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This night while waiting for his moment in the jungle near Bodhipura, he chewed on a tobacco leaf. He was kept awake by the nicotine in the leaf. He could even hear the heavy breathing of Neelan who was a little distance away from him.

Neelan had also received his training in India with Vasantharaja. But in the beginning Neelan had not gone there by force. In the first few days, Neelan kept on crying without eating or drinking. But before long, he learned to carry the rifle and fight. Now he was known as a killing machine. “Maranam Motor..”….. That title was like a medal that Neelan had won.

Bodhipura village was about a mile away. This night there was not a single hum from that direction as if everyone had gone to sleep. Neelan who had spied earlier in the evening had come back to report that there were still people in the village. As if by some animal instinct, Vasantharaja knew exactly where he had go when the time came.

Suddenly a shrill noise like a bird call echoed through the jungle. Neelan and Vasantharaja stood up immediately. In the camp they had stood up at once for such commands many many times. Now they stood at attention out of habit.

Before starting his run in the darkness, Vasantharaja felt his cyanide capsule. How close he was to death? In that thought was a desire almost to run into the hand of death.

Holding his rifle with both hands, Vasantharaja ran forward. Now there was no turning back. all of a sudden there were loud maddening screams. The huts were burning lightning up the surroundings.

In some huts were half cooked rice in pots . In another place was flour ready to make roti. Vasantharaja thought that after killing the people he could have a meal here as well. An older man in his view was shot and killed by him.

In the light of the burning fires a hot scene from hell was visible. The black plumes of smoke that rose to the sky above the jungle covered the twinkling stars. To the death throes of the village mingled the wild furious yelling of the guardians from hell.

In the firelight Vasantharaja saw Neelan pulling a young girl from her hair and carrying her to the darkness of the jungle. There could be more enemy among the bushes.

Aiming his gun, he ran into the jungle where more fires were erupting. He could see a man and a little boy crouching behind some Mana reeds. Seeing the crazed face of Vasantharaja, the man clutched the little boy to his breast and tried to cover his face.

Vasantharaja’s gun exploded with a loud bang. Squirting blood from his head, the man fell down while still pressing the boy’s body to his chest. Vasantharaja pushed aside the man and pulled out the kid and hit him on the head with the butt of the gun. Unconscious, the child fell near his father. Vasantharaja who was in a rage shot the boy.

From amidst the reeds came the scream of a woman. At the same time another sound was heard. Turning in the direction of the noises, Vasantharaja saw a girl and a young woman. The two faces were glimmering red in the firelight. Both faces held a likeness. As if they were poured from the same mold. Though Vasantharaja drew the gun and aimed he had no heart to pull the trigger. He who had been trained to kill and be killed now felt a magnetic attraction in these faces. Before this he had not seen the beauty of a woman’s face. Though he had slept with prostitutes every so often, he had no attachment towards any of them. But these two faces held a strange attraction and a fascination. His head started to reel. He felt as if everything was frozen for a moment.

Who were they? Why were these faces so familiar to him?

At the same instance a gun shot was heard. He could feel one side of his chest going cold. Then only he felt the pain.

The shot came from the direction of the burning huts. Vasantharaga realized that everything was over. His gun was thrown from his hands.

He must swallow the cyanide capsule before getting caught by the enemy. When he felt around his neck for it, he realized that the life ending poison was not with him any longer.

This was when he started to run towards the dark jungle. He ran like crazy. He could feel on his palm, the cold blood running down his torso. He tripped and fell and hearing the death throes of the others he shut his eyes.

But everything did not end there. In his mind he could see those two female faces becoming one.

The same face….the same face. Who was she? Those eyes that enticed him-who was she?

Now he could remember seeing that face somewhere so long ago. But the memory was dim and faded. Floating in a never before experienced affectionate feeling he fell into oblivion.