Poisonous Inspiration
Poisonous Inspiration
"Guruji, I want to study how to identify and make poisons from plants and animals. I also want to study their antidotes . Can you teach me?" she asked suddenly.
The topic was so stark from what they had been talking about few seconds ago that Ramanujam looked at her, nonplussed.
She continued speaking before he could react, "That time when I saw Shaurya lying comatose in the ground, I felt helpless and frustrated. I had no clue how to help him. I have no talent towards medicine but I feel that I can try and learn this small branch of the field. I have seen my mother collect various herbs from the hill close to our house. She uses them in food and for small-time medicinal purpose as well. I just…"
"Pick up one of the diyas and follow me. Be careful as to not topple over," he said and started to walk.
Mriga grinned and started hopping on one leg, slowly and steadily.
On the other side of the forest
"I feel as if something is slithering down my back," Nirbhay whispered.
Abhirath made a cutting motion with his hand across his throat gesturing him to quieten down. They had run to the darkened interiors of the forest as soon as the task was announced, and hence there hadn't been much time to think of a concrete plan. They had used the first thing which came to their minds. There was a small mud puddle behind the cluster of trees and Nirbhay had suggested that they roll in it to hide the whiteness of their clothes.
Keeping in mind the ticking clock, they had gone all out and put even their faces in it. But now Nirbhay was feeling uncomfortable. He knew that they couldn't afford to make any sound but he really felt something move inside his kurta. He wasn't easily scared but he at least wanted to know what was it that was invading his body.
In the silence of the night, even the smallest sound was clearly heard and soon they could identify the foot treads of their competitors close by. On high alert, Abhirath gestured to Nirbhay to crouch even lower and become one with the earth.
All this while, Abhirath was also keeping track of the time.
"If you want to learn about poison, you must be ready to experience it. That is the best way to gain knowledge of its effects and dangers. Reading about something doesn't make you proficient in its sharpness or the time taken for it to spread or how dangerous it can be," Ramanujam told her bland faced.
Mriga's heart kicked into over drive at this sentence but she held her ground and nodded.
"Look at this plant. This is one of the most commonly found plant in warm climate. It is called Arandi* and has one the deadliest seeds known to man. People have tried to find its uses and failed. This seemingly harmless plant can cause a person's death in less than twenty hours if it isn't diagnosed and then treated correctly," Ramanujam told her.
Suddenly they heard a whooping shout and looked in the direction from where the sound was coming. Within a few seconds, two unrecognisable, mud covered humans walked towards them. One of them was grinning and it could be figured out because his pearly whites were showing from under all that sludge.
Chiranjeev and Vandit followed behind with resigned looks on their faces and the result was apparent to all.
"There is a small pond, 100 meters in the north direction from here. Quickly wash up and come back for round two," Ramanujam said to Nirbhay and Abhirath.
Northern Zilla
It was time! Two days were left for Shaurya's departure and Bela had stopped all sorts of training now. She was busy helping him prepare for the long journey ahead of him.
"Oh! For the fifteenth time, now. How can you not differentiate between the two roots? They are so different from each other," she said in an uncustomary display of irritation.
She had gone scouting deep in the hills for various wild plants which would help Shaurya in near future.
"Guruji, herbology was never my strong suit and during my training period, I nearly slept through all lectures on it. My sincerest apologies, please don't get me wrong but at this point I think I will rather rely on my physical and mental strengths than worry about the correct herbs to ingest," he said with his head bowed down.
Bela restrained herself from once again lecturing him about the importance of these roots. They were great in quick healing of wounds, fighting sleep deprivation, staying hydrated, poisoning the enemy and much more.
"Alright, I won't insist on saddling you with all of them. But atleast take these two with you. This one with red roots is for reducing muscle pain and swelling. It can also be crushed and used as a paste on a wound for helping it heal. This with the near black appearance is to help you stay awake for more than thirty hours straight without affecting your decision-making abilities. Their names are…" she was cut off by him.
"The colour coding works great, Guruji. I don't need to know the names. Also, more than these, I am grateful for the poison sachets which you have made for me. I have a feeling that I may need those much more frequently than these ones," he said with a smile.
*Arandi – Castor oil plant