Deep Root

  Amongst the Living A Tale of Men, Beasts and Time 1. The Stranger of Sengaaravan Deep within the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, hidden beneath a vast stretch of dense forest, lay a small tribal village known as Sengaaravan. The village stood far from the noise of towns and cities, surrounded on all sides by towering trees, thick undergrowth, rocky slopes, and winding forest paths that disappeared into the wilderness. Mist often settled between the trees during the early hours of the morning, while the sounds of birds, insects, and distant animals formed the natural rhythm of life. The people of Sengaaravan had lived peacefully within the forest for generations. Their lives were closely tied to the land around them. They gathered firewood, collected forest produce, and travelled through familiar paths beneath the trees to carry out their daily work. The forest was not merely the place where they lived; it was a part of their lives, and they knew its paths, sounds, and dangers better...

  * Krrk krrk * The sound of the metal tap in room no. 1304. Whenever someone opened or closed it, it let out a loud, grating * krrk krrk *. It was a metal tap, cost-efficient for a low-budget motel. The public had given it a rating of one star out of five. Most of the reviews were like: “Bad, poor quality, bed bugs beware! Is there even air to breathe inside the room?” The worst one read: “I saw a dead body inside, and the owner said it was his father, drunk, who fell in the bathtub, and he would clear him soon.” This could sum up how the motel runs today. Nobody was willing to stay there even for a single night. Sometimes, people stepped under its roof when it rained, but they left quickly—before the rain even stopped—because of the terrible smell drifting out of the chimney. Yes, they had a canteen—a small cafeteria, as they called it—and they even provided complimentary food for the guests. But no one ever bothered to go near it. Rotten bread, carrots that were most probably ...