Beauty and the Beast

8

"Garuda?" She asked. She joined his hands in respect to her. With Garuda, Narada arrived too.

"My lord has sent this for you." He handed a scroll to her father. The chieftain took it and read the letter. A smile came over his face.

"We would be really glad to have him live in these forests. I apologise, I do not know the general rituals that are performed for him. He's the palaka and we're just forest dwellers but if there is anything we can do, please tell us. I will do my all to actually get it done." Sagar answered.

"Nanna, what is it?" Chenchita asked.

"As per your suggestion, we had decided to speak to the chieftain about informing our presence here. This is a letter given by him to the tribe that he would be living here. He would protect the tribe and the lands around the forests from any asuras attacking." Garuda explained.

Narada moved towards Sagar. "I'll tell you this, Dorra. It is great merit for anyone to serve him. Anyone who offers him anything recieves it twice as much in return." Narada explain. "Just a point. You have the Jagan-palaka in such close proximity, it isn't some small thing. Who has a fortune to serve him? The great Rishis would give away all their tapasya to get that one opportunity to serve him."

Silently, Narada looked at Chenchita who was talking with her mother. Sagar looked at his daughter too. It has been a few days since she has been normal.

"It brings great fortune to anyone who serves Sri Hari." Narada added.

"Chenchita..." Sagar walked to his daughter. "Narada Muni is a great scholar. A learned man. The son of Devi Saraswati himself. He says that it is a good thing to serve Sri Hari. I think you should also go and serve him. It would be a good thing."

"Nanna, Aja could go right? Do I have to?" She asked.

"Chenchita..."

"Okay. I'll go." She quickly cut down the scoldings that would have come her way. Sagar smiled at her.

"We're simple forest dwellers, chinna. He's the Great Lord of Creation itself. We serves the Rishis themselves when they come by the forest, protect them and bring fruits and berries for them. If that much we do for the Rishis, what should we do for the Lord of the Rishis themselves. The Lord that even Rishis serve." He pointed. Chenchita nodded.

"I'll go tomorrow morning itself." She assured her father.

He smiled and patted her cheek.

Chenchita looked at Garuda. "What does he like? We don't really have buffaloes in the forest. We have nilgai though." She asked.

Garuda thought for a while. This was confusing. Technically, the tribals offer meat to their deities but Narayana never followed the same nature. Sure, Shiva is offered meat at times but he doesn't have any preferences anyway on any food. He just accepts whatever they offer. Though Narayana wasn't known to eat meat. Shesha and him did. It was their nature but Narayan? He didn't know.

"Actually, I have no idea what kind of meat he eats. I've never seen him eat such. Usually, his food is prepared by y-... I mean to say that his food is generally sattvic in nature. So, usually fruits, berries, sweets and agricultural produce." Garuda answered. Chenchita just stared at him in confusion.

"Tigers don't eat fruits, Garuda. They're meat eaters."

"He has a lion face."

Chenchita sighed. "Garuda, I've never seen a lion before. All I know about lions is from the sculptures and paintings but it isn't very different from tiger if he don't consider the obvious stripes and mane. They're all meat eats. I've heard that in open savannahs, lions hunt buffaloes."

Garuda scratched his head. "I have no idea. So whatever you can find. Though, I'd say fruits are a good option. That he will surely eats. Although his face is that of a lion, he has the stomach of human."

"Alright."