Chapter 43 Tuskers At The Heels

• The night was silent except for the sound of krickets and the faint flowing of water stream. And black and deep like the kohl clad eyes of a tribal woman. Even the ruthless laws of the jungle - the primal state of existence where only the strongest survived, could'nt snatch away it's mystery and beauty. As if after bargaining with the trees for a long time the moon had finally struck a deal - of being allowed it's moonlight to trickle down a little through the spaces between leaves into the ground, in return for raising their appeal. After sometime his eyes got adjusted to the light and shade. Then negative thoughts started to pour into his mind. What if noone came to seek him - neither the creature, nor his team? Would he be able to spend the rest of the night here? Without any means of communication how would he find his team in this huge forest? Without any arms how long could he survive in the wild forest? His body ached when he turned. The mere thought of pulling his body up on his two legs and resume his search for an exit from the jungle gave him shivers. The walls of the culvert felt moist. He knew he needed water badly to feed into his system, otherwise he could die of dehydration. He smeared his hands over the soft layer of mosses that had grown on the walls. He felt an irresistable urge to lick them. The taste of water seemed to breathe life into his body. But it also raised his desire to lick more and more without his thirst getting quenched.
• Suddenly he found himself running again. Then he tripped and fell. Near him, not even four feet away he found a snake coiled on the ground. The sound of a river flowing nearby reached his ears too. From the corner of his eyes he saw the snake moving. He knew he must get up and run away to save himself. But he lay on the ground watching the snake instead - mesmerised by the beauty of yellow and black cross-bands. Only when the reptile had come sufficiently near him allowing a close view of it's slimy body glistening in the sun, did his trance break. He ran more out of nausea than fear. He couldn't stand the view of slime - snakes, snails, fishes, raw meat for that matter. While running around the flanks of the river, he lost his balance and fell into the water. Just when he was about to bail some water into his palms to drink, the river vanished and giant serpents - around a thousand of them hissed and danced around him. They chased but never attacked him. Suddenly his nine year old daughter and five year old son came in the way. He pulled them towards him and they clinged to his back. He took aim and shot his rifle but the bullets flied off their slimy skins. A snake with it's hood raised opened it's jaws - the white fangs glistened in the sun. One of it's eyes was bleeding.
• He opened his eyes and found himself lying on the culvert bed. The chirping of krickets and faint sound of the stream greeted him again. He looked outside. Only the leaves of trees trembled in the breeze. The branches of trees had started swaying. He knew they were coming for him - the serpents, the roots, the coirs or whatever they were. It was only a matter of time. His heart had started beating in his mouth. He pressed his ears to the ground and listened.