Lakshmi

Chapter 7 Fragrance

The escort soldier took him first to the horse stable. From there, he led Karuppiah into a quicker way to reach the top of the fort; and it   was through the twin stone stairs adjacent to the cave temple of the Perumal deity. Escort started to walk ahead of Karuppiah towards the temple and on the stairs. 

Karuppiah relooked at the twin stone cut stairs, which was neatly  laid adjacent to the west side of the Perumal temple, and they were leading to the first upper layer of the fort. From this upper layer, a descending stairs went directly down to the barracks. Karuppiah had used this to go to dining at the barracks. Now the escort was leading him to another sloppy stairs towards the fort's top layer. As they had reached the top layer, Karuppiah saw the entire view of the west and north horizons of heavy thicket. He saw on the west, a huge water tank, perhaps infested with crocodiles, which was slightly bending towards the south gate, preventing enemies to enter into the west or the south area. 

Appreciating the strategy of the king to choosing the fort as his western territory, Karuppiah now glanced at the magnificent roof top of the fort, which had a great span of space,  and that could  hold thousand soldiers at a time. At its centre of the grand space, Karuppiah saw several granite rectangular cut stones, and they were scattered. Far off from there lay an iron cannon, well covered by palm leaves. The cannon was  dark in colour. Karuppiah feft that the cannon was left to a resignation, unto the  rain and wind causing a  rust.  Karuppiah was wondering at the stones and the cannon.

The escort cleared the mind of Karuppiah. He said to Karuppiah that the king, in order to enhance the security of the fort,  had started to build a big rectangular-erected- high platform, at the centre of the open space, with well cut stone stairs to walk upto the top, and install the cannon on the elevated platform. 

The king wanted, if a war was imminent against  the enemy forces,  to shoot at any incoming enemy with the cannon, with the projectile propellant mainly the gun powder. The escort informed Karuppiah that the cannon was earlier used by Babar while he won the Lodi at the Paniput war. Escort told that the gun powder packs were under a cave adjacent to the north gate. 

The escort now saw a trace of betel leaf saliva on the ground near the parapet wall of the open roof floor. Karuppiah was in the world of the magnificence of the fort.  The escort patted Karuppiah on the shoulder, and helped him to shake off from his dream, and then led him back on the sloppy stairs and then into the barracks area located on the north gate. 

Karuppiah saw four well built houses built in such a way leaning on to the north wall. Escort informed him that they were the  houses of the fort managers. Karuppiah saw them  men in the  buildings. The escort introduced Karuppiah to the fort managers. Karuppiah did not notice a slight aversion of sighing with expression of sadness  coming out from the escort's mouth, as a deep breath..

 Escort then showed Karuppiah, the barracks of the  soldiers on the south and east sides of the north gate, which were accommodating  around thirty  soldiers. Karuppiah saw the soldiers either were playing or exercising themselves. Some were boxing, while few others were working out using stone weights on their hands. They all watched  the escort and Karuppiah, and immediately resumed their work, perhaps having a respect on the escort. 

Karuppiah and the escort now had passed through the dining area, then on to the barracks,  and reached a large ground of seven to eight acres. It was the exercise ground to the other  horses. Karuppiah saw a larger  horse stable, adjoined to the northern wall, alike the officers' buildings, leaning, where six horses, belonging to the soldiers and officers, were tied on a line. 

Karuppiah saw another two horses, grazing on the lushy grass on the exercise ground. Karuppiah also saw  four soldiers cleaning and mucking out the wastes from the stables. He also saw over and  above the exercise ground of the horses, a big wall that was attaching itself to the northern wall, and its other end was joining with  the sides of the Perumal temple. He understood that the families of the priests were living behind that separation wall. He recalled at once the girl in the peacock color petticoat and wished to see her one more time.

The escort informed him that he could show the  remaining part of the fort on the next days.  He requested Karuppiah to find his way  back to the king's horse stable, by first climbing on the stone stairs adjacent to the barracks, then walk over on the slippery rock carefully,  until he could  reach  the Perumal temple.

 Escort told him to be careful in this walk to avoid any slippery and find the  descending stone stairs next to the Perumal temple; also  saying that they would definitely lead him to the king's horse stable. Escort advised him to choose this slippery path only on emergency, but to use always the path that was coming straight to the north gate officer's area via the first layer floor

Karuppiah felt a strong affinity with the escort. He was not aware that the escort was none other than the legal claimant of the kingdom, the Kattayya, the son of the king. The king had assigned Kattayya the job of showing the fort to Karuppiah, the present  beloved care taker of his horses.

By that time the escort had vanished away around the pillars in  the barracks, Karuppiah started to climb on the stone stairs, and reached the rocky slopes. He saw the big wall that was hiding the priest's area, and slowly kept his steps, walking unhurriedly towards the Perumal temple. 

He understood he had neared the Perumal temple. He saw the twin stairs that were now descending. He was about to step on the first stair stone, and  instantly his eyes grasped at the fading symbol of a star on the temple's west wall. On the next moment the symbol got vanished away from his sight. He once again saw the symbol. And then he did not see. The star was appearing and disappearing in the evening sun.

With thoughtful minds over the symbol star, he climbed down to reach his horses. The horses now smelled him. They bent their ears to their sides, and lowered their heads. Karuppiah patted them both. The horses began to wigwag their tails, to chase away the flies, as well to show their affection on Karuppiah. He offered the horses their evening food and water. 

He checked their bodies for any insects. Checked their hay beds, to see any more ammonia urine smell emanate.  Having found the need for once again changing their bed, he using the fork, brought hays and reorganized another beds for them. He made the horses free in the stable.

The sun started to set down on the west. Karuppiah saw a soldier waiting near his door. Evening meals perhaps. Karuppiah thanked him. When the soldier had left him, he started to find the oil lamp to lit his room. He saw his room lonely , with no other rooms nearby, nor any other houses. He saw his room was well within the thistles and dense vegetation. He was not afraid of any snakes that might enter his room, but felt the evening atmosphere bit eerie, bit of strange. 

He thought of his grandfather. How he died? He was not a man to suddenly get sickness. Grandfather knew many herbs that can cure any illness, even death, and  he could even save a person from a bite of a venomous cobra. If so, how he had died? He was a disciplined man. Hence there was no chance for his sudden death.

Hence his death could be a mystery. Karuppiah avoided any enquiry with the horsemen who brought the body of his grandfather to his hamlet. Neither he had  raised a doubt about that mystery with the priest at his hamlet, nor he talked of it with the monks. He never raised it with the soldiers or with that nice escort.  He needed to find it. He prepared his cot ready for a nap, before he could eat the night meal. He lied on his back on the cot. His eyes stared at all the things on the roof and at the small loft. On the loft, he saw a pot.

He decided to find out what lies inside the pot on the next morning. His thoughts once again got revolving  around his grandfather. Did some one  had poisoned his grandfather to death, for some unknown gains? If so,  those persons would have searched the room of his grandfather to eliminate their conspiracy. Such evidences of searching the room was not traced by him. While he first entered the room, all the small belongings to grandfather, absolutely were intact. Even the floor carpet was not disturbed. If so the evidences for his mysterious death should be on the outside. Not in this room.

He suddenly remembered the fading star  symbol on the west side of the Perumal temple near the stone stairs. He thought of exploring it. After finishing his meal, he stretched his limbs and began to sleep. Around  midnight, he heard the communication of two owls, one crying another responding. Perhaps from the neem tree adjoining the fort roof.  He got out of his bed. He saw the moon on the south, illuminating the area. He wanted to check  the horses.

He went towards the kings horses stable. He ignited a fire torch at the stable, and inspected the horses of their safety. He then returned back to his room. He felt it would be appropriate if he would find another room constructed for him, adjacent to the stable. He should request the escort. He on the other hand had never realized that spying eyes were watching both the stable and his room from the top floor of the fort where the cannon was kept.

While leaving the stable, In his room, in the dim light of the extinguishing lamp, he saw some one's  shadow. He thought it as an illusion. Now he could not see any. He went to his room. Lied on the cot on his back. Deep sleep overcame  him.

Thoughts of his mother, sister, and memories of his grandfather occupied his dreams, also occasionally the fort  girl in her peacock colored petticoat was waving her hands at him. 

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The dawn quickly began to appear. Dimmed- low intensive sun rays were appearing on the horizon. He could hear the tintinnabulations and jingling of the bells from the temple. He smelled once again at the fragrance of jasmine. He quickly got out of the bed. Washed  his face. Put on his shirt. He sneaked out of his room to see what was happening near the Perumal temple.

 He did hid himself inside a bush of thistles, that faced the temple. He knew no one can locate him even in this  low intensive early sun rise, a time where darkness and brightness were mixing.  He began to observe the events happening across him near  the door of the temple. He did not see any procession. Neither heard any music from any other instruments. He heard the doors of the temple now getting locked. Small voices of conversation were on the outside of the temple door.

An elderly man now  came out of the temple. Karuppiah's ability to discern human figures in a restricted light was helping him.  In that little illumination, Karuppiah could see the elderly man, perhaps the temple priest with  two others as  women,  One elderly,  and the other an younger girl. Elderly woman was in her pink saree, in her fifties, while the younger one was in her teens in her red coloured silken petticoat, adorning her in a half saree, with a blouse with silver metal dots. He saw that the dots were glittering.  

He recalled the teen girl as the one he saw at the early morning yesterday. She had a pale yellow turmeric complexion. Dark hair. Medium height, with a round face, with timbles on her both cheeks. She was smiling at the elderly woman, with love and respect. Yet instantly her eyes turned towards the room of Karuppiah, in an inquiry of attitude. Her eyes stayed for a brief second  at the thistle bush within which Karuppiah was hiding himself. Karuppiah smelled the fragrance of the jasmine now. On the next second, the girl looked at the stable where the horses were watching her. Once again her eyes got locked at the thistle bush. Then she started to walk towards her house, and she was followed by the elderly persons. Yet another sweet fragrance of jasmine filled  the nose of Karuppiah. 

Karuppiah was waiting at the horse stable for the escort to once again re- appear. He had yet to tour around the eastern and southern portions of the fort. He also wanted to go out of the fort to the market area.  A soldier approached him. He was carrying the night meal for Karuppiah as usual. The soldier informed him the inability of the escort to join him  this evening. 

Karuppiah returned to his room. He took the blue print drawing of the fort, which his grandfather had done. He once again glanced at it. To his astonishment, he saw a star on the place where the Perumal temple was indicated. He also saw few lines indicating a crevice on the east wall of the temple. Nearby the crevice, Karuppiah saw a symbol of a five headed snake. He was not able to decifer the meanings of the symbols. He therefore had to wait with hope, until the deity Ayyanar reveals them to him. He slept in peace.