Rukmini

The tale of Rukmini, daughter of the Himalayas


______________________________________________

The Bichom River roared as it came down from the Himalayas. Melting snow had
made the normally tranquil river gush and foam. The Sherpa woman gritted her
teeth to keep away the pangs of birth. The baby came into the world, even as
her mother slipped into unconsciousness. Her father put her next to his
exhausted wife. The little bundle immediately opened her eyes and cried a bit.
As the river roared loudly and the cool breeze wafted over the family, the
baby's lips found the mother's engorged nipples and quickly sourced its
sustenance.

The little family rested that day and night, and then moved south. Dendi, the
father had faced ostracism ever since he'd brought Uru home to his hamlet. Uru
was a girl born out of wedlock to a Nepali mother and an English father. The
Sherpa community had banned Dendi from all communal activities. He had come to
know that there was employment in the Kusumbari Tea Estate near Tezpur. Facing
misery and destitution, he had taken a big risk and had left the village in
Nepal. He was taking his young family to Kusumbari, in hope of a better
future.

Uru and Dendi had both found jobs in the tea garden. Dendi was assigned to
load sacks onto wagons, while Uru was a sorter in the factory. Little Rukmini
grew up in the estate. Uru insisted on English education for Rukmini. As soon
as she was old enough to march, she was sent to the missionary school five
kilometres away.

Rukmini would happily walk, skip and run to school, carrying her few books in
a makeshift cloth bag that Uru had stitched for her. Never did the little girl
complain about the distance. The tea stall owner, the cobbler and the local
vegetable sellers were her friends, and would wave to the cheerful little
pixie as she bounded over hill and road to school and back.

The daily trips to school introduced her to nature: The orchid growing in a
narrow crevice; the lapwing calling to its mate; the waft of mountain flowers
... She was in love with the land and nature.

Her natural inquisitive spirit drove her to explore the countryside on her
own. She knew the area like the back of her hand. If it rained, she knew just
the right alcove to shelter in (she loved the rain but also knew her books
couldn't get wet). One of her favourite spots was a hilly outcrop that let her
have a view above the treetops - she could see the snaking road for miles
around her.

She was very good in studies too. By the time she had finished her schooling,
there was no book in the little missionary library that she hadn't read. Her
natural interest in studies combined with her native intellect and curiosity
meant that she was always top of class.

The other effect of the long road to school and back was to give her
tremendous strength and stamina. Carrying her books, hopping and skipping
along, Rukmini's legs grew strong and muscled. Traversing the long road with
its steep or gentle slopes was second nature to her now. She could run miles
without tiring. Even her teachers remarked on her boundless energy and
enthusiasm.

For a little girl, she could also carry a lot of weight. Perhaps it had to do
something with her genes and her daily routine.

At home, Rukmini would help Uru with cooking and cleaning. The proud mother
saw the little child blossom into a happy young woman. A few years after
coming to Kusumbari, Dendi had accosted a gang of dacoits who wanted to loot
the plantation office. His alertness had meant that the gang was captured. Not
before, however, he had been shot and wounded. Dendi had died a few days
later. On his deathbed, he had a vision of the Goddess merging with Rukmini's
form. He had called to Uru and told her of his vision. He felt sorry that he
had tried to stop Uru from sending Rukmini to the missionary school, but also
that he was happy it turned out to be the right decision.

Rukmini took care of Uru in those difficult days. It is said that Rukmini
became the mother to Uru then. The plantation workers also pitched in like an
extended family. The support system that they created helped the two women
pass the difficult times.

__________

Kusumbari in those days was also reputed as a place where the management took
a humane stand with the workers. The Estate manager E. Lamont set up
hospitals, schools and gardens. It was a harmonious place to be.

Eustace had moved to India as a teenager. After finishing his studies, he
apprenticed in the famous Makaibari Tea Estate, after which he gradually took
over the management reins of Kusumbari from his Uncle. His wife Shirley had
died young, leaving a sick little child in his care. Grief stricken, he had
managed to raise the child with help from Governesses imported from the
Continent. Little Jackson was a bright student and an adorably sweet child,
but suffered from frequent illnesses and had a slight frame.

Jackson was a lover of nature. As a youngster, he showed remarkable talent
with pencil, canvas and palette. He loved to paint the verdant greens: the
valleys and the gardens; the lovely meadows with the sprinkling of Himalayan
flora.

His father took considerable care in protecting him from the vagaries of
nature. There was always someone with Jackson, carrying his art material, an
umbrella and a basket of food. He was never let out of sight.

Until the summer day when Jackson disappeared.

Troubled by the flux, the attendant had moved from the spot to relieve
himself. Finding the man gone, Jackson ran to the water's edge. He had seen
village kids play in the water. Discarding his clothes, he had gone into the
cool water. The current, too strong for his weak body, had swept him along.

The distraught attendant, unable to see the young master, had panicked and run
back to the Manager's mansion. A search party was whipped up which discovered
Jackson's discarded clothes by the side of the river.

Word spread of the disappearance of the little boy. The tea factory was shut
as workers spread out to look for the "little master". Teams on horseback
searched long, but as the sun set, they had to abandon search.

Since it was the weekend, Rukmini had not been to school. The girl was now
eight years old, and had already taken over the task of washing clothes from
her mother. Having strung up the linen in the backyard, she left for the
forest, intending to collect herbs for her mother's cough.

She liked the forest. It was not unfamiliar to her; she had been here many
times. She walked deep into the forest, intending to reach the stream where
she knew she'd find the medicine.

She tucked in the herbs that she'd found into the large pocket of her dress.
As she got up from the stream bed, she saw something tangled in the driftwood.
A white arm. Rukmini immediately ran to the spot. She saw an arm caught in the
branches. Numerous little cuts populated the skin. She reached down and caught
the cold, clammy thing and pulled it up. To her surprise, the little boy
attached to the arm coughed and shivered.

Rukmini planted her feet firmly and pulled out the little boy. Putting him
gently on the gravel, she checked him for any other damage. The boy in
response made a weedy sound as a few tears came out of his nearly shut eyes.

Rukmini slid her arms below the naked body and picked it up. She moved him to
firmer ground where she crushed a few of the herbs and made the boy smell it.
To her delight, the boy revived. To her equal dismay, he put his arms tightly
around her and began to cry.

The surprised Rukmini disengaged the spindly arms of the boy. She kindly wiped
his face and gave him a biscuit that he hungrily devoured. Jackson told him
that he had been pulled in by the water current and had hurt his knee badly.
He had been swept away and couldn't remember much until he had seen his
saviour. He sat there, his arms wrapped around his spindly knees, shivering in
the slight cold.

Rukmini decided that she couldn't leave Jackson there all on his own. Exposure
to chilly winds would surely kill the already emaciated boy. So she decided to
bring him back to Kusumbari.

She first decided to treat the minor scratches on the boys' skin, cleaning
them even as he protested. The wounds were not serious, though she was
concerned about the knee which had swollen up.

She then tore a piece of cloth to bind the knee, and then ripped off a large
part of her skirt to fashion a loincloth for the boy. She giggled as she tied
the cloth like a "chaddi" <underwear> on the boy.

Rukmini made the boy stand. He was perhaps six inches taller, but less heavy.
Used to carrying loads up and down hills, Rukmini turned and smoothly took the
boy piggy back.

They, rather she walked, humming the tribal tune sung by plantation workers
when they harvest the green leaves. A lilting tune that made the boy
comfortable; soon Jackson was trying to repeat what Rukmini sang. It would be
the song that Jackson would sing whenever he was lonely or troubled.

Rukmini marched through the forest. Once when the slope got too steep, she
shifted Jackson, holding him against her hip with one strong hand as the other
grabbed cracks and crannies to steady herself. Once playfully she flipped him
over to her shoulder. That made the lapwings scurry from the branches as
Jackson burst out with laughter. The sun traversed the brilliant blue skies
even as Rukmini walked towards Kusumbari. She never felt that she was carrying
a burden. Jackson too started feeling better. The jaunty pair was now friends.
They talked and sang and laughed their way. No. She never put Jackson down.

As the sun reached to the horizon, a few villagers saw the two laughing
children walk down the road towards the mansion. So happy the two looked, the
villagers never even realised that it was the Manager's son who was riding on
the back of little Rukmini.

The stony faced Lamont saw them first as they reached the gate. He ran to them
and picked up Jackson from Rukmini's back. The children disengaged
reluctantly. Rukmini's face fell as she waved a slow bye to her new friend.

Jackson started to cry as soon as he was brought into the house. The doctor
was called and the governess rushed with towels and warm water. Jackson was
put to bed after cleaning him up and attending to his knee. The next day,
Lamont realised that little Rukmini was responsible for saving little Jackson.
He announced a reward for the girl and she was cited by her school for bravery
and presence of mind.

Rukmini on her part was happy to have found a new friend. For she could relate
to him in a way that no others could. Of course she had a lot of friends, but
there was no one in the village who knew about Shakespeare or even Aesop. She
had finally met someone who she knew could actually talk to her about her
school and her dreams and could sing and made her feel nice.

Rukmini and Jackson would meet every weekend. Lamont found Rukmini to be
intelligent and protective of Jackson, and would let them go out and play
together. Rukmini showed Jackson the land in which they lived. She took him on
long walks, urging him to walk faster, pulling him up a tree, carrying him in
her arms or back when he tired. She showed Jackson the secret places where
orchids grew. She made him watch the courtship dance of the birds. All this
enriched Jackson too, for his paintings grew rich with the depiction of flora
and fauna, which he had till now only captured in distant landscapes.

Rukmini liked to sit and watch Jackson paint away, occasionally darting away
to bring him a small wild flower or little berries. As their friendship
blossomed deep, they shared their joys and sorrows, views and thoughts,
expressions and touches.

On Jackson's thirteenth birthday (she was eleven then), she decided to give
him a present. She gifted him a cave! When small, Rukmini had discovered the
cave in an isolated location. It had a narrow opening that broadened into a
space where two people could lie together. The cave opening looked onto the
lowlands below. The setting sun shone its warm rays into the cave. This alcove
was where Rukmini and Jackson had their most tender moments together. But more
about that later.

They sat in the cave, huddled against each other. Rukmini and Jackson were
very comfortable with each other. As it was warm, they had shed most clothing.
Being in skin with each other was nothing new to them. Jackson liked to rub
his slender body against Rukmini. He would like to feel her compact, hard body
against his. He didn't know why, but running his fingers on her hard
shoulders, feeling the solid muscled feel of her upper arm, moving down to the
hard curve of her forearm as it reached her strong wrist ... . Gently rubbing
his leg against her smooth, pillar-thick thighs, cupping the amazingly round
calf muscles that propelled this powerful girl ... all this gave him a feeling
of security and contentment.

Rukmini would in turn run her finger down his scrawny arm or leg and clamp the
soft bicep or calf muscle and squeeze it in her hands until he mock-screamed
for release. She was strong, very strong ... the compact hill girl.

One day, while playing with each other, Rukmini pulled off Jackson's
underwear. Suddenly he became defensive, putting his arms around his knees as
he asked Rukmini to give the cloth back.

Rukmini asked him why he was feeling so shy. And she removed her own
undergarments. Slowly, Jackson reached out to feel her on the chest. Apart
from her cheeks, Rukmini's chest was perhaps her softest spot. Girl breasts
were forming now, small yet shapely. Jackson felt a strange urge, and started
to rub her more. Rukmini laughed as she let Jackson explore. Her tender
nipples responded and grew in size. But she was puzzled as she saw something
that she had never seen before. Jackson had sprouted a thick long finger
between his legs.

Rukmini squealed and reached out to grip it between her thumb and forefinger.
The sudden grip on his nascent organ gave Jackson a shock that he had never
felt before. His eyes went wide as he leant back on the cave floor. His back
went straight as electric sensations ran up and down his spine. Rukmini leant
forward and inspected the new organ: "What's this, Jacks? Is this your
pee-pee? Why, it's grown big!" She ran the tip of her finger, feeling the
'pee-pee' harden like a rock. "Why, it's as hard as a bamboo stem!" She poked
at the base of the organ, making it quiver. "Jacks, is my finger doing this to
you?" she asked. Jackson didn't reply, his mouth was open, tongue running
around his lips.

She playfully poked at it a few more times, seeing it lurch. Jackson was now
moaning lowly, "hnnnnnnn". She delicately drew the foreskin down a little,
seeing the reddish-purple head pop out like an Amaranthus flower.

She could make out that Jackson was enjoying the sensation. Drawing the skin
down further in her palms, she looked at it closely, when a whitish fluid came
out in a small stream from the tip.

Jackson gripped Rukmini's hand in his own ... "Ohhhh Rukmini ... . Ohhhh ...
It feels ... sooo ... goooodd ... " Rukmini, puzzled yet pleased, gently moved
her hand up and down. Jackson moaned. She felt him tense even more, until a
furious spurt from the tip hit her in the eye.

She squealed and let go, wiping her eye off with the back of her hands. She
ran to the back of the cave to get some water to put in her eyes. Coming back,
she saw that Jackson had thrashed about a bit, but now lay still.

"Are you OK, Jacks? Do you feel all right?!? Should I carry you back?" Jackson
opened his eyes dreamily and said ... "Oohhhh ... . Rukmini, just hold me ...
tight ... "

__________

Jackson had held onto Rukmini for long, as if he didn't want her to be apart
from him even for a second. Rukmini, surprised and pleased, had tenderly
massaged his back, waiting for him to recover from his swoon. As it started to
get dark, Rukmini pleaded with him to leave; until finally she had to pull him
out physically.

Jackson and Rukmini held hands as they slowly walked back to the estate.
Rukmini asked him a lot of questions: "What had just happened? Why did you
behave like that? Was it fun for you? Why did it grow big? What was that white
liquid?"

She didn't get those answers, so that evening she decided to ask Uru about it.

Uru was shocked to learn of what had happened. Nevertheless, she knew her
daughter was innocent in behaviour, so she decided to patiently explain all
about the birds and the bees.

After she had done with explaining, they switched off the lantern and went to
sleep. Not that sleep came to little Rukmini's mind. All that night she dreamt
about what had happened. She ran her fingers on her chest, feeling those
little nubs harden. Her hand then went down to that place between her legs,
where her mother had said was the entrance to her womb. She felt the chickpea
like knob within the lips, which gave her an intense sensation of fire running
through her body. She was awake in the night, and very aroused.

In the morning, Uru made her promise that she would not be doing any more
exploration with Jackson. She took that promise reluctantly, arguing that
things that feel good are never wrong. But the norms in society are rarely in
tune with what the body wants.

Rukmini faithfully kept to her promise, not touching Jackson there, even
though he begged her to touch him. He once even took off his trousers and fell
at her feet, clutching her mighty calves, asking her for succour. That was
perhaps the only time Rukmini had roundly admonished Jackson. She had told him
that it was not proper to do what they had done the other day in the cave. She
went on to explain to him the consequences of doing so, which a wide-eyed
Jackson finally understood.

Rukmini was, however, a girl of nature. She could neither forget that evening
with Jackson in the cave, nor the fiery sensation that ran up her spine when
she touched the knob in the folds of her labia.

__________

The Missionary School in Sonitpur organises field trips to various scenic
locations. In current times, the trips go all the way to the Duars in the west
and Meghalaya in the South. In the times when Rukmini was a student, these
trips were restricted to nearby valleys and picnic spots, to which the
students were marched.

Rukmini enjoyed these field trips. Her innate knowledge of flora and fauna was
well known. She and her close friend Shyamoli would spend a lot of time
collecting exotic specimens of flowers that they folded and kept in their
scrapbooks.

On one such field trip, the class crossed paths with students from a
well-known, prestigious school. The latter was an all boys' group that was two
years senior to Rukmini's class. At first, the boys teased and shouted at
them. Later, as the respective supervisors moved away, they became physically
aggressive. They started to push the surprised younger lot. The biggest boy of
the class suddenly caught Shyamoli by the hair and caused her to sprawl in the
mud.

Rukmini was a little distance away that time. When she saw this, she ran to
Shyamoli. She helped up her little friend, who had tears in her eyes. As she
tried to get up, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. The big boy was trying
to push her into the mud.

Rukmini turned towards her persecutor, eyes blazing with fury: "If you do not
stop troubling us, I will punish you!" Taken aback, the boy let her go. But in
a moment, another boy came to support him. They ganged up on Rukmini,
intending to push her into the mud where Shyamoli had lain a few moments back.

The second boy laid his hand on her shoulder, intending to squeeze it hard.
Obviously he had not anticipated the hard shoulder pads that Rukmini had
developed over time. Before he had a chance to retract his arm, Rukmini had
gripped him by the wrist and had squeezed it so hard that tears flowed from
his eyes. As the older boy rushed in to defend his friend, a hard foot drove
into his gut. He was knocked back, landing on his back a few feet away.

The second boy was now on his knees, crying to be released from Rukmini's
steel grip. His free hand shakily reached out to Rukmini's taut forearm in a
bid to pry it away. Rukmini used her free right hand to deliver a stinging
slap on the boy's face. Then she roughly threw him down, into the same spot
where Shyamoli had been thrown. As he tried to scramble up, Rukmini's foot
caught him on the butt, sending him sprawling again. Her classmates had now
come closer and were cheering her on. The boy tried to get up, but Rukmini
forced him into the mud again and again.

The big boy, who had been felled by the kick to the gut, had recovered in the
meanwhile. He picked up a bamboo cane and hit it across Rukmini's back.
Shocked, Rukmini turned, only to be hit on her shoulder. But that was to be
the last blow, as she rammed her shoulder into his chest, knocking him clean
off his feet. The boy landed on his back hard. Rukmini was there in a flash,
planting her foot on his chest.

The boy struggled to get up, but Rukmini's foot was planted like a pillar. Her
quadriceps made an arch through her skirt. That and the sight of the calf
muscle bulging like a cantaloupe were enough for the boy to stop struggling.
He now squirmed and cried, asking her for forgiveness. Rukmini kept her foot
on the boys chest for nearly ten minutes, until the supervisors of respective
classes arrived on the scene to break up the unequal fight.

Rukmini had been thoroughly admonished on the way back. Inspite of her
arguments on why she had fought back, her teacher kept telling her: "Shameful,
how a girl like you has behaved today!".

Later, the headmistress heard the story from different sources. After hearing
Rukmini's version, she told her: "The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul
hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Be not like those who would
harm you readily. Be ready to defend yourself and your loved ones if the need
be; but never do so in vengeance." Those words were to stay with Rukmini.

That weekend, when she and Jackson were in the cave, he said: "I was not able
to go to the field trip the other day - father asked me to rest as I had the
chills. But my friend Rupert was there. He said he was beaten up by a wicked
girl who used magic on her!" He was laughing ... " Imagine, a witch in
Sonitpur - I fancy my Dad would take out his shotgun and go for a hunt if he
heard that story!"

Rukmini then told him the story. From her own viewpoint. Jackson was amazed to
know the truth. He looked out at the setting sun and turned a wry face to
Rukmini: "Do you know Rukmini, how amazing you are! I have never met anyone so
good, so nice, so intelligent, so strong ... Rupert didn't recognise you for
what you are. You are not a witch, you are a goddess. And I am so fortunate to
have come to know you."

Rukmini looked at the soulful eyes of Jackson, who sighed and continued: "The
day I nearly drowned ... " He squinted away at the setting sun. "I have tried
to think about what I saw when I opened my eyes ... a vision ... " He looked
back at Rukmini with ferocious intensity: "All I remember, all I can figure
out ... . is waking up to look into a Goddess' face." He paused and swallowed.
"That face was yours, Rukmini. You gave me that lease of life that I was
otherwise not destined to get."

He grabbed her arms and said, "Rukmini, if ever a sick, foolish boy like me
has loved anyone with all heart, it is you!" His Adam's apple was bobbing
awkwardly: "I want to be with you, all the time, for eternity. If there is
anything I dearly wish, is for me to die in your ... mmmff!" Rukmini had put
her hand on his mouth. Both had tears brimming. She pulled Jackson to her,
hugging him hard as his arms went across her broad back. They pulled back to
look at each other. And kissed. Slow, soft kisses that increased in duration
and intensity as they explored and relished each other's lips, then locking
their tongues together.

Rukmini felt a flush between her legs. The promises made to Uru were
forgotten, as young lust overcame her. She pushed Jackson to the floor, nearly
ripping off his clothes and hers. She held him down by his wrists, as she
continued to kiss and explore his mouth with her tongue.

Jackson's "long finger between the legs" had begun to rise again.
Instinctively, Rukmini reached for it, caressing it in her palm, running her
fingers up and down the shaft, feeling him moisten. She led him into her
crevice, guiding him in gently, slowly.

Jackson was awash with the most intense feeling ever. Rukmini's fingers were
making his organ hard. As she descended onto him, her velvety canal closing
onto his shaft, a low hiss escaped his mouth. Rukmini began to move up and
down, slowly to begin with, drawing him in and out, in and out. Her hips moved
in a slow, strong, deliberate fashion, sending shivers up his spine. He put
his arms around her, feeling her back muscles contort and twist powerfully.

Rukmini was liking the sensation of his organ rubbing against her chickpea.
She deliberately adjusted her thrust to grind it against his shaft. Mmmmm. She
had never felt better. Be it for adults, the married or the underage, why was
sex a sin? Why was it considered a fault if it gave so much unadulterated
pleasure to the indulgers?

Rukmini had slid her forearms below Jackson's shoulders. She controlled the
tempo, her force of thrusting increasing gradually. Her lips traced a soft wet
line from his ear to his shoulder, increasing the quality of simulation for
Jackson.

Jackson was pretty much hanging on to Rukmini. His fingertips traced the
contours of her muscles on her back, sides and upper thighs. How solid she
was! How tightly bunched her muscles were! He could feel them harden even
further, almost like rocks, as strong sensations ran through her too. He
feebly rubbed his legs against the hard calves of Rukmini, marvelling at the
power that those bulbs commanded.

Jackson was now moaning: "Ooo ... .Ooo ... .Ooo ... .Oooo" each utterance
punctuated by the thrust of Rukmini's powerful hips. She had her lower lip
between her teeth, and the thrusts now reached a crescendo.

Jackson felt his world twisting into a maze of colours as he orgasmed. His
mouth opened wide, eyes shut, as Rukmini too, uttered a "Haaaaaahhhhh ... .",
and clenched her walls tight on his organ. After what seemed an eternity in
which they melted into each other, they found themselves lying side by side,
caressing each other, as their nascent love blossomed into the next stage.

__________

The idyllic world around Kusumbari was undone one misty morning in November
1962.

Word had spread of Chinese aggression on Aksai Chin in North India, but the
people of Tezpur expected the eastern border to hold, particularly as the
famed Fourth Mountain Division held the area. Early morning on the 18th, PLA,
the Chinese Army, cut off the Indian troops' supply by flanking them from the
rear. Over the next three days, the PLA advanced south, cutting down the
underequipped soldiers of the Indian army, thousands losing their lives.

Civilians were ordered to leave the area, and thousands left their belongings
to march south of Tezpur, crossing the Brahmaputra River in the hope that
those alien people would not pursue them further.

Eustace Lamont and Jackson were in England that time. The supervisors in
charge of Kusumbari pushed the plantation workers to leave the estate. Many
left tearfully, although a few decided to stay put. "This is my home, this is
my land. No Chinese can force me away ... " said Uru, as she stayed put.
Rukmini stayed with her, though she helped her neighbours load their precious
belongings in bullock carts; all bidding each other teary farewells.

Early morning on the 20th, the first stream of PLA soldiers washed over the
estate. They had a loudspeaker which blared: "Hindi-Chini-Bhai-Bhai" <Indians
and Chinese are Brothers>. They broke into the Lamont mansion but could not
find much of value as Lamont's loyal team had already shipped out most of the
valuables. Nevertheless, they made the bungalow a base, laughing and cheering
in their peculiar language.

As the day progressed, the soldiers explored more of the estate. They checked
out the factory, the godowns and other facilities, even slaughtered a cow.

Towards the evening, a group of four soldiers, clearly drunk, came to the
housing quarters where Rukmini and her mother lived. They eyed Shyamoli's
mother; grabbing her hair, they tried to drag her away with the intent to
violate her. This spurred Rukmini into action.

Rukmini had never been one to take things lying down. She was famous for
having carried the Manager's son several miles on her back when she was young,
saving him from certain death. A little older, she had beaten up two older
school bullies, a story that became legend in her school.

She was not going to let the Chinese soldiers take her friend's mother. As the
soldiers dragged away the struggling woman, one of them lagged behind to take
a leak. Rukmini crept up behind him. The man was short and powerfully built.
But he had no chance as she locked her elbow around the man's throat. Her
hard-as-steel forearm muscles bulged and cut off his air supply. Rukmini
pulled him into the bushes, wrapping her free arm around his torso. The man
struggled for a minute and then went still, his bulging eyeballs rolling up.

Rukmini held on to the dead soldier for a minute more. As she let the body
slip, her hands and legs shook with the realisation that she had taken a life.
The abducted woman's muffled scream galvanised her back to action. She ran
towards the small clearing where two of the soldiers were trying to tear off
the woman's clothes. Their guns were being guarded by the third soldier, who
had taken out a cigarette as he watched his colleagues.

The cigarette was still burning, when Rukmini stood at the spot and announced
to the two soldiers to let the woman go. For she had crept out behind the
third soldier and dragged him away silently, leaving his cigarette lying on
the forest floor.

Rukmini had taken the soldier a few metres away, where she had wrapped her
legs around the man's body and squeezed. Rukmini's strong legs had quickly
broken the man's ribs and stifled his screams with her palm on his mouth.
After ruining his body, she had used her strong arms to twist his head and
break the neck.

One soldier, clearly the superior (found to be a corporal later) told the
other to tackle Rukmini. The second one, annoyed at being drawn away from a
task that he was looking forward to, rushed at Rukmini.

Only to meet with her foot in the gut, as Rukmini lashed out. The man
collapsed with a shrill "Aaieee!"sound. The corporal was up in a flash. He had
a wicked looking knife in his hand. He approached her warily, circling her,
even as his comrade lay writhing in pain. He called out some other names,
presumably his other colleagues, whom Rukmini had already despatched.

Shyamoli's mother had scrambled to the edge of the clearing, trying to cover
up her semi naked form. She ran off towards the village.

The corporal screamed at his still winded junior, even as Rukmini picked up a
bamboo pole. The man lunged, trying to stab her in the gut. But Rukmini was
faster, stepping back and rapping him on the arm with the stick. Again the man
lunged. This time his thrust was slower; he slashed the knife, cutting a gash
on Rukmini's left bicep.

The man suddenly attacked her in a flurry of arms and legs. He punched and
kicked her, driving her to the edge of the clearing where a small stream
flowed. Rukmini had her arms raised, trying to protect her head and upper body
from the man's blows. She kept moving back, until she was at the water's edge.

Suddenly the soldier stumbled - on a rock, or perhaps because the drink got to
him. Rukmini stepped close and wrapped her arms in a bearhug around the man.
She lifted him up, holding him in a tight grip. The man grimaced, his arms and
chest feeling the tight compression of thick, hard arms. She swung him like a
rag doll, even as his feet beat helplessly against her lower legs. She carried
him back to the clearing, holding onto him tightly.

The soldier who she had kicked in the gut had by now recovered. He tried to
pry her arms from the corporal, who by now was in some pain. Rukmini threw the
corporal down and grabbed the soldier by the collar. Her tight fist rammed
into his face, splitting his lip. Rukmini followed that with a knee to the
gut. The soldier collapsed face down. His eyes were wide and he dry retched in
pain. Rukmini did not allow him to get up. Her bare foot slammed onto the back
of his neck, breaking the vertebra and killing him.

Rukmini had no time to reflect on her third kill of the evening. The corporal
hit her on the head with a rock, knocking her down. They were now both rolling
on the ground, fists ramming into each other. Finally, Rukmini locked her legs
around the man's chest and gripped his throat in her fingers. "You want to
rape our women? You Chinese bastard! I will kill you ... . Will kill you ...
kill you ... "

After a while, Rukmini realised that the corporal had stopped moving. She
disengaged herself. The man lay at her feet, his chest misshapen - crushed by
the python like power of her legs. His head was twisted at an odd angle, the
throat crushed by her grip of steel.

The men rushed into the clearing to see Rukmini staring blankly at the forest.
They took her back to the village, where she slowly told her story amidst
tears. As she finished, she was hugged by Shyamoli's mother, as they both
broke into sobs at the state of things.

__________

The men had returned after burying the four dead soldiers. Rukmini stood
beneath the neem tree and addressed them: "We can't hide for long. The Chinese
soldiers will search for their colleagues. They are sure to find the graves."
This was met by pensive silence. After a while, an older man spoke: "But what
can we do? We cannot fight. These men are trained soldiers. We do not even
have arms ... "

Rukmini then bent down to remove four rifles from a gunny sack that lay at her
foot. "This is what we have." The men were now rapt with attention. "And we
have our sickles, our knives, our fists. We must remove the Chinese soldiers
from the estate. We must drive them out of this land, this country. Our
soldiers may have lost the battle, but let us know forget their sacrifice. Let
us show them what soil we are made of. Let us show them that the soil of the
land can be as hard as rock!" Rukmini signed off her oration with a slap of
the thigh. The motley bunch of villagers, no more than a dozen, cheered her.

They spent the night in the jungle, planning. As expected, the Chinese had
begun to look for the four lost soldiers. They had come upon the abandoned
huts and realised that the estate workers must have been responsible. Thirty
soldiers fanned out in different directions, hunting for the estate folk.

It was a dark moonless night. The fog hung low and even the animals were
silent. The soldiers returned after two hours of futile search, their numbers
reduced by six.

The Captain fumed. He ordered more soldiers to come to the factory in the
morning. Orders were given out to spread out in the forest and shoot anyone or
anything in sight.

Rukmini had seen the soldiers gather in the factory. Seeing scant guard in the
warehouse where the ammunition was kept, she silently slew two soldiers with a
knife.

As the Captain gave orders to disperse, an explosion was heard. The soldiers
ran to see their ammunition go up in flames. Purple with rage, he screamed for
the combing operations to begin.

Small snares built to trap small animals were modified to trap men. Ceremonial
bows were taken off their perch and restrung. Arrow heads were sharpened. The
guns taken from fallen soldiers were distributed amongst the rebel plantation
workers.

Rukmini had asked one of the villagers to hide in the hills and take pot-shots
at the Chinese as they returned. In response, the Chinese fired wild volleys,
losing much of their ammunition in a futile response.

Rukmini also trapped a group of soldiers who had run out of ammunition. Seeing
them check their magazines, she had run into their midst brandishing a Daa
<machete>. Like a gale she blew in. The Daa singing its terrible swishing
sound that ended in a gut rending thunk and a piercing scream. After she had
hacked the sixth and final soldier, she had held up the bloody blade. A
villager, now old with rheumy eyes, can still recall that sight: "Kali! Maa
Kali! She had come to slay the demons in our land!"

__________

After losing forty of their soldiers to this unexpected resistance at
Kusumbari, the Chinese battalion was ordered to retreat. Historians have noted
that the Chinese unexpectedly stopped their advance and announced a ceasefire
on November 21. It is still a mystery as to why they decided to stop
hostilities.

"We have killed them. By the dozens. We did it defending our land, our honour.
By Durga! We will do it again if they dare to cross the border. But we will
not talk about it. There is no pride in killing. I do not feel elated, for I
am not a soldier. I have done my duty, let it be at that." This is what
Rukmini said when things had returned to normalcy and workers returned to
prepare for the first flush at Kusumbari.

By Kavi Karmakar

Email: kavikarmakar@yahoo.com

Comments, reviews and suggestions are warmly invited.