Preface ... cont...

The day of departure finally arrived. The Samansadasuryas were both tensed and hopeful. All the members of the order were ready to go. Lastuka had already packed 5 bags each containing smoked meat, dresses, knifes made up of ivory, bones and stone. Some fire making flint stones. Sammu was ready with his water skins. They were more looking like a fox without its head. The bone ring around the neck where he left some leather out to tie the opening was distinctly visible. The limbs were tied down and burnt to seal any openings. Filled with water its belly was swollen like it had a baby fox in it. But it was effective and that’s what matters most. All the five members of the order were carrying a spear, a bag pack and a skin of water. They also carried weapons of their own choice.
Salunkenta carried a long knife nearly one and a half feet long made up of ivory with a bronze hilt attached to the handle that was made up of the same ivory. The knife was strong and was curved. It was a slashing weapon that could hack through a tiger’s neck easily. The blade was toothed so that it could be used for cutting also. He tucked it in his belt that tied the robe he was wearing. Lastuka sewed the robe from tiger skin alone. The robe was loose and was tied with a brownish colored piece of leather round his hip. He also wore a head band made up of leather.
Dukku carried his bone club and tucked it in the belt that held his breechcloth in place. The bone club was made up of a front thigh bone of an elephant and was decorated with spikes (teeth of crocodiles, foxes and tigers) at the top (the striking part of the club). The handle was primitive and the lowest part of the bone was sharpened to make it a stabbing weapon also. He also carried small knifes that were mostly made up off stones, wood and bones.
Machua was carrying two spears both very straight and shined in the sun. Apart from that he had another straight stick and another bag full of small stone tools including 4 hand axes, knives and a small bone club. He also took with him a dozen of thin darts made up of bones of smaller animals. He was wearing a loincloth, and garlands made up of different sorts of precious stones, bones and leaves. He also carried with him a long knife like that of Salunkenta but was straight and heavier. Made up of whale bone, that once washed out at the Samundal nearby. He tucked it in the belt that held his loincloth.
Sammu was looking the least prepared of all. He was wearing a scot made up of leather and garlands of leaves and bones. He carried a normal spear and also the bag pack that was packed for him by Lastuka. Apart from it he carried another bag that had what he told “important tools for the journey”. No one knew what he was having in that bag.
Lastuka was looking gorgeous in her scot and a tiger skin blouse that was roughly sewed leaving her cleavage visible. Her dusky skin with the bright tiger skin gave her a look of a long lost deity. She wore her normal semicircular feather band behind her head on her hairs. The feathers in the band were new and white. With her blackish brown hair clubbed together to create a bun, which went out of the band, she was looking amazing. She also out of her normal was wearing jewelries made up of precious stones, bones and leather. But among them was a copper locket dazzling in the sun, threaded with leather came straight down to her cleavage and was dangling there as if asking permission to go down her valley. The locket was of the shape of a tiger tooth. She carried a spear, a long knife made up of whale bone but smaller than that of Machua. She also carried an extra bag in which she kept tools made up of stones and bones and some bone needles to sew anything if required.
“Here, Come nearer to me”. Said, the oldest of the villagers. “You are going on a quest you were never prepared for. But you will succeed. You belong to the families of the great Banjaras. They never fail. They move around. They walk from hell to heaven and never stop. Our forefathers told us, to become a banjara, you need to work together. Hunt together. Eat together. Some of you are strong. Some are weaker. Some will be healthy, other might be ill. Some will be focused others might panic. As the leader of the order, it’s you Salunkenta, who will have to lead them. Don’t lead just by examples. Lead by pulling and pushing. Pull those down who are going faster and push them who are slowing down. When you will get into the rhythm of nature, no more pushing and pulling would be required. You will not walk like a group but like a single entity. We will have to stick together for when you are alone you break, but when together, you will be safe. Listen to the members of the order for advice for you never know even the foulest can be the wisest at a given situation. Listen to your heart when you head does not reply, but stick to your head to take decision and your heart to motivate yourself to go further for your head is logical and will solve problems and your heart is courageous but will lead to into troubles”. Saying this he punched Salunkenta at his heart so hard that he almost fell down. “Don’t let the odds cloud your logic, for if it would not have been logic we would be the same as the animals we hunt. Don’t let Mother Nature to be angry on you. She might and will test your courage and strength. You might have to give sacrifices beyond imagination. You are the hope we are left with”. These words echoed for a longtime. “You are the hope we are left with”.
Sandhukirana was the only one standing in the crowd who was not even murmuring. He looked stressed and angry. From the day he was selected as the temporary Pundikura, he was looking unhappy about his life. He wanted to be in the order being the part of the prophecy. He knew he deserved to be with them receiving the honor of a hero and blessing of the god. But the truth was also clear. He was the only one who knew that the prophecy was true while others doubted it. He knew the jungle and some part of the precarious paniila. So he accepted that he will have to deal with the obvious and will have to wait alive with his fellow villagers till the order of the origin comes back with the location of their new Samansadasurya.
“The morning sun is smiling on us. The red sun that shows death in the valley is raising red from the day Kolantha died. And perhaps will rise that way till the order succeed. So we must hurry. Also the sun will be hard this cycle (lunar cycle). So they will have to hurry. Let’s go to the house of Pundikuras and we all will pray for the safety of the order and those who stay back to fight the Nature till the order comes back”. All of them nodded and moved towards the house at the center of the village. At the respected house Sandhukirana took his place in the middle of the court yard on his chair. And the order stood by the copper pillars next to the chair. The elders of the village stood at the front and the men and women followed. Everyone was silent and a ghostly shadow was upon the village. The sun was shining but was not hard. It was like it is lazy to give away its power to the inferior creatures like us. As soon as everyone organized themselves, Sandhukirana stood up and told, “I know many of us would accept the fact that I am not as good as Kolantha and easily we are against one of the biggest odd we have faced. I am afraid so everyone should be. But in these desperate attempts of us to survive we must not forget that our great forefathers always told us not to panic when there is a situation. So I propose that we form another order, ‘The order of counsel’, who would help me and assist us in case of any situation. We don’t know what is it that is going to happen. I don’t doubt Kolantha and so no one should. But before he could reveal details of Mother Nature’s fury, he died and so did the secret to our rescue with him”. He took a deep breath and again said, “So the order of counsel or ‘The counsel’ will take turn to guard the village, the river and the forest. The village elders will try to talk to Mother Nature and so will I for any hint that might save us from the calamity. We might not know what way the Mother will take her wrath out, but we know she wants us to be alive. That’s why she told us it in advance. So I feel she will warn us again and we should be prepared well to get the message perfectly and act upon it. I thought about this and I have listed 5 people for this order. Anyone who wants to back up may do so”.
“Saran the hunter, his hunting skills is exemplary and his patience is legendary while stocking. Would you like to be in the order”? A dark skinned man with a heavy body yet fast while he walked, came front and told, “It would be my honor”. He was wearing a loincloth made up of a blackbuck’s and another leather piece that went across his left shoulder and came across to be fixed in his loincloth. “It would be my honor for you to be in the order”, told Sandhukirana.
“Thusa the farmer, he knows the field and the river water. He can predict floods and so can help us. Would you like to be in the order”? A thin skinny and boney man came up and told in a grave tone that certainly didn’t go with his personality, “Yes Pundikura, I will”. He was also wearing a blackbuck loincloth, but was not wearing anything else. “I will feel safer when you will be at watch”, told Sandhukirana.
“Araan the runner, he runs faster than a cheetah and we will require a runner to carry information to the village from the river and the forest. Would you like to join the order”? Yet another thin, skinny and dark skinned man walked to the front. He was also wearing a simple loincloth. But made up of what looked like a fox skin. He was thin and lean like Thusa yet he was powerful.”Yes Pundikura, I will”. “I will feel faster when you will be around”, told Sandhukirana.
“Bhagnati the eldest of all, his wisdom is unquestionable, and his link with Mother Nature is second only to Kolantha himself. Would you like to join the order”? The same old man who presided over the construction of the order of origin came forth. He was also in a loincloth though it looked more like a scot. He was bald except for a little hair just above his ears and neck which were completely white. He must have been tall and strong as a youth for even at his age his persona was commendable. He wore very few ornaments. “Yes Pundikura, I will be honored”. “No sir, it would be me who would be honored, to be able to save the village by standing next to you. Your presence makes me feel nearer to Mother Nature and wiser”.
“Saminta the farsighted, her sight is that of a hawk and her presence will give us vision beyond imagination. Would you like to join us”? “Yes! Yes! Yes”! From beyond the crowd came out a short, dusky skinned lady. She was strong yet looked delicate. She was wearing the same kind of dress that of Lastuka but she was fond of ornaments. She had small steps but walked very briskly. Her eyes were dreamy. Though short and dusky, she looked attractive with perfect curves. The bun on her head did not have any decorated feathers as that of Lastuka but she kept it cleanly done, and that made her looks ever aromatizing. “Yes I want to be in it. I will see beyond distance and time. I am overwhelmed to be in the order”. She smiled and had an expression of both embarrassment and joy. “I too will be overwhelmed to have you by my side”. Sandhukirana said with a smile on his face too.
“This is the order I feel should be there to counsel me at times of need when we deal against this calamity. Let Mother Nature be with us”.
Bhagnati came near the copper pillar and said, “So here by as part of a order and the eldest among you, I Bhagnati declare that Saran the hunter, Thusa the farmer, Araan the runner, Saminta the farsighted, Sandhukirana the chosen and I form the order of counsel. That will be responsible for the safety of people of Samansadasurya while the order of origin is in the quest to find out the place to the east where we can go and start our lives again. May Mother Nature be with us”.
There was a small feast of meat and wheat porridge that was given to the order members to fill their stomach and leave for the precarious journey. After the feasting was over, They all came to the villagers again and departed for the new journey ahead.
Salunkenta headed the team and Dukku, Lastuka, Machua and Sammu followed him in silence into the unknown world of the paniila and beyond on this impossible journey to save the Samansadasuryas from the wrath of Mother Nature.