PROGRESS

PROGRESS

It was a night of celebration. The full moon was shining bright on the still waters. The huge fire by the river bank was fuming with passion, holding serenity at bay. By the fire stood a huge pot, full of fuel. Fuel that burned inhibitions away. It was an invaluable brew made from the sweet potatoes gathered over the year.

At the center of the group stood Manu, drinking heavily. Not because he had any inhibitions to get over, but because he had a girl to impress.

She was dancing, going around the pyre, along with her sisters. She had a grace that always made her standout form the rest, and with the fire illuminating her feminine beauty, no wonder all the eyes were fixed on her.

Manu had been trying to get her hand since a month, but Shiva, another suitor was his main competition. They had been rounding up each other for some time, and that night might be their last duel.

Shiva was sitting near the bank gazing at full moon. Though not very popular among the group, they all respected him for his hunting skills. He never returned empty handed from a hunt. They never really understood how a slender man like him could overpower the giant beasts of the wild. In fact, he can never overpower them, and that is why he outsmarted them.

Manu was confident that he was going to get her hand. He was the strongest man in the group and with the huge club he carried, he was a force to reckon with.

As Shiva started to walk towards the fire, he was stopped by Manu. His intentions were clear. Fight me to get to her.

The stage was set. Only one of the two might be left to see the next morning, and everyone there was eagerly waiting to see who it would be.

********

It was a night of celebration. The harvest festival finally arrived, and they had every reason to celebrate. Their tribe definitely hit the jackpot when they moved there, some thirty years before, and all the harvests were in great surplus.

Only a part of their surplus went to the godowns and the majority went to the huge brewery at the river bank. The ale they produced was of great quality and price.

But that night, the ale was free for all. As had been the custom, Shiva, the head of their tribe was going to get married that night. It was his thirty first marriage and his new bride was an exotic beauty. She generated much curiosity from the day she arrived, and for the previous few months, they had all been waiting to get a glimpse of her.

The table was filled with delicacies to be feasted upon. The holy pyre was blazing and the metal glasses were clanking. Shiva can hardly contain his excitement and the ale was not helping the cause. They were all waiting for the bride, to start the ceremony.

Instead of the bride, a news of her escape reached Shiva. She ran away with a mercenary. The amorous excitement soon turned to a murderous rage and in no time, the pursuit began.

The palace was bordered on one side by the river, and on its adjacent side, by a small stretch of dense forest. Shiva guessed that they would have run into the forest, where his horses would be slowed down. The exotic perfume of the bride left an easy trail, and the dogs confirmed his guess.

Instead of following their trail through the forest, he decided to unleash the dogs behind them, and take the road around the forest on his horse, along with his guard. He would leave his guard encircling the forest and the sounds of the dogs would guide him to precisely where the run-away bride will be exiting the forest.

It took him few minutes to reach the far end of the forest. The dogs were getting closer and closer and he could now listen to their footsteps. And as they finally exit the forest, he was shocked to see that it was his step brother Manu, and not a mercenary.

********

It was a night of celebration. A welcome to something new and a good bye to something old. None knows how different the two are.

Manu and his friends decided to party out doors for a change. The pub started to feel too congested, so they decided to take the pub wherever they go. A music system, several packs of beer, three full bottles of whiskey, and a Shisha were all loaded into his luxury cars, along with his friends and their latest batch of girlfriends.

They roamed around the city, and as hours passed midnight and roads became more and more deserted, they stopped. A serene spot on the road along the coast, with a slanting dip of twenty feet leading to the beach. They parked their cars, and as planned, brought their pub to the beach.

An hour passed and they were now in full swing. They were multi-tasking; smoking, drinking and dancing at the same time. With time, their words got louder and movements clumsier; and suddenly they realized.

They forgot to bring their joints. A blame game has followed till one of them remembered that he has a close by dealer’s contact.

They called Shiva and requested for a delivery of weed. Shiva lived a couple of kilometers away, and rich students like these were his main customers. He was in a party himself and they had to promise a large sum to get him to deliver. He finally agreed.

It took him ten minutes to reach there along with his friends. The transaction went without any hassle and then, Manu heard something.

The anger on his girlfriend’s face and the smug look of Shiva confirmed his doubts. It was an insult not just to his girlfriend, but to him, and his status.

He threw himself at Shiva in mad rage.

********

The raging fire, rhythmic drums, and the wild wind set the stage.

Manu was wielding a club with a sturdy wooden handle, and a heavy stone tied at the end. One blow to the head with that, and he will not need to hit again. Shiva was ready with his spear, a sharp stone blade secured at the end of a long wooden shaft.

Manu started the attack and his wild swings were way off target. Shiva found no difficulty swaying away in the beginning, but as Manu started cutting down the distance between them with each blow, Shiva decided to attack.

A wild swing of the club got Shiva ducking, and threw Manu momentarily off balance. Shiva seized the moment and drove the spear from below upwards, aimed at Manu’s trunk. Manu got his left hand just in time to deflect the spear, and it went grazing his right thigh.

Hardly an injury capable of stopping him, Manu kept swinging. Shiva decided to let him come closer, then move to his flank and drive the spear into his belly. He judged Manu’s movements precisely, and moved to the left, driving the spear as he did, in one swift motion.

But Manu left his left arm guarding his flank, and the spear went straight into the bulk of his arm. Before Shiva could pull his spear out, or move away, a fatal swing of club finally hit its target.

And there lies Shiva, with his brains out, and blood soaking the sands.

*******

Manu was shocked to see that his half-brother was already there, waiting with his entire guard. All he could see in his brother’s eyes was murderous rage.

The guard stood awaiting the signal, but Shiva decided to kill his brother by himself. He drew his long sickle, and a tough metal shield.

Young Manu had no chance against Shiva and his fast horses, savage dogs and strong weapons. Still, he drew out his sword and decided to fight it out.

All he managed to do was land a blow on his brother’s shield, before his abdomen was severed, from one side to the other, almost cutting him into two.

It hardly took a minute, and there lies Manu, with his guts out, and blood soaking the sands.

********

It was never a contest and Manu came back as fast as he lunged forward. The fight between the two soon turned to a brawl. A brawl that Manu and his friends were definitely losing.

Manu knew exactly what to do. He ran to his car and pulled out his semi-automatic hand gun. A few seconds, and few shots were all it took for Manu.

And there lie Shiva and his friends, with their brains out, and blood soaking the sands.