Where all
prospects please…
It
was a sprawling estate. Flowering trees and plants were everywhere. Friendly
insects hummed about them. Wayfarers, especially the innocent young, were much
attracted. They came in, met the chief of the estate, and were allotted their lodgings.
They had a creepy feeling when they faced the chief. There was nothing to
explain it, in his behavior. His talk was like a gentleman, though a little on
the shorter side. They left shaking their heads. Soon the largeness and the
pleasantness of their surroundings helped them to overcome their unease. But if
they lingered a little too long in their rooms trying to figure out their
perplexity, they started to feel creepy. It was as if the walls of the room had
ears.
Then
they met the buffoon of the place. Their hearts gave a joyful yelp when they saw
him. His presence was soothing. His jokes disarmed them. But suddenly the Chief
came. The youngsters froze half-way on their smile which now formed a hideous
pattern.
They
could feel that the Chief didn’t want them to mix with the likes of the
Buffoon, though he didn’t say it in plain words.
Soon
their room walls closed on them. The felt the bugs that eavesdropped on their
thoughts.
They
tried to slip away. Some were successful. But will it be of any avail?
The
Basilisk chief smiled happily. Even those who slipped away would carry the
venom.
But
the buffoon’s antidote may work in some of them. He frowned when thinking of
that. No, he would let the buffoon be for some time. After all, he had amused
him somewhat, not long back.
Swami Sampurnananda,