Komalie looked into the sky.

A very sharp twinkling star. Far away--!

She trembled.

The sky -- the Moon -- the darkness, all descended and encircled around her!

At the same time, Something moved in her tummy.

She moved her hand slowly over her tummy.

The babe was growing in it. Was moving in it.

`A star in the sky says to her-self --

"I will go to the earth!"

And it becomes a babe.

It grows in the tummy.'

Komalie brought her long hair in front. She spread them over tummy.

"Come on Oh! Star!

Your mate is inside me,

Oh! It is enjoying -- it's kicking!"

Komalie told the twinkling stars,

"I have hidden her inside me."

She lied down on the back.

Again, it moved in the tummy. She closed her eyes.

Only a few days ago -- Zinji was buried erect.

Komalie threw herself -- the last soil herself -- as per the rule!

That white face of the Zinji --

That swollen belly --

Komalie trembled with the remembrance. She started to cry. She thudded.

On her face came a rough hand.

"Oh! Bai!" Komalie opened her eyes.

Bai sat. She took Komalie's head on her lap.

She tapped over her own tummy. Said,

"You too were in side me -- Such a tiny one!

Never thought -- that you would survive.

But you did. You grew.

Then you bled!

And now you are going to give a babe --

Oh! Come on!"

Komalie asked, "Will I live?"

Bai said,

"We are -- suies!

Are we men? -- To live like a bison?

See those men. -- Huge -- strong!

But what use their strength is?

Ya! It is of use! -- To cut the Grain. To hunt. To mate.

Nay! My babe -- we are not men.

We are -- suies!

These men live like -- stones and rocks.

Nay -- our living -- not likes theirs.

Since we are,

The stars in the sky can descend over the earth.

Can sprout here.

Can come out as a babe.

Can grow.

We have to die -- after giving -- a babe!

But we do not die. Even if we vanish -- we do not die!

Does the river die? The stars die?

Does the Grain die?

Nay! -- It grows. It grows through --The seed."

Komalie quieted.

Tears rolled down.

Said Bai,

"Go -- Oh! My babe! Go up -- up in the stars.

But next time when you take a birth -- don't be such a tiny one."

Komalie nodded.

Bai asked,

" When you die -- and will go in the sky -- please -- please talk with me from the sky! "

Bai drew her. Embraced her. Both started to cry.

Bai's tummy was brushing her own.

As if ---The star in her-- -- was adhering Bai.

Bai squatted. She caressed her hand over Komalie's tummy.

She waited.

Waited for the next movement.

For the last two days, it was cloudy.

The showers of monsoon period have begun.

Taking showering rain on him, Fengado was going hurriedly. Suddenly he got aware of some one. He hid.

Some one was coming.

He had come far away from his cave. To the East.

Steps sounded. Fengado stood erect. He held his breath.

Waving the bushes, palpitating, Komalie came ahead and collapsed.

Fengado saw far behind her. She was alone.

The sun was setting.

Komalie muttered something. Fengado saw her startled.

He thought for a moment. Stepped ahead towards her. He had a huge pig over his shoulder.

Shoulder was heavy.

He had to return. He had no time left. The shoulder under the killed pig was dripping with blood.

Fengado stepped ahead.

Komalie was palpitating. Her face tired. She was quite hungry.

Fengado kept the pig down. Kept his hand over her forehead.

His hunger to mate roused.

He searched all her body.

The belly was loose. -- The drop of the milk from the nipples. He trembled.

His lost hunger to mate.

'Oh! This suie -- is a one that has survived the babe'

Komalie absorbed Fengado's touch. Opened eyes.

'In front was a man -- a huge one!

His eyes -- beaming.'

"A -- babe?" Asked Fengado.

"Ya!"

"Where it is?" The voice soft. Palpitation in the chest.

Komalie answered softly, "over the vasti."

Fengado stood stiff. With alert.

Before he began to run, Komalie shouted and told,

"Wait -- I am single."

Fengado could not believe. Eyes muddy.

"Single? -- A suie of a vasti -- that too a one who has given a babe? -- She and single?"

"Ya! I got lost in the jungle -- kept forlorn -- all others went away."

Fengado smiled. Asked,

" Of the East or of the West?"

"Of the East!"

Fengado relaxed. His eyes cleared.

"Of -- Grain-vasti? Of Bai?"

"Ya!"

"So -- Bai is a real one?"

"Of course"

His face stiffened.

"Thoo -- that Grain-vasti!" He spat.

Komalie asked weakly,

"Do you belong to a vasti?"

"Oh! No! "Fengado cried.

"I am -- Fengado! -- With a lot of strength in me.

Why should I need a vasti?

Saw this pig? -- I can easily kill it on my own.

I don't need a vasti.

I am living solitary -- alone."

Komalie could not believe. -- 'No Bai -- no Paydo -- no men! Suies! And no babes!'

"Solitary?" Asked she.

Fengado sat squatting. It darkened.

'What to do?' He was thinking. A confusion in his mind.

'There is Lukdo as well as Longleggy over there. The fire is waiting. After many days, such a huge pig is with me.

Hunger in the belly. --

If I wait little more -- there is a danger to my life.

But here she is alone -- surely going to die!'

"Go -- you go" Komalie whispered, "My death ran when I gave the babe.

Oh! Is coming today."

She calmly turned her face.

Fengado got up. He turned with uneasy steps.

A bird twittered. He got a hint of the animal. A strong smell. It hissed.

Something moved in Fengado's chest. All his confusion vanished.

With all his strength, he gripped his staff. He turned swiftly and came near Komalie.

Komalie was trembling. Waiting with her eyes closed.

Fengado watched around. He smelt with nostrils wavering.

It was a tiger. Waiting. About to leap.

Its eyes shined. Like red spots. Like tiny fires.

Fengado screamed with all his efforts.

With his eyes fixed on the animal.

"Oh! Oh ---Oh oh---Oh oh!"

The sound reverberated.

Silence.

The tiger hissed. Fengado alert.

The tiger steady. With red eyes.

Komalie opened eyes.

Astonished, she watched Fengado in his stance.

He was standing with one leg ahead. Erect. His strong arms steadied.

As if grown from the earth. Like a huge tree. Grown for her. Grown only for her.

She trembled.

'Never she had heard like this! To leave behind a wounded one or suie that has given birth to a babe, to a person who is weak, was the rule of the jungle.

The swimming one should not care for the one who is drowning. If the person acts otherwise -- both would drown. This was a proven truth.

But Fengado had returned. For such a suie who had given a babe recently, that too unknown!'

She again stared at Fengado. She was filled with happiness.

"This Fengado -- is a man!" She whispered.

Only the sound of rustling leaves broke the silence of those few seconds.

The tiger hissed. Turned. Leaped away.

Fengado turned to Komalie.

His stare got locked with hers.

On her face was happiness -- gratitude.

Fengado got perplexed. Nobody had looked at him like this.

This was a look -- not of a mating suie.

This was a look -- not of a frightened suie.

This was not a look -- that of a playful suie.

This look was of a new category. A new one!

His chest palpitated.

He came up. In a stride Fengado picked up Komalie and put her on his left shoulder.

She embraced his neck with her hands. On his shoulder, pressed her milk filled breasts.

Fengado got perplexed again.

Suies were not new to him. But the milk filled breasts were! The one, who had given babe, was!

Fengado made her position right. Put the pig on the another shoulder.

She supported the pig with one hand.

The night fell. The showers lessened.

Ceased for a moment.

The winds of the storm started. The lightning cracked.

Fengado rushed in his long strides.

The thorny creepers were scratching his body. The branches were hitting.

In the light of a cracking lightning,

Komalie could see the earth behind.

The mud and,

Fengado's steadfast footmarks embedded in it.

Bapo had come back to the main Vasti. Had gathered all besides.

"Be alert. Far more alert!" Bapo cried, stretching his hurt leg.

"May be -- that Lameo would have reached the Grain-vasti along with Unchadi! Today!" Grumbled Bapo.

"Thoo! Let them die!" Cried Redhead.

Bapo grumbled, "it's not that easy. -- That Lameo had taken away with him the bones -- the bones with mantra!"

All nodded.

"So -- that Bai will get those mantra -- she will get strength!"

All again nodded -- worried a lot.

One suie got up.

Started dancing. "Oh! Ho--O---Oh!" she danced in all the directions.

"Hail Oh! God Tiger!" Cried Redhead, "God Tiger has gripped this suie!"

Bapo came forward. He fell before that suie.

Said,

"Oh! God Tiger! Give us strength to protect you!"

That suie -- the God Tiger -- smiled.

"Oh! Why are you smiling?"

"Bring in all bones. Each and every hut would be having at least two or three. Gather them."

"Ya! Of god Tiger!"

"Today -- now!"

"Ya!"

"And sprinkle on them the blood from the suie who has bled. -- The one belonging here. -- Our own suie! -- Sacrifice her. -- Let her dead spirit strengthen these bones."

"Will do!"

"Preserve those bones. Offer them daily -- the flowers. -- Sprinkle over them, the blood of a human sacrifice."

"Oh! Ya! God Tiger!"

"Thus Lameo's bones will become useless! --Death is now sure for the Grain-vasti!"

That suie kept on moving. -- Cried in between -- said,

"Hungry! Hungry! -- God Tiger is hungry!"

She fainted and collapsed.

"Bring! Bring one suie who has just bled." Cried Bapo.

Oldie came forward.

"Nay! Not the suie who has bled -- please!

She is the one that will give a babe. She will die but only after giving a babe.

Preserve her!

It's the old rule. -- Of all the Toli. All.

Bleeding suie's blood is charged with power of mantra. Nay! Don't sacrifice her. That suie is the future of this vasti.

Nay! Do not pluck her. -- Save the vasti!"

"See this Satan!" Cried Redhead.

"Must be an agent of that Bai!

See how one suie helps another suie! --

Oh! Come on! -- Supposedly an old rule! Thoo!

Henceforward -- I will make all rules!

The rule will be whatever I say.

This oldie! --Must be dreaming of becoming a Bai!

She lived until now, by eating the hunt, gathered by men!

Now she is acting wise! -- Proclaiming her own wisdom!

Thoo!"

All did -- 'Thoo!' Oldie shivered and kept mum.

"Come on! Who will come forward? Which suie that has bled will offer herself as a sacrifice for the Toli?" Cried Bapo.

-- All quiet.

"Come on Oh! Suies -- listen. -- This Tiger Toli is asking today for your blood.

For the Toli!

The suie, which will come forward today -- though she will be sacrificed -- will never die in real sense! Never!

She will really live -- live in this Toli. --

The babes will survive. -- Will grow -- vasti will grow.

The death of the Bai of Grain-vasti will be ensured.

All will tell her Tale. All will say,

"This particular suie who had bled came forward that time -- on her own! Said, 'I will go as a sacrifice for the Toli.'

She came on her own. Died for the Toli -- for Toli!'

Their babes will tell the Tale to their babes. Those babes will tell it to their babes.

The Tale of this Bapo -- this Redhead -- will end when they will die.

Not for this suie. She will live forever.

Until the babes live along this Vasti, until the sun live -- until the god Tiger exist -

Till then -- the vasti will talk of this suie!"

Turmoil befell. Some suies encircled one small suie.

"-- She!"

"Ya! She told me -- I will!"

"Oh! Is it? -- This Zipree?"

"Oh! Hail! Oh! Zipree!" All cried.

Bapo's face stiffened. -- Eyes red!

"Oh! God! -- See that small little kid!

Yesterday she had bled -- and now she is encircled! -- Like the wolves! --

You will see -- she will rise!

She will erect her head -- will smile-- -- will feel --

That this Bapo is true -- these men are true."

Saliva collected in his mouth.

"The rule will be that, which is decided by Redhead! --

It will be a rule -- even though it is not true.

Even that rule opposes you Oh! God1-- and the life of a human is taken away by it --

It will be the rule! Unquestionable rule!

This suie -- who was a babe till yesterday -- Oh! She is assuming it for truth! She is under impression that she is really going to die for the vasti!

She is thinking for that matter -- how tall she is!

Taller than each and every suie around!

Whatever is not possible for these all suies -- she is accomplishing. --

Oh! All other suies are shorter than she is!

She is taller! As she is the only one is going to die for Toli!

Ya! The one who dies for the Toli is a taller one!"

Dance started.

Bapo startled!

That suie touched his feet.

Bapo gathered himself. Cried,

"Oh! Hail Oh! God Tiger!"

The flames erupted. Redhead frenzied.

All encircled her.

She frenzied -- danced hurriedly -- went up to the fire.

When the fire scorched, she took the feet back.

Redhead raised. Called,

"Oh! Hail Zipree!"

All joined, "Oh! Hail! Oh! Zipree!"

Redhead came up. That suie trembled.

She pleaded,

" Nay! Nay!"

Such a small kid -- Babyish face -- Just small eruptions over the chest. -- Had bled only four days ago.

Redhead pushed the stick. -- The fire behind her.

He pushed her hard.

The fire engulfed her.

All frenzied. Cried, "hail Oh! Zipree!

Hail Oh! God Tiger!"

All danced. -- Fatigued.

"For me -- for me!" Shouts erupted.

Redhead himself distributed chunks of well-roasted flesh of that suie to all.

Bapo put the piece over his tongue and trembled.

He fainted.

Dragging the hurt leg he went away, keeping that piece in his mouth as it was.

He sat near the tree. He spat that piece.

He kept on watching that frenzied mob alone, from the distance.

"Hail Oh! Tiger god!"

Shrieks kept on hitting him like the waves.