“Mother!....Mother!”

A five-year-old child is frolicking around while tugging the corner of the clothes of his mother. The child had blue eyes, black hair, and a tan complex. He is cheerfully running around here and there in the small hut sometimes pulling and sometimes hugging the leg of his mother to garner her attention.

The middle-aged lady stopped weaving the bamboo baskets. She turned around and gently chided, “Stop it Rudra! Let mother work.”

Rudra opened his blues eyes wider and pouted, “But mother I am hungry. Give me some milk.”

Upon hearing the innocent demand of his child Mandri had a sad expression. They are very poor, milk is a luxury they can’t afford, but Rudra is in his growing stage and he needs enough nutrition to grow properly. Even his arms and legs are very skinny compared to the other children of his age. It pains her heart to see her child grow with malnutrition, but she had no way to provide milk to Rudra. Sometimes, the fat landlady would become happy with her craft in makeup and gets to boast about her beauty when attending social events with other high-class ladies. The appreciation from other ladies would raise the mood of the fat landlady, so sometimes she might provide her some milk to feed Rudra whom she carried over to her work at the landlady’s house. Tears rolled in her eyes as she thought about this matter.

Wiping away her tears she gently stroked the head of Rudra and said, “Wait a moment! Mother will bring you to milk soon."

 Saying so she went inside the hut and grabbed a small container. There was some rice in the container. She took a small pail of water from an earthen pot nearby and soaked the rice in the water. After five minutes or so, the water turned milky white. She scooped out the rice carefully using a cloth and filtered the milky white water in a small mug. She picked up the mug and walked outside the hut.

It was late at night, the sun had already set about three hours ago. Rudra was sitting quietly on a broken cot waiting for his mother to bring him some milk. He was not a picky eater, whatever his mother will give him to eat and drink; he will eat it without any questions. But sometimes, the milk his mother would bring for him to drink had a different taste. It tasted like rice; once he asked about it and his mother told him ‘It is rice milk. Now drink it and don’t ask unnecessary questions.’

Today too, his mother brought him to rice milk to drink. He slowly drank the rice milk and asked his mother, 

“Mother! When will the father arrive? It is already so late and I am feeling so sleepy. When will father come and play with me? He always comes late and goes early for work. I never get to play with him. Look at other children’s they always get to play with their fathers.” 

Looking at the tantrum, Rudra was throwing Mandri had a pained expression. She gently hugged Rudra and said with a loving voice, 

“Father has lots of work to do for the fat landlord. So, instead, the mother will tell you a story.” 

Upon hearing the mention of a story Rudra eagerly propped up his ears to listen attentively. Mandri gently placed him on the cot and began the tale of Maharathi Bhishma. How the Maharathi single-handedly slew multiple groups of Rakshasa. How he courageously faced an entire army on his own. Or how he faced his teacher the Ati-Maharathi Parshurama and came out as a Victor! 

Rudra had shiny eyes while listening to this story. This was his favourite story. He liked how brave and powerful was Maharathi Bhishma. How valiantly he fought on the battlefield and brought his foes to their knees. Impressed by the story, Rudra suddenly exclaimed, 

“Mother! One day I will also become like Maharathi Bhishama and slay the Rakshasa who is staying in that forest of Death.” 

Upon hearing these Mandri got the scare of her life and she hurriedly hushed him to stay silent.

She whispered to her son in a very low voice, “Don’t speak such words again my child. We are Sudras, the lowest Varna of society. Fighting and killing is the work of the Kshatriyas. Our work is to do manual labor in fields and other areas. We are not suitable for fighting and don’t ever talk again about the Rakshasa in the forest of Death. What if he may hear you and come to take you away from me. I had already lost a son to that Rakshasa, I can’t afford to part with you too. Now, sleep quietly otherwise mother will get angry.”

“But Mother! I too want to be a brave hero.” Rudra pouted.

“No buts! Now go and sleep, you little twerp.” Exclaimed Mandri with an angry face.

“Yes!” replied Rudra and slowly closed his eyes. Mandri gently draped an old worn-out blanket patched over many places on him. She sat down again slowly weaving the bamboo basket in her hands while silently staring at the door waiting for her husband to return.

---------------

Two more years passed by,

Rudra is seven years old now. Today is the day when he will start doing manual jobs for the fat landlord and will slowly begin to take over the responsibilities and the vast amount of debt left by his predecessors. So, early in the morning, his father woke him up to get ready for the work.

Rudra groggily opened his eyes and rubbed them for a while and then fetched a pail of cold water and washed his face. He silently waited for his father to lead him to the work. His father now has almost the entirety of his head covered with grey hairs and his face and hands are wrinkled. His back is slightly hunched indicating he is way past his prime and should retire from the manual work soon.

In these two a lot of things have happened. Firstly, two more offerings have been made to the Rakshasa from the slums. Lately, the demands of the Rakshasa have increased by a lot. He is asking for more and more food. Villagers have to offer almost all of their harvest of the season to the Rakshasa and go bare belly most of the time to satiate its’ ever-increasing hunger.

Secondly, the elder son of the fat landlord had just turned 16 and will be taking over some of the business of his father. He had supposedly completed his basic education in ‘Path Sala’ and was found to be with no aptitude to continue the education. So, he will be overseeing some of the workers responsible for some of the manual chores of the fat landlord.

Also, recently a lot of merchants went missing when on their way to the capital for the trading of the harvest on the occasion of the birth of yet another prince. It is believed to be the work of mountain bandits, but no one was left alive to clarify the details.

Adhiraman gently patted the back of his son and urged him to move towards the manor of the fat landlord. Before moving out, Mandri wrapped some stale rice and dried pickle in a slightly torn rag and asked him to eat it when he feels hungry. Tying it to the end of a large stick he carried on his shoulder, Rudra silently moved out with his father with the onset of dawn on the falling of the first ray of sun on the land.

Soon, they arrived near the manor of the fat landlord which was being guarded by two burly guards each with a long metallic spear in their hands. They entered the manor without any interruption. The fat landlord was asleep, so they moved on to feed the cows and clear the dung. After all the work was done in the cowshed. Sun has already arisen completely and the landlord was sitting in the hall sipping the nectar honey in a small goblet.

Adhiraman reached to the middle of the hall with his son and bowed to the fat landlord. The fat landlord calmly stared at the father-son duo and spoke in a hoarse voice, 

“So, your son is already at that age. Hmm! He is ready to do some manual chores and lessen some of the huge amounts of debt your ancestors have incurred. Haha! Very well!” the fat landlord laughed voraciously.

“My elder son has just turned sixteen and he will be overseeing some of my works. Haha! It feels good when your son is grown enough to share some of your burdens. Don’t you agree with me Adhiraman? Haha!” saying this he signaled one of the servants to go and fetch his elder son. 

After that, he calmly stared at the little runt in front of him and authoritatively commanded, “Today after the arrival of my elder son you will be given your first job. Now work well and you may be able to repay the debt of your ancestors.”