The little one twisted, round and round, writhing in pain. It could hear its mother’s terrible cries, as the long, thick creatures, wrapped around her body. So many, from so many directions. She was known to be strong…. but what could she do alone? against so many? It was dark, but her vision was well adjusted to the darkness. Where were her aunts? They never left any one alone, especially to face a crisis. She could hear the slithering, punctuated intermittently with muffled thuds. The big bang had been frightening, as if the sky had rendered apart and big tongues of fire lurched at them, turning the night into day, momentously!
She had cried in fear, feeling her heart thudding in her chest, as if it would pop out. Then she heard her Mother’s angry cry, loud and clear, “Leave my baby alone,” she shrieked in fury. But those slithering creatures, big fat snakes, curled around her and slowly squeezed the life out of her. Oh! That was so scary… where were all the others???
Then those fierce, terrible people pulled out something, which sounded like an angry creature, Chhhhhrrrr…. Chhhhhhrrrr… And her Mother’s voice turned into a stream of painful cries. She wanted to rush to her, but seemed unable to move…
Then those thick snakes slithered around her… They were squeezing her too.
Then, she saw the puny little humans, six or seven of them. They did something… there was a brilliant flame and her Mother’s huge thrashing body lay quietly. She cried then, couldn’t stop!
The puny humans brought the angry creature Chhhhhrrrring again and chopped her Mother’s beautiful white teeth. Suddenly on the edge of the clearing, appeared her aunts. Silently thumping the ground… They ran together, as the very earth and forests rumbled… One snaked out her rope like trunk, pulling away, the monster, and with one knock flattened quite a few of those puny men. The other reached for her Mother’s teeth, snatched it from the murderous hands and threw them far into the depths of the forest. Together they flattened all those who had harmed her dear Mother.
Hearing her cries, they reached her and slowly removed the thick ropes…
Ever since that day, she had a lingering fear of ropes, that can bind and destroy.
She recalled how she fell into a trap soon after, paralyzed with fear when ropes, snaked across her body and she was caught by puny men. She was hungry and thirsty for days on end… till a kind soul took pity on her, gave her food, and talked to her in a soothing manner. She was reminded of her herd and caring family. She started trusting the man, who would take care of her and even took her to a river to have a dip. She squealed with joy and thus forged their bond… a bond of love, stronger than the ropes which had once snaked all over her, squeezing her life.
The scary nightmares did haunt her from time to time, but that’s how she made it her business to squash every snake. Who knows, which one would be a rope, and squeeze life out of some unsuspecting beast? That’s why they called her the ‘Annihilator’.
The man would ask her for favours every now and then. Push a log here, carry some puny load there, which she happily obliged. In return for his love and care, she gave her heart. Being tied with a thick rope didn’t bother her, as long as it satisfied her man. She was sure men didn’t understand that… she could break the rope with one tug, but chose to stay bound, for love.
