Shatru Sesham: Sequel of Baahubali ✔️

Chapter Forty-Three

The trees and thickets were being cleared in the western corner of the main island of the Malava, the Kaumodi island. Most of their settlements and plantations were on this island. As their numbers started growing, the inhabitants started making use of other islands too. But this was the largest in terms of size and also most conducive to the spice plantations that grew prolifically on these islands.

The inhabitants of the Malava islands made use of only the land they actually needed for housing, fishing, handicrafts, farming and animal husbandry. So several vast stretches of land had been unexplored and untouched even after they had been living here for thirteen years. Annapoorna and Aparaajitha were overseeing the clearing of land for the construction of the strongroom.

"This entire area has to be cleared before sunset. We will commence constructing the strongroom tomorrow", said Annapoorna.

Aparaajitha was additionally serving and passing everyone buttermilk and cooling drinks to relieve them from exhaustion and also assisting them with a few odds and ends herself, "Here.....have this! You must be tired. I will do your job for you until you are ready to resume."

Just then from the farthest corner, one of the workers shouted, "Amma......come here. There is something in here....."

For the time being, the work was stalled and everyone, including Annapoorna and Aparaajitha, went to inspect and investigate what the matter was. The flustered worker continued, "I was clearing this dense overgrowth of vines when I accidentally tugged this rope with my hand like this. A gaping hole appeared revealing a subterranean passage. When I pulled it the other way, the passage got shut and everything looks as it was before."

With bated breath, Aparaajitha tugged at the rope as Annapoorna placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder cautiously, "Careful...."

The gaping hole appeared just like the worker had told. Annapoorna instructed, "This passage leads somewhere else. Somebody has to go down to examine where it goes and what is there at the other end. It doesn't seem to have been opened in many many years. It looks very dark, dank, and musky. There is a danger that somebody who goes down this path could be asphyxiated. It wouldn't admit more than two at a time. Who is willing to go in?"

Mrithyunjay had come there hearing this whole commotion. Just like always, he volunteered to go down that underground passage all alone. But nobody else seemed willing to follow or support him. That is the way the fickle human mind worked. All these people had cheered and clapped for him as their hero and savior just yesterday. But today, when he had to go into something that was dangerous and tricky, they were not ready to support or follow. All they cared for was to keep their own skins safe.

There were many times when Mrithyunjay wondered if these people would actually be up to the challenge of fighting against Subahu and freeing their motherland, Mahishmati when the time for that came. They would probably be happy enough to be living the way they always did until something wouldn't shake them and their lethargy to the core. They wouldn't fight until their current existence was threatened in some way or the other.

Mrithyunjay shook his head at the apparent apathy of the inhabitants. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and descended into the passage all alone. He wasn't like them. He still cared. Whatever it was at the other end could be exceedingly important to them if such precautions were taken to hide its existence.

As soon as Aparaajitha saw this, the color started evading her face. Her throat choaked and her limbs started becoming numb. A wave of panic gripped her with a wild frenzy. What if she was to never see him again just like her parents after he disappeared into that gaping black hole? Witnessing the fluctuating emotions and rapid changes in her visage, Annapoorna held on to her hands rigidly. But Aparaajitha freed her hands from her mother's hold. She said in a low but determined voice audible only to Annapoorna, "Let me go today, mother......Or else, I will never be able to forgive myself.....or you for that matter."