Carbon Page #5

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Can never say.

Please take this away.

Alright then.

Nothing good is meant

for your lot, anyway.

Hey Kanna,

give me some rice.

Could you take

me to Mlamade Palace?

Thankacha, do you

want to go to Mlamade?

Why don't you go?

- l don't have a spare-tyre.

- Ifyou're lazy, just say so.

He'll take you, Sir.

- How much is it to Mlamade palace?

- It's just called a Palace.

lt's a bad road.

Will cost you 600 bucks.

- Howmany kms from here?

-We don't calculate by kms.

lt's a reasonable rate.

-You want to be dropped there?

-Yeah.

Then get in.

Sir...

This is the palace.

Pillecha, you have a guest.

Pillecha!

Pillechan!

Pillecha!

- Isn't he here?

- He must be somewhere around.

Must have gone to

Cheenkannipara to buy stuff.

Where's that?

Where you came from...

that's ''Cheenkannipara city''.

- But we didn't see him on the way.

- He probably walked through the forest.

- Forest?

- Yeah, that's easier.

So Pillechan doesn't

knowthat you're coming?

No.

Don't wory. He'll be

back soon. l'm off.

Wait. Does he

have a mobile phone?

l don't know

Don't wory, Sir.

l'll send him back

quickly if l see him.

Shall l leave then?

l think l'll also come with you.

What if he doesn't come back?

We don't know.

What if he comes

back while we're on the way?

That's what l meant.

Sir, what should l do?

l'll also come along.

And?

l'll stay in a lodge tonight

and come back tomorrow.

The only Lodge is at Pothupara or

at Mallipetti near Tamil Nadu.

- Isn't there a lodge in Cheenkannipara?

-Who comes here, Sir?

Shall l leave then?

Ok Sir.

Hey please give me

your mobile number.

944-7-8-2-7-1-08

- But you don't get any signal here.

- l'll manage.

Alright then.

Sir!

Look who's here!

Where were you?

He was about to leave.

-Who's that?

- Don't you kno

Who's Balan Pillai?

Me.

Then who's Pillechan?

That's also me.

Who are you, Sir?

l'll tell you.

But get me a cup of tea first.

Don't you have any manners.

Pick up my bag.

l already knew about

the transfer of property.

But l didn't knowthat l'd been

sold along with the property.

Have you understood what's

written in that document?

-Yeah...

- Keep it. l've another copy.

Do you have any doubts?

Even if l have, l can ask you.

You're going to be around.

Can we get some workers here?

To do what?

To clean up this place.

It can't remain dirty like this.

l'll cleanup a room

foryou to sleep in.

We don't need anyone for cleaning.

After all, l've looked afterthis

place alone all these years.

- Will you have gruel tonight?

-Why? Do you have it evey night?

lt's easy to cook.

That's why.

You didn't inform me that you're coming.

l would've cooked something nice.

How is that possible? Think about it. l

myselfwould've had to come and tell you!

That's the problem.

We're so cut off

from the outside world.

ls this teak?

Yes, teak.

lt's damn costly.

See, all this is teak.

My goodness!

It's all teak!

How long have you been here?

Swami's father brought

me here as a kid.

Would be about

60 years ago.

That's a long time!

l've been through a lot.

But l somehow made it till here.

The money dried up

after Swami took ill.

His children don't bother.

There's been no

electricity for 2 years.

They don't even send me

enough money to pay the bills.

You must have seen those

weak tea plants outside.

l survive with the money

l get from selling them.

-Who do you have at home?

- Right now it's only myself and you, Sir.

Dinner's ready. Tell me

when it's time to serve.

So early?Are you hungy?

- l've eaten.

- Oh.

Why are you

standing there?

l usually don't step out after dark.

Why's that?

Just...

- It's surrounded by forest, right?

-Yeah dense forest.

lt's a historical forest.

l'll take you for a walk

around in the morning.

Do you get to see

elephants and tigers here?

Yeah we do.

They don't bother us.

But it's not the animals

that we should fear.

Then what should we fear?

Lots of things!

A lot of blood has been shed in

this place. You'll understand slowly.

- Balan Pillai...

-Yeah.

- Do you knowwhy l've come here?

-You've told me.

The plan is to

restore this place and...

make it hospitable for people to come

and stay and see the forest.

Our guests are happy!

And we make our money!

- Do you understand?

-Yeah.

lfyou spread these scay stories,

business will be affected.

That's not what l meant.

The stoy is well known

around here. It's not only me.

Whose blood?

What are you talking about?

Long ago, when Tipu's

army was entering,

our king needed to hide his

gold and other possessions.

He struck a deal with Madurai Nayakkar,

to move 101 loads of gold to Tamil Nadu.

The plan was to

carry it through this forest.

Thejourney is 4-5 days by foot.

101 tribals, porters and

some soldiers set off.

Not one was seen afterthat.

Legend goes, that the porters were

beheaded, 8the gold hidden in the forest.

The ones who beheaded

the tribals also disappeared.

- So what about the gold?

- They say it's in the forest.

101 loads of gold!

That's hell of a lot.

Anyway it's just a stoy!

The numbers can be as we please.

No, this is notjust a stoy.

There's historical evidence.

Find out ifyou want to.

What's this place?

Thalakaani.

Even if it were true, someone must

have taken away the gold long time ago.

No one has touched it.

It's still there.

You mean, It's still lying

there after all these years?

Lots of people have

gone looking.

-And?

- None have returned.

The treasure is

guarded even today.

- By whom?

- 101 headless tribals.

That's why it's called Thalakaani.

Get me some water, Balan Pillai.

Balan Pillai!!!

- What happened, Sir?

-Where were you?

l was making your

bed. What happened, Sir?

l wanted some water.

Anyway, never mind.

lt's vey cold outside.

l'll sit inside.

Pillecha!

- Isn't Pillechan here?

- No. Anything urgent?

No. l just dropped in

while passing by.

He'll be late.

Thankachan told me

about you.

l live near Cheenkannipara.

The name is Stalin.

You're starting a resort here?

-A resort? Who told you?

- l heard.

l'm willing to take people

around the forest.

We're not starting a resort.

Just something small.

No on knom about this place.

People will flow in

ifthey know.

-What do you do, Stalin?

- l don't have a permanentjob.

But you said you take

people around the forest.

l was brought up here.

So l knowthe place well.

We live depending

on the forest.

Let me knowwhen you're free.

We'll take a walk around.

The sceney around here is great for

photography. Do you have a camera?

- No l don't.

-A mobile phone will do.

There's no signal

for my phone here.

Balan Pillai walked me up the

mountains and still no signal.

What connection do you have?

Is it BSNL?

- IDEA.

- Pillechan has no idea.

You need to go on

top ofthat mountain.

You'll get signal there.

Do you want to go no

l'll take you.

There's no electricity.

l haven't charged my phone.

Here, put your sim card into

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