She still had no idea of what made Veer turn…rabid. It probably had something to do with his ring, but she didn’t know the specifics.
What should she do now? She couldn’t leave him to get help—she had no idea which way was out of the forest—and no way to call for help. The hopelessness of her situation slumped her shoulders even more.
“O’ blessed Mother, please show me a way. I have run out of options,” whispered Chandra, praying to her favorite goddess.
She wasn’t expecting an answer of any sort, so when the voice came, she was so dumbfounded that she almost unseated herself.
“Praying to the goddess won’t do you any good this time, Princess,” said a whispery voice, like the dry crackle of twigs.
She searched frantically for the person, but all she saw were tightly furled leaves of the saman tree, some solitary dragonflies flitting about, and a bunch of beetles. A skinny green frog in superb camouflage hung to the moss-covered branch by its pads. She thought it appeared almost normal when it caught a fly, and then she spotted its forked tongue and sharp teeth.
“Hello?” she said cautiously, in case her mind was playing tricks on her. “Is anyone here?”
“Do you want me to yell, Princess? Wouldn’t want to grab the attention of the beast chasing you.”
“Are you…here?” she asked, squinting at her surroundings.
“Of course.”
“Where? Oh…are you invisible, perhaps?”
“Humans,” said the voice, and this time it contained a touch of amused disgust. “Can’t see the forest for the trees, Iswear. So limited. Look to your left, no, not that left…your other left. I am visible on the tree trunk.”
“Where? All I see is…a tree trunk.”
“Yes, that’s right, I am the tree trunk. Look.” A sigh came like leaves whispering. “Lean back a little and try to see me.”
Chandra did as he asked and suddenly, she could make out the face formed by the grooves of the wood on the trunk. A craggy face with deep grooves on the cheeks, thick eyebrows, and a long beard. A dry twig rose from the middle of his forehead.
Chandra watched, amazed as the “face” moved on the trunk, occupying a different part of the tree. This time a clutch of twigs and leaves shaped themselves to form a face.
“Who are you?”
“I am Makhadeva, the guardian of this forest.”
Chandra wondered if it was impolite to ask what kind of being he was, but the guardian seemed to have read her mind.
“I’m a yaksha. I’m an amorphous being capable of assuming any shape.”
She had heard of the yakshas. They were supernatural beings tasked with the protection of natural treasures. They were neither needlessly benevolent nor particularly malevolent.
“Fear not, Princess. I could never harm you,” said the voice, noting her trepidation.
“How do you know who I am?” she asked.
“I know about everything that steps into my domain.” His voice was odd, since it wasn’t exactly coming out of a human throat and it carried the distinct sound of dry twigs rubbing together, but she was able to understand him perfectly.
“Can you help me? My husband seems to have been afflicted by some sort of ailment.”
“It’s not an ailment. He’s like that because of a curse,” came his patient explanation.
“A curse! But why? And…could you help him?” asked Chandra feeling more and more helpless. But at least she was getting some answers.
“Why would I do that, Princess, when I was the one who cursed him?”
She stared at the being, struck dumb for several moments. “You cursed him?! Why?”
His voice dipped. “Every living thing in this forest is sacred, and under my protection. So when he killed a being here, the curse came into effect.”
