6.Mando in a secret territory .

Mando got late in her Veda class and had to complete work later than the others.It was a dark evening.Rain showers of southwest monsoons engulfed the area. Rivers were about to overflow.Mando was not a timid girly girly to hide behind closed doors when there is thunder.She had no cover.She was soaked in water.Dark night came early and she felt that she has lost her way.It was the city of education dedicated by the emperor for the well being of scholars.He wanted an educated world.He supported the city with large lands and wealth.He himself disguised as a commoner to findout shortcomings of his land.Therefore, it was not a surprise that one can easily lost in this vast area.

Mando had no torch to guide her.She saw a light far away.She followed the path towards the light.It was somewhere close to the bath houses. She heard the hot water streams were flowing.But the lights came from an unfamiliar building where all of them thought it was abandoned.

The door was half closed.She tapped twice.Heavy thunder showers were masking the tapping sound.She slowly opened the door.It was lit with a lamp held from the roof.It was not lit from ordinary oil and clothe.It seemed a round ball of glass was illuminated on its own.

It had a peculiar smell of medicine and chemical.The large hall had a structure similar to a bird.It was made out of rare form of wood and steel.Mando was shocked to see the giant artificial bird.She saw a person who was inside the bird and mending some parts of the bird.

When she took her foot an alarming sound came through the roof and a sudden door was closed infront of her obscuring her vision of the miracle bird.

It seemed she had breached a security demarcation of the place.Suddenly she was standing infront of a closed ordinary door where no one would not imagine the mysterious nature of the inside of the room.She banged the door.She could not reach her place in the dark ,neither she could stand in the pouring rain.

Suddenly a man opened the door.It was the personal guard of Ravan.A dark coloured giant from the Raksha clan who never smiled in his life.He frowned and gave a questioning look towards Mando."I am sorry I lost my way could you please give me a shelter for sometime.?"

"It is not a time to a lady to be out" somebody from inside told. "Let her stay some time." She was ushered to a small living room with two chairs.It had an ordinary lamp.A bowl of red fruits layed on the

table.They were small round fruits with projections pointing out from its skin.Mando has heard of Rambutan but this was the first time she has seen them.

The guard came with a hot beverage steaming accompanied by few pieces of juggary." Its the flowers of Beli.Good for the cold weather." The master told her in a grim.Ravan was a different person in this evening.The playful boy in the group had disapeared in to the thin air.He seemed to be much older and responsible. " I am keeping this extra building for my stores and few of my work.Moreover Kaala wanted sometime away from other guards.He is not a social person." He was treating his subordinates very well.Why not,after all he was the powerful heir to the throne in a well reputed land filled with all the treasures of gems elephants ,science,martial arts ,medicine and everlasting spring.

" I am really sorry to bother you Ravan.I did not expect you here in the dark as my saviour." Mando waa pleading him."Dont worry .If you want I can send you with Kaala or you can be my guest of honour in my dinner today if it i not bothering you"

Mando wanted to explore the thing she has seen.She was not a person easily get withdrawn.

She accepted his invitation.

She was slowly sipping Beli tea and knibbled the sweet juggary pieces."These juggary are prepared from the Kithul tree.Its a palm tree some what similar to the ordinary coconut tree.You have to have the taste of toddy of that.Each morning our tappers give us toddy.We are alcoholics from the early morning " Ravan was joking.

"Can I give you some robes to change.You seemed to be shivering." She was shown a tiny room to change into the huge set of Ravans clothes.After changing she looked like a puppet.She had to sit with Ravan to dinner.It was hot hoppers with eggs on top of them accompanied by a hot chillie sauce.

It was amazing.The crispy corners of the hopper bread was chewy .Eggs were splashed with pepper and salt.Mando couldnt resist the fourth hopper.

After the dinner the rain has stopped.Mando got ready to say goodbye."I will escort you to your place"Ravan didnt want to talk about the things she had seen and she no longer had the courage to ask.

The night was calmer.Sound of water splasing through the cannals were still heared.Mando was walking closer to Ravan.His warm breath was felt close to her top of the head.He was that tall."Handsome prince"She murmured to herself.

The road was still filled with puddles.Ravan took her hand to help her.Although they were friends in the same group for a long time Mando had not touched him earlier in this manner.An electric current was passing through her hand to body.She was shocked.Something beautiful was happening to her and she was not sure that Ravan felt the same. She felt small tremble in his hand and she wanted to be hanged for a long time.

Mando felt complete secure feeling with him.If they have discussed about those feelings ,Janaki would have told the same.But they never revealed their minds to each other and they were like unknown in that territory .

That night Mando felt her precious feminine body was waking up for the first time in her life.She tightly curled to her bed and she couldnt sleep at all in that night.