Meeting Aja (chapter -2)

After cooking breakfast Sorbey ate hurriedly, picked basket and went outside. It was always Sorbey's duty to cook meals at home, he learned cooking when he was eleven years old. At first he only made meals sometimes, but after turning thirteen it was his daily duty.

It was sunny day, the sunlight was nor too bright nor too dim, just perfect for strolling around. Nobody was free in the village to enjoy this perfect weather. Everyone was busy, sometime they talked to each other and then started doing with their work.

This was a small village, surrounded by jungle. This was just an ordinary village, but beautiful, perfect for living. There was only one path to go outside of the village, which was also surrounded by woods. The path was too narrow, only one person can walk on that path. After exiting this jungle, the path was further divided into two wide road. One path leads to a very big city, but it was too far, and another path leads to a small market, it was not too far, so, all villagers always brought their necessaries from this small market. The villagers were not rich, therefore they only went to the market when its necessary. Sorbey himself never went outside from the village.

The view of village were really beautiful, in the embrace of nature, the village was like center of entire jungle kingdom. It was not that much fascinating like outside world or any other rich villages, but people lived here happily in community. The entire village was like a big happy family, they helped each other during difficult times, they feed a starving family without wanting anything in return. It was all cycle of good karma, what you will give, will return to you.

Sorbey was totally different from any other village person, most of the time he liked to spend his time alone. There were only few people he talked in village. Despite all this he liked to live in this village. Sorbey liked to spend most of his time in jungle, there was too much to explore, he liked exploring new things everyday and collecting whatever he liked.

Sorbey walked towards north path along the narrow path, which leads to a endless jungle. This jungle was rich in herbs. In the village only one person had little knowledge of herbs, that's why entire village was depended on her when falling ill and for treating wounds.

One year ago, when Sorbey was heavily injured in depth of forest, and was returning home with great difficulty, then he happened to bump into the physician of village known as Aja. It was beautiful evening, red faint sunrays was scattered all around. Birds were returning to their nest with beautiful noise. It was beautiful view to admire, but, Sorbey didn't had strength to admire the view. He was heavily injured, and his breathing was heavy. He was walking towards the village with much difficulty. He wrapped some dirty clothes on his wounds and rest was left.

When he reached end of the forest he saw a middle aged women was staring at him with no expression. Sorbey ignored her and proceed to walk then he heard a calm and beautiful voice of that woman.

"Aren't you the kid in the village, who rumored to be strange". She talked while walking towards Sorbey.

"I know everyone in the village, but, I am seeing you first time. I thought you knew me and wil ask me for help with your wounds, but who knew you will ignore me like that".

Sorbey just stared at her with blank emotion. He didn't had strength to talk to anyone, he just wanted to go home and lie down for days.

The woman sighed with helpless and lifted Sorbey's left hand, which was gravely injured, and checked carefully. Sorbey just stood there stiff, he had no strength left in his hand to retreat his hand. Sorbey then said,

"And you are"

The woman looked at his face and little smile appeared on her face, and then she said, "I'm surprised how clueless you are, I thought everybody knew me. Forget it, I am Aja, only person in this village who knew some medicine and healing. I really am busiest person in this village, I only go to forest once in a weak to collect some herbs".

Sorbey heard in the past that there is one person who is capable of healing wounds and illness in the village, but it was Sorbey's first time meeting them. He didn't even knew that if they were male or female.

She started walking while saying, "It is your lucky day that you met me, looking at you, I assume you qould have never taken initiative to come to me for healing. She gave small chuckle while walking slowly and leisurely.

Sorbey just watched her back blankly without moving. She turned around and said with gentle and pleasing voice, "come follow me".

Sorbey just stared and she also just stared with small. Sorbey felt little awkward, it was the first time he was facing situation like this.

Head lowered he slowly walked towards Aja.

Aja smiled in satisfaction and walked while holdind big cylinder bamboo basket with a comfortable handle. Sorbey didn't what was inside the basket because, it was covered with bamboo cap but, there was different types of smell coming from it, some aweet, some bitter, some sour, all kind of smells he smelled in the forest.

After some slow walk, they reached a small bamboo house. This house located at the outermost side of village, and it was the only bamboo house in the entire village. In the past Sorbey saw this house from a distance, but, never got closer. Now looking at the closer look it was small but beautifully made house. There were lots of beautiful flower around the house, which gave alluring smell and beautiful view to the house.

Inside the house, there was a small hall with simple decoration, and there was strong smell of herbs and plants. The decoration simply included pot of flowers, and there was a huge carpet placed into the middle of the room.

There was huge open box in the corner of the room, which included different types of liquid and powder into transparent bottle. There was inner room, which was covered with curtain, which was Aja's bedroom.

Aja gestared Sorbey to sit on the carpet, Sorbey sat on the carpet silently.

Aja took some clean cotton clothes and herbs from her box the sat across Sorbey. She cleaned his wounds and applied some herbs onto the wounds and bandaged with cotton clothes. She treated wounds too skillfully that, Sorbey didn't feel any pain during whole process. Then, she placed her hand on Sorbey's left wrist and pressed lightly.

Sorbey felt sudden electricity running through his whole body, which startled him.

Aja noticed his uneasiness, then said, "relax, I'm checking if you have any internal injuries".

Then she closed her eyes and observed for some time. Then she opned her eyes and said, "luckily you don't have any internal injuries, but... " After some pause, she said, "you have some luck in magic, I'm not good at detecting whether a person have great luck in magic or not but, I'm sure if you will meet some expert some day, they will surely tell your abilities.

After, she told him, her story. When Aja was seventeen years old, she met a magician in the market and they told her that she has some luck with magic. After that she became too exited and begged her parents to send her to market place to learn magic. Aja's parents loved her child so much, so, after so much begging they sent her local magic school in market. The fees was little high, so, Aja always did some odd jobs to earn money so, she couldn't burden her parents too much.

After some years, she improved a lot but she still was not good to attend 'Mountain Bridge

Magic School'. Only top students were able to attend this School, which were only two or three every year.

After passing from Magic School, Aja went to her village, and became famous for her treatment. She never married and took care of her parents. After her parents died she lived alone and became fully committed to her job.

After telling Sorbey everything she said, "if you are interested I can teach you some basics, I'm good at herbs. After you became adult, try admitting to market magic School. If you will do your best in there maybe, you will able to attend 'Mountain Bridge Magic School'.

After listening to Aja, Sorbey became interested, he always wanted to become stronger to know his real identity. The he said, "I want to but... ", he didn't completed his sentence when Aja said.

"Don't worry about paying me, just help me collect herbs from forest, I'm getting old and I don't have much strength these days. I was never good at physical labour, so, you will help me right".

Sorbey nodded, after some small talk he went to home and after this day on he helped Aja with collecting herbs from forest. At first Aja always accompanied Sorbey to recognize all herbs, after some time Sorbey didn't needed Aja's company to collect herbs. Aja always complicated Sorbey for being fast learner.

It was the first time Sorbey' encounter with Aja who became Sorbey's first teacher.

Today, in this sunny and beautiful day, Sorbey was going to forest to collect herbs for Aja. Aja accompanied Sorbey only few times when the herbs were rare and difficult to identified.

After that, Sorbey went to forest with fast steps.