The Beginning

Akpat grew up in a small town. The town was so small that, standing at one corner, one could see the others. And the people there were transparent. One could see through the others with naked eyes. And the people, irrespective of their incumbent human tendencies, were good. There, the friends were forever and enemies were fair.

It was a town of smiling shadows and sublime sunshine. People loved each other irrespective of the little rain that ensued once a while. And when it snowed, people shared the warmth by shoving the snow away from each other’s courtyard.

Almost all those who went away from the town, never returned back. People whispered in hush voices that they were found dead with their broken backs. While some had shattered spine, the others bent too much backwards until their spine gave away. Almost all of them had multiple stabs on their back. The few who could survive the outside world and returned back lost their transparency. Then they would outcast themselves until indifference consumed them.

It was strange that when Akpat grew up, he decided to leave the town and discover the world. People in the town cautioned him of the consequences that awaited him beyond the seven hills. People outside the town, they told him, walked with daggers in their soul. And they would slaughter you on the first opportunity, they echoed in chorus. Do you really want to do that. Don’t you remember, old Aparichit, they reminded him who had returned back. He wore a suit with its back fabricated with a dense hardboard. And he had become so brittle that he was chipped by the snowflakes and the dew dissolved him. One morning he was found dead inside his own individuality. His soul leached out of from the stabs in his back.

But, Akpat was not dissuaded. He was encouraged. Encourage to cross the seven hills and walk into the wide unknown that surrounded him. He wanted to be the Columbus of the small town.

….

Akpat, stood at the dusadhya pass and looked back at the town it left behind. The rising sun shimmered in the little lake nestled between the seven hills. Nostalgia engulfed him and he felt a certain heaviness on his feet. His hands felt paralyzed and his fingers felt numb. Something deep inside him insisted him to return back.

But his spirit prevail. For one more time he looked back at his beloved town and then he steeped forward, walking into the eastward slopes of the pass which lead into the larger unknown world.

The climb up-to the pass was tiresome. It felt heavy on his soul. He woke up much before any emotion could overwhelm him, and walked out of the house which was his sanctuary. He left everything behind. The only thing he carried along were courage and hope.

Beyond the pass, the world appeared to be flat. It seemed that the mountains abruptly ended into a sea of flat land,over which the wind, as it caressed the canopies of the tress, swelled as a series of green waves.

Ah, that must be the sea, everyone talked about, Akapat said to himself as he ran downslope. Well then the world is not that big, he whispered as he ran out of the breath, it will be soon before i return back.

He kept running until his feet were burdened with fatigue. Then he sat down and looked behind. The imposing Probhodan peak glittered under the noon sun. It was still so close that he could hear it whisper into his soul.

You have to travel to the other end of the world Akapat, it hissed with a calm reassurance. Then you have to come back. It won’t be easy though it would be fun.

Yes it is fun, Akapat replied to the voice in his head. It has been fun all the way from the moment I crossed over the Dusadhya pass. Look at this, he said looking at the green sea in the foothills, it is full of mysteries. Maybe there are tigers and sharks, dingos and goblins, monkeys and men, I am too egar to find out.

Hold yourself, the mountain resounded, take one step at a time. Right now you must be looking for a place to stay during the night. It really gets cold in the outside world.

Yes, you are right, Akapat said, as he stood up and then he began to walk.

…..

With every step Akapat took, the sea of green canopies seemed to go further away. Initially, he found it interesting, then it turned irritating. And as the sun began to descend towards the night, an unknown sense of frustrations accumulated into his veins.

Suddenly a fog of self doubt engulfed him.

What if, I am never able to reach there, he asked himself. What if my feet give way, or hunger overpowers me. He felt a an involuntary shaking in his body. He lifted his palms and looked at them. He could see tremors. He also noticed that his transparent skin was slowly tuning morbid.

He felt panic in his veins and collapsed. For some time the world went dark and when there was light again, he felt his breaths were labored. He touched his forehead and felt tiny pearls of sweat breaking from his forehead. He felt confused, he felt delirious.

He dragged himself and sat with his back on a huge boulder. He too a deep breath and looked the green sea being engulfed by shadows. He felt weightless. Then, he closed his eyes and composed himself by meditating for a while.

When he opened his eyes, he felt transparent again. The golden hue of the setting sun was percolating into him. He paused for a moment and then felt he was being watched.

He looked around. There was nothing in the plain sight. Then he looked into the shadows of the setting suns. From the concealment of a fallen tree he saw a pair of eyes staring at him.

He looked intently to figure out who was hiding behind the tree stump.

Why don’t you come out, he asked the stranger.

I am scared of you, the stranger replied.

Why are you scared. Akapat asked. I have not fangs and no claws.

So do i, came the reply.

Who are you? Akapat asked?

A tiger, came the reply.

How can you be a tiger with claws and fangs, Akapat asked.

As you can be a human without them, he replied.

The answer rattled Akapat. Hey, he continued, have you seen any human with claws and fangs. I have not seen.

All of them have, the tiger replied. They use it to hunt us.

But I dont have.

That is why i am looking at you. Otherwise i would have killed you. The tiger replied.

Without claws and fangs, Akapat asked.

Haha, the tiger replied, I would rather say that you would have killed yourself out of fear.

But why should i fear you, Akapat asked.

Because i am a tiger and humans are supposed to be scared with tigers.

Who said so? Akapat asked.

It is there in your story books. A tiger is always the villain, even if a man comes to the jungles and shoots the tigers.

Do men kill tigers, Akapat asked.

Ah, the tiger steeped out of his hiding place and looked at Akapat, i see your skin is still transparent that is why you are unaware of the relationship between a tiger and a man.

Is it good or bad, Akapat asked.

Depends upon the fact that will you eat me or I will eat you, the tiger chided.

Why will I eat you. Akapat asked

Then i will eat you. The tiger replied.

How will you do that without claws and fangs, Akapat sounded curious as he walked towards the tiger. You don’t even have stripes.

You caught me, the tiger replied, I have been outcast and destriped by my community for refusing to kill and eat a man.

So what do we do, Akapat asked.

For now, the tiger said, looking at the setting sun, you must start a fire, or else we will die of cold.

…….,

How does one starts a fire, Akapat asked the tiger.

Ah, you are the human, my boy, aren’t you? The tiger remarked.

well, what i meant to ask is that how do you do it without a matchstick, Akapat clarified.

Well, if tigers could light fires, then there would be no humans, only tigers. The tiger said, sitting down on the boulder. For start, he wiggled his tail, you should gather some firewood.

Oh yes, Akapat responded, looking around for twigs fallen on ground.

They won’t last a wink, the tiger cautioned, as he caught Akapats eyes.

Annoyed, Akapat looked at the tiger for a moment and began picking up twigs. You Sir, he said seem to have all the answers.

I won’t say that i am wise, the tiger replied, licking his clawless paw, but i have some wisdom. We tigers have watched the humans for some ages now. We have hunted each other, respected each other, admired each other. While humans did learn violence from the tigers, they could never grasp the discretion of using it. We tigers learned persistence and application from humans, but neither we could adapt to using it.

The tiger took a pause, as Akapat, piled the twigs in front of the boulder. Did you purposely choose this spot, he asked. If you did it was a good choice.

Akapat looked at the tiger with dismay. Since you were sitting near, i thought it would be a good place.

It is indeed a good place, the tiger replied. The fire will heat the boulder and then when the fire will go down, the boulder will radiate the heat back. We will be warm the entire night. You know that is what is Human Instinct, he added further, we tigers are much jealous of that. Then he paced to a fallen branch and called Akapat. Come let’s pick this up too.

Akapat looked at the pile of woods he had created. Then he looked at the tiger who was watching him. He shrugged his shoulders.

Now start the fire, the tiger said.

Akapat looked at him.

Yes, did i not tell you about the human instinct right now.

What does it means, Akapat looked dismay.

What happens when you light a fire with a match stick. The tiger quizzed.

Well we strike the match stick with the strip and poh there is fire. Akapat replied.

Yes, what happens when the match strikes the strip.

Well, Akapat thought deeply, it kind of rubs against the strip.

And don’t you feel warm when you rub your hands. The tiger asked

You are telling me that if we rub something against something, or strike something against something, we may have fire. His eyes twinkled. Yes, he suddenly became buoyant, i have seen that sometimes when the pick axe strikes the ground there are sparks.

I am not telling you anything, the tiger said. You must find your own answers.

……

Akapat was drenched with sweat and he was panting. He had tried everything that he could think to start the fire.

He struck stones against each other, he rubbed them together. He rubbed them with wood, he rubbed wood with wood, but he failed to create a single spark.

He sat on his haunches fiddling with two stones. What else should I try to find the answer, he asked the tiger.

I have no clue, the tiger said. I told you that we tigers can’t start fire.

And I can not too, Akapat replied with agitation in his voice.

Well you are feeling warm with the handwork, aren’t you, the tiger said smiling, there is of course fire there in your heart. Give it some more wind.

Akapat, lifted his eyebrows and looked at the tiger. Then he started striking the stones in his hands together. He kept stinking them together, with increasing tempo, till frustration become anger and anger became rage.

He looked at the tiger and threw the stone. The stone stuck the base of the boulder and sparks flew and hit the dry leaves at the base. The immediate began to burn.

See, anger is not that bad after all, the tiger said. Now gently pick up these leaves, put them at the base of the pile and fan them with deliberate breathing.

Akapat was quick. Before the tiger could finish his sentence, he was already facing the fire. Do you think I don’t know that, he said indifferently.

I told you boy, the tiger said, you know all the answers.

With the fire raging now, Akapat sat down and looked at his hands. His skin was a shade darker.

He inspected it with curiosity, and then looked at the tiger. Is this , he said waving his hands in front of his face, because I got angry with you.

What you must focus upon is that you were able to create fire, the tiger said. His face glowed in the light of the leaping flames.

Was that not serendipitous, Akapat said, still inspecting his hands.

Well there has to be a beginning somewhere. The tiger said. Yes you can call it serendipity but it did taught you how to create a fire. And regarding your skin, yes it will get darker as you receive the world, but what matters is that will you be able to keep the transparency inside.

You always speak in riddles, Akapat said. Why can’t you be simple.

Are you not asking a strange question to the tiger without stripes. The tiger replied.

Akapat gave a confused look to the tiger who seemed amused.

See things are as simple as they are complicated. You were angry at not being able to start a fire. Now you should be happy that you did.

I am happy, Akapat said. But what worries me is that would I be able to start the fire again.

We will see to it when the time comes. We have an entire night and a day in between. The tiger said. But right now I think you must be hungry.

Akapat looked at the tiger and said, oh yes I am.

…..

The sky was made up of crystal and the sun wore a halo of rainbow color. There was a pink moon and the stars glittered with hues of unknown colors.

Akapat wondered that was it day or was it night. He had never experienced such an immersive feeling before. He felt he wanted to cry.

There was a tree adorned with precious gems. On its myriad branches were perched many birds of many feathers. All of them were colorful but none of them could sing a song. They spoke like humans in hush voices.

The flowers there were bewitchingly beautiful. And they sang with the wind. The song resembled the bird calls.

There were butterflies of many colors, and there were green ladybugs. There were glow worms which spread many incandescent colors.

Tiger, tiger, Akapat whispered. Where am i …

You are inside a kaleidoscope, he heard his mother’s voice.

Mommy, mommy are you here? Akapat was excited.

No i am far away, but you carry me in your heart, her voice continued. And whenever you want me to talk to you, all you have to do is to sit quietly and listen to your heart.

Really, Akapat was excited.

Yes, the voice felt like music to his ears.

Honestly Mumma, may i ask you something, he asked.

You want to know that am i fine about you leaving to discover the world. No i am not. I never want you to be away from me. But i am not sad about it. Rather i am proud of you that you chose the most difficult path to grow. While the friends, whom you left behind, will grow old, you will grow wise.

Mumma, Akapat said, i made a friend too.

Yes, a tiger with no claws and no stripes. There was a strange glow in her voice. You are on the right path my son, only when all the abnormal people of the world come together, a new world can be made. If it was not that the clawless tigers and the transparent children, the world would very much be a white cloth. You are the colors which make it alive. Just look around.

Akapat looked around deliberately and absorbed the beauty around. It’s so so beautiful Mumma, he said.

It is inside you. All these colors, the hues, the songs, the sky. All you need to do is look within.

Does the tiger also have such a heave inside him, Akapat continued.

Yes all of us have. Mommy replied. Even the tress, the birds, the butterflies all of them have their heavens inside you. And when there is harmony between them, the beauty pours out with every breath.

So i am in harmony with them, Akapat queried.

Yes, so far you are. You are yet to face the challenges which with disrupt your harmony. And there will be many. You must ponder on your dreams. They will always tell you that how are you falling apart.

How ? Akapat was puzzled.

The clarity of the sky is the measure of your faith. The sun and moon tell you about the balance between your heart and mind. The birds are your hopes and the flowers are the optimism of your heart.

Then I must dream on Mumma, Akapat said innocently.

You must wake up. The sun is about to shine and a new day awaits you.

Akapat felt the touch of her mother and it seemed she kissed her forehead. He opened his eyes and touched a dew soaked harshringi flower on his forehead.

He looked around. The tiger was curled near the boulder and snoring.

…

…..