KARIKALAN AND THE TIME MACHINE
Super Star and the Head of the Soldiers!
Sivanesan alias Super Star could not forget Valli.
But now the high pitched tone of voice of the Head of the company of soldiers made the three of them stop breathing for some time. And then their faces showed some sense that was unreadable.
Now they could hear distinctly the sounds of a dozen or so soldiers running up the wall to be among them. Absolutely that was incredible. The three of them were standing on the deck of the temple even as the group of soldiers literally running up the wall at the far end the stone steps to be with them.
But that was not all.
On seeing the three persons, Manikkam, his grandfather and the Super Star in the garb and dress of sanyasis or hermits (in the ochre dress) all the soldiers dropped their swords and stretched their length on the floor in front of the three “hermits”!
It was Manikkam who had made Super Star and his grandfather to done in the ochre dress just before the take off in the Time Machin in Chennai. Super Star had been arguing non-stop to pay attention to his body being draped in the hermit’s ochre dress.
Now it had come in handful handy!
“As we go back in time in India, sir,” Manikkam had said inside the Time Machine room in Chennai just before they were transported from Chennai to this land of Karikalan in 50 AD!
Now when all the soldiers fell on the ground of the deck of the temple, the most surprised was Super Star and the least surprised was Manikkam on whose sensitive face was hovering an enigmatic smile.
“What’s the matter with them, Manikkam?” Super Star spoke out of the corner of his mouth to Manikkam.
“The dress, sir,” Manikkam said enigmatically.
“The dress?” Super Star asked unbelievably. “What of it? So we are dressed in the ochre cloth. But should they,” he made a gesture with his hand at the soldiers who were still lying on the floor, “That is neither here nor there, Manikkam. Simply because we are in ochre, should they make themselves a laughing stock?”
“As we go back in time in India, sir, this is the case. because there were not any dubious hermits who had taken to the ochre clothes simply for the sake of taking it easy and getting alms without much of an exertion. It is evident that in Karikalan’s time, the hermits called the shots. Moreover, I remember that the King Karikalan himself gave the place of residence and opportunity for propagation of the individual faiths of both the Buddhist monks and the Jaine monks. That there were always great rivalries between the two faiths. Apart from that our own Hindu swamis were there. This way it is our will and pleasure as to how we treat these congenital idiots and their Head too!” Manikkam smiled broadly at Super Star.
“Their head too?” Super Star could hardly conceal his shocked expression.
“Try and see!” It was Manikkam’s turn to talk out of the corner of his mouth.
“O, I see!” said Super Star. “Hey! Don’t be like that for ever. Enough is enough. Now all of you, get up to your feet!”
It was very comical that what kind of action his words will fetch. For all of a sudden, all the soldiers got up in a great hast to their feet in a most ungainly manner.
Super Star made a survey of them. All of them wore handlebar moustaches. He picked on the biggest of them all and beckoned him to come near.
As there was some confusion as to who was indicated by the Super Swami Star, some three or four fellows came at a run toward Super Star.
Super Star asked all of them to stop moving. The very moment they all came to attention. It was most humorous to see and even Manikkam tried very hard to conceal his inner titillation.
When they came to attention, Super Star indicated with his index finger at the man whose handlebar moustache was the biggest. “I asked you, idiot, to come to stand in front of me!” And then when that particular burly soldier came up to stand in front of him, Super Star issued a command. “Go fetch that idiot who you have the fate of addressing as the Head Command!”
“This very moment I’ll go and fetch him, sir!” said that soldier and started to run in an ungainly manner away from them.
Super Star, who had been expected to be chained and led down the wall to be presented before their king, Karikalan, took some time to understand what was the matter with them.
India is always a haven for swamis and hermits even now. But some two thousand years ago, when there were no half-baked and rapist swamis, the ochre colour fetched much more respect than now.
Within a trice, the Head Commander presented himself, having dropped his sword on the floor and in an ungracious manner that made his burly body to adopt the form of a huge question mark. And unmistakably his handlebar moustache stood out some five inches from his mouth on either side before it got twirled round upward.
“Why are you making so much noise at this holy hour when the sun is just peeping into your king’s land?” Super Star came up with a super question and the Head Commander of that company of soldiers made himself more ungracious if possible and said, “Just a moment back, Swami,” he made a gesture at the tamarind tree which had leaned over the rampart, “A girl by name Valli was there on that branch, Swami. Now she’s gone. But somehow my stupid men, Kumanan and his friend had heard the noise of a whistle and came to investigate. The girl did not give them much respect. Why should she? Her father is working in the Palace kitchen and as usual with Kumanan he did not put enough questions at her. Now she’s gone and I’m having this head ache to resolve. Of I would be answerable to the King in his court, Swami!”
“OK, Ok,” Super Star made a gesture with his hand, “We three monks were here from midnight last night. And that small girl Valli came here at the twilight to get some tamarind fruit. That’s all. Ok? We heard no noise of a whistle and actually, Valli had been saying she should return back home sooner than usual because she had forgotten to take her conch shell. So don’t blame her for making any whistle, Ok? And if your king asks you, when you were brought before him this day, have the goodness to tell your king just what I told you, Ok? What is that Kumanan and what is the worth of his words when we ourselves say there was no noise and we definitely did not hear any conch shell whistle, Ok?”
The commander of that troupe touched the ground with his forehead at the feet of Super Star; “This morning’s puzzle has been resolved, my good sir. These idiots,” he made a gesture at the soldiers standing without swords, “would bear joint witness to what thou hast said, sir. I would treat the case of the morning whistle as a fantasy on the part of that incorrigible idiot, Kumanan! At one stroke thou hast made me free of any blame of having slept on the job!”
“You deny you did not literally sleep on your night duty, idiot?” Super Star put the question at the commander who cringe-begged; “There are no questions, sir, you don’t know the answer for. I indeed dozed off as the sun was coming up. But please don’t make this public!”
“Then go in peace, my fool. And don’t make life for Valli unbearable. She is a nice, God-King-fearing kid. Don’t make it hard for her, Ok? If you give me your consummate word, I will not make it an issue about your dozing off on duty!”
“Valli will come to no harm, my good sir. I will not allow anyone make it hard for her. My word, sir!”
“Then go in peace!”
Even as they were speaking, the temple bell sent peals of sonerous sound.
“What’s so special today, this morning at the temple, you fool!” Super Star asked.
“The king himself has ordered for this early morning worship in honour of a distinguished Chinese Traveller who has come to our Chola Country after his sojourn in Pandia Country and Chera Country, sir. The king himself is expected to attend the ceremony. But I can’t tell you for certain, my good worshipful sir.”
“Then ask one of your men to take us to the inside of the temple!” ordered the Super Swami Star.
Even Manikkam swami had not expected this turn of events.
And the Super Swami himself could not tell that he would see “his” Valli inside the temple that morning!
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