought, ‘ how can he save Tiplang’s life’. Then with a sudden jerk, he shook himself and ran and Tiplang followed.”

  “He ran to Tiplang’s hut - that's the next logical move” Vashisht with his mouth full.

  “No, it was not. I also thought the same, but Kibor ran to his house and woke his wife up. He pulled her outside and then told her about Tiplang’s death warning. She was also shocked and then asked him what he planned. He said there is only one way. She wanted to know it, too. He told her they could sacrifice their son. Without a blink of an eye, Kibor’s wife agreed and asked her daughter to go wake
up his brother”

  “What” screamed Vindhya “No way, she is crazy”. Then she stopped and looked around and then signaled to Banrilin that she was Ok. She wanted to continue the story.

  “Kibor’s wife was very brave and shrewd, too. She knew Kibor had the dilemma of how to convey the message to her, and she understood it. She also delivered it as her own decision. He was motionless for some time and not convinced. He looked at her, and she shook her head up and down. Then told her that this was the only way they could perform the duty for their master. So they woke the son and proceeded to the temple”

  “What happened to Tiplang?” shouted Vashist, as impatient as he was.

  “He listened to the complete conversation through the front window. He was shell-shocked and did not move for some minutes. Before he could reach the family had already left for the temple. They hurried all the way, and Tiplang followed them from a distance. He did not want to reveal himself to them. They reached the place before midnight”

  “You mentioned nothing about midnight” wondered Vashisht “was it necessary data, Maa ji?”

  “Ooh yes, my dear son. Thanks for bringing it up. The lady had a condition that the sacrifice needs to be completed before midnight. Else it was a total waste. So they hurried, and Tiplang had no provision to warn me about what was about to happen. He left from there.” Once more tears bulged from her eyes and it was in a position not to drop because of the concept of surface tension. It was not a pleasant site, but these friends had to go through this tough time. Vindhya moved even closer now and was almost on the laps of Banrilin’s mother. She comforted her also, and all waited to discover how they all died?

  After clearing her throat a few times, she nodded to all that she could carry on with the story. It looked like a nail biting IPL final between MI & CSK. The tension on Vashist’s face was the most. He had finished the entire breakfast to distract him from the interjections. Ranga collected the data from the story and monitored the clock. They neared the time allotted. Ranga signaled something like 20 minutes left, which he thought was enough. So he urged Vindhya to speed up and all this communication used only their eyes and hand gestures. So Vashist did not know what was going on. He only waited for the climax.

  “The family reached the temple and offered prayers to Kali Matha and then sat in silence for some time. Kibor was in total concentration and he was not the same as always. Lots of thought ran inside his mind and his wife knew it, too. She held his left hand while they were all silent. Then, after a few minutes, Kibor took the knife out of the cover and prayed for one last time. The son was also brave and he with folded arms prayed. He sat in front of the idol and waved goodbye to his parents and then his sister. Finally, he closed his eyes. Kibor took a fighting stance and then with one quick blow split his son into two.”

  “Oh GOD, please stop it Maa ji '' distressed Vindhya. She could not control her mind or how she felt. She could not listen to the story any longer. While Banrilin and her mother comforted her, Vindhya composed herself a little. Then looked up to Banrilin, and she too looked unhappy. They wanted to know what happened next?

  “Soon as the head fell to the ground, the knife in Kibor’s hands also fell and he broke down. He fell to the ground, unconscious. His wife rushed to his side to wake him up. Kibor’s daughter, who watched this event, went into a shock. She yelled why did her brother deserve such an end. If he is not there, why should I get a life, she didn’t like it. She grabbed the knife and stabbed herself in her stomach. She also fainted and fell flat.”

  Tears continued to roll down Banrilin’s mother, and she could not continue. So she wiped the tears and took a few deep breaths, then looked at the boys. They were both pretty relaxed outside but were fearful on the inside. They were a little pale, but not as affected as Vindhya. Ranga, who continued to observe the timer, was so eager to finish the story and get to the question part. So he nodded as a confirmation that she could carry on with the story till the end before the timer expired. According to the device, they hardly had around 15 minutes and the boys were on the verge of pressing the panic button.

  “As this drama played on” continue the mother, “Tiplang wanted to step in but the time was not conducive. So he continued to hide. So he waited for the moment to come for Kibor's rescue. As Kibor recovered from his shock, he heard his wife shouting. She shouted what’s the point in her life after both her children’s deaths. What is the purpose for her to live now? So she also sacrificed her life and wished their master a healthy life. She then cut her throat with the knife.”

  “As soon as his wife fell dead on his lap, Kibor lost his senses and his head spiraled. He did not know what to do and was in total anguish. Within a spark of a second, he also took the drastic step too. He wanted Tiplang saved, and he had finished his duty. With all his family gone, what was he going to do - so he also cut open his throat and fell. As soon as Kibor drew the knife, Tapling rushed forward to stop Kibor from killing, but it was too late. Kibor fell over his wife’s body. When Tiplang entered the shrine, the entire Kibor family was dead. The priest ran in when he heard Kibor shout ‘Kali Maa Ki Jai’ out loud. The shocked priest looked at Tiplang and asked what happened. Tiplang shrugged, and his shoulders dropped. The priest did not know what to do, but something hit Tiplang like a flash. Before the priest could react, Tiplang also killed himself with the same knife and fell”

  “Wow, all this drama holds on a lady’s words,” murmured Vashisht into Ranga’s ears. Immediately Ranga pinches Vashist’s thighs, and he jumps up. Ranga then tried to control the situation “Nothing maa ji. Vashisht was afraid of this small beetle bug here”

  Then he looks towards the mother and asks “So what is the priest telling us now?”

  “You ask him yourself. I cannot decide, dear boy” she said while weeping the tears of her eyes and that of Banrilin.

  So immediately Ranga looked at the priest. He enquired, “Dear priest, what is the information that’s required now to get Tiplang back to life”

  “Dear son” he stood up. He looked to be in his late 80s and so had a wavery voice. His eyesight was a bit blurred. He was half-blind and used the sounds that heard to operate. So Ranga went closer to him to gather the data.

  “Dear Son” he repeated, “I can bring back only one person to life, but it also needs to be the correct person who you name”

  “What do you mean by the correct person?”

  “I can bring back only the life of the person whose sacrifice is the most valuable. So you have to tell me whose sacrifice was the most valuable?”

  “How do I know if my answer is correct?”

  “The person whom you say, I will take his blood and put it into this small vessel and keep it in front of Kali’s feet. If the blood colour changes to white then it is the correct answer”

  “So what if we repeat this procedure 4 times” came a quick reply from Vashisht

  “Slap him” said the angered priest “I have only one chance. So we cannot play with the Goddess here. Warm him please”

  Ranga turned in anger towards Vashisht and told him to keep quiet for some time. He wanted to explore how to circumvent this hurdle. Ranga also looked into his bag and the timer was 10 minutes. So his worry was about one thing. He enquired again, “Dear priest, when will we know if our answer is right or wrong? How long will it take to change from red to white?”

  “It’s not too long, it’s less than a minute. I will fill it up and keep it ready. You can repeat the mantra which you know and when I finish mine, the result will be visible”

  “Which mantra will you be reciting?”

  “Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya | Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya | Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya. Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||”

  “Is it the same Shanti mantra taken from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad?”

  “Yes, the same dear boy, but how do you know it”

  “Ooh, it’s part of the school prayer and hence know it”

  “So I will start preparing the po
oja while you discuss and let me know your answer”

  “What should we let you know as an answer?”

  “Nothing, I need the name of the person”

  “OK priest, you start it and how long will it take for you to get ready?”

  “Exactly around 5 minutes”

  “OK” said Ranga and called his friends into a huddle. He called Banrilin and his mother too. They got up and went near the tree in front of the temple. They all stood and waited for someone to start. Everyone looked up to Ranga, who had preoccupied himself to note the useful details. He signaled to them to wait till he finished recollecting the entire story.

  Finally, he opened his mouth “What we need to find out is who has done the most valuable sacrifice.”

  “Yes,” nodded Vashisht “It looks like the same dilemma that Vindhya would have in a Rajasthani thali. Which is the best that she prefers”

  “Shut up Vashi” said Vindhya, raising her hands intended to slap him “this is not the time to do your lousy jokes. Put your mind to solve the problem first”

  “For me, they all look the same. I cannot choose between them. I want them all to live” said Banrilin. She intended to convey that she had no specific answer from her side.

  “Let us approach this from the logical front” Ranga tried to take control of the way the group thinks. “We need to find out who among the five have the unique criteria to differentiate them”

  “OK” jumped Vashisht, “but with what criteria?”

  “I don’t know, but let us start somewhere”

  “Guys this is not a quiz game here.” Vindhya wanted to set her point “This is a real problem. Please talk about what we all can understand”

  “Yes, agree with you, Vin. So let’s stop guessing and start with the discussion. According to my thoughts, a sacrifice is something that a person does knowing that it is very important to him. With this as criteria let us see who comes”

  “This leaves only the boy because he was the forced one.” jumped in Vashisht. “If given a choice, he would not offer to sacrifice willingly. So I would say the boy needs to be discounted”