A Yakshi and me.....

It was the year 1989 and close to the monsoon months in India. I was returning from Ernakulam to my parent's home in Kundara which is at least 160kms from Ernakulam. The summer was almost finished and the pre-monsoon rains has cooled down the weather considerably. I was doing my frequent travels to Ernakulam to fix up my travel documents for my imminent overseas trip. It was late evening when I finished up my business at Ernakulam and boarded a bus to Kollam. The only direct bus that pass by my home in Kundara leaves around 5pm, which I couldn't catch that day. I fell asleep on the way and it was around 12.10am when the limited stop fast passenger bus pulled over at the Kollam bus station. Weary and eager to reach home I rushed for the 12.30am connection bus that goes to Kottarakkara.Kundara is half way between Kottarakkara nd Kollam. I could get off at Hospital Jn. which is 1 km from my home at kundara.

Around 1 am I got off from the crowded bus to Kottarakkara. I thought of catching an autorickshaw to my home. In those days I used to smoke, though not a heavy smoker I did enjoy a fag or two. I bought half a packet of Wills filter cigarettes and started to look around for a auto. There were 2 taxis and a single autorickshaw. I approached the only autorikshaw driver to drop me off to my place. He woke up from his sleep and I had to explain where I wanted to go. The auto driver just gave me contemptuous look and went back to sleep in his makeshift bed at the rear of auto. I thought for a while about getting a taxi but then gave up the idea. Afterall it's only 1km from there, I thought to myself "let me not waste any time, let me walk". I lit up my cigarette and started my brisk walk. It was a full moon night, and the rain clouds were gone and it was nice and cool in the middle of the night. As I walked ahead I was thinking about many things, and 150m later I passed the LMS hospital and I started thinking about my father once used to work there, and the late Dr. Jacob Bhanu who died in a scooter accident in 1973. I strode past the hospital and the church after the hospital, then suddenly I caught sight of the "paala" tree on the right side of the road another 200 meters or so. Suddenly my pace slowed, all these stories and memories of the "Paala" tree become fresh in my mind....

Fifteen years ago when I came to Kundara to live with my parents, we lived with our cousins for a while. We all were of similar age. They all had stories about evil spirits and ghosts, some of them were called Yakshi(a blood sucking good looking ghost), Maadan(a ghastly creature who walks around in chains), then kuttichathan(a childish apparition mostly harmless) etc. Of all the ones the Yakshi was the dangerous one, she lives on the "Paala" tree and in full moon nights she waits beneath the tree and as men pass by she will ask them for "Chunnambu", one of the ingredients for pan. The men who are enchanted by her beauty will be brought under her spell and will be taken beneath the tree and she will suck all the blood out of them and dispose them off. As a little kid this story has embedded deeply in my psyche and the Kadamattathu kathanar story, a famous folklore I read as a boy, was still fresh in my mind. In that story the Kathanar(the priest) encounters this horrible vampire and defeats her by his divine powers. It was a fascinating story but it has created a lasting impression in my boyish mind which was already horrified by all these stories. To makes matters worse my grandfather, who passed away in 1988, used to tell us horror stories about all these evil spirits to his wide eyed audience, 7 of his grandchildren including me. He was absolutely convinced about what he was telling us and he had many times emphasised the "Paala" tree near the hospital is a dangerous spot.

I looked ahead and hesitated a bit. I looked at my watch and it was 1.20am. The Pala tree was seen at a distance decked in bright moonlight and very dark shadows beaneath. I just chuckled to myself thinking how silly I was to worry about the grandpa stories. I took a good drag from the cigarette and marched forward, by the time I reached the tree my thoughts were drifted away to something else...I might have paced few steps past the tree, and then suddenly I heard a big crackling sound from the tree, and I heard the leaves getting ruffled!! My instincts suddenly took charge and I ran forward with all my might...I stopped probably 50 meters ahead, and my sanity which left me momentarily returned. I looked back at the paala tree. It was still like before drenched in moonlight. I thought to myself how silly of me to give way to granpa myths. I looked for my cigarette, which was already lost in the sprint I just completed. So, I gathered myself and walked back towards to the paala tree fully determined to find the Yakshi, even if it was meant my end. I got closer and focused on the darker part of the tree just a few feet above the ground where I heard the noise. I reached up to my pocket and pulled out my cigarette lighter and held it high and turned it on.....my heart was thumping.....slowly my eyes got used to the faint light of the lighter flame. And I saw the Yakshi with my own bare naked eyes!! It was an owl with a freshly caught mouse sitting high up the branch!!! The noise I heard was the owl just flew in to the tree with it's catch! I just couldn't help laughing to myself, standing beneath the paala tree my opinion got more stronger that night, one has to only fear the living!! I just got another cigarette out and lit it up and resumed my walk towards home. In a few months time I left India for good. The paala tree was eventually cut down by the owner. Even now when I drive past the spot where the paala tree once stood, the memory of that summer night back in 1989 where I encountered the Yakshi comes rushing back, only to bring a smile to my face!!