Pavatha’s prayers and rites were performed by someone who worked in a warehouse loading and unloading product bags. He didn’t give any detailed instructions on how to prepare for the ceremony. He also didn’t take any money. He asked Kali and Ponna to acquire red powder for roughly eight annas and new cloth from the Mudaliyar store in a small street at the foot of the hill, in addition to the regular materials needed for the prayers. A rooster was also sacrificed. The pongal was constructed by Ponna and her sister. Pavatha was adorned by the priest. She didn’t make Kali fearful like she had the day before. The priest tenderly wiped her with a nice piece of cloth. The goddess may have been any woman from any of the local families who was lying on her back at the time. Kali and Muthu ventured into the tiny woodland to explore. The area was densely forested with neem and palai trees. There were also a few tall kondrai trees with bunches of flowers hanging from their branches. There were several trails in the forest, each as thin as the lines on one’s palms. The Pavatha shrine could be approached from any direction. ‘Machan,’ Kali whispered warmly to Muthu, ‘please find a special area in this forest as well.’ It would be beneficial if we returned.’ Muthu burst out laughing. ‘Do you believe no one else would have thought of it?’ He remarked this while pointing to a thick kasarali bush with a clearing inside. Men had been seated there for a short time, they could see. There were a few cards and empty bottles strewn about. ‘Man needs such areas all the time, mapillai!’ Muthu stated. ‘He looks for them all over the place.’ Some people are successful, while others keep looking. Then there are individuals who, even if they are able to locate such a location, are afraid to go there.’ Kali took a step away from Pavatha’s shrine.
There was no average woman lying on the ground when he arrived. He saw a woman clothed entirely in crimson, with red splattered all over her; he saw a woman enraged. The priest had made her eyes sparkle with rage by rubbing a little red into them. Muthu and Kali were speechless. The ritual was performed in silence by the priest. Only the sound of bells could be heard. Muthu produced a little bottle of arrack after the offerings were made. Although the priest had made no mention of it, Muthu was aware of it. The priest slit the rooster’s throat, allowing the blood to pour freely at Pavatha’s feet. They all ate once the cooking was over. A gravy had been used to cook the rooster. Kali’s father-in-law was unable to attend. He was never present at such gatherings. So Kali, Ponna, his mother, mother-in-law, and his brother-in-law and his wife were the only ones left. Even after the priest had eaten, there was still a lot of food left over. Before they could leave, they had to finish all of the food. The priest exited the forest and brought in a few beggars who had taken up residence in the pillared halls. They were overjoyed to see their dishes overflowing with food. Ponna was ecstatic as they reached the bottom of the slope. When Kali was on the hillside, he went to the shrine. No one replaced the cloth Pavatha had been given for several months. He had not been charged anything by the priest. Kali assumed that the tribal girl’s curse had been lifted by now. After praying to Pavatha, Ponna was filled with hope as well. In the months that followed, her expectations grew even higher. ‘God, please fill my womb at least this month,’ she implored every twenty days. ‘This is it!’ she exclaimed, despite the fact that her monthly cycle had been delayed by a day. If her period began the next day, though, the residence appeared to be abandoned. She didn’t eat properly and spent her time lying around. For food, Kali had to go to his mother. Nothing changed once Pavatha’s need for vengeance was quenched by chopping open a rooster. He always stood at Pavatha’s feet when he went to the temple. ‘Has your need remained unquenched for millennia? It is not my responsibility to make you stifle your vengeful mouth. I’m just a regular guy. I’ll try my best for several more births to come. Please don’t make me the talk of the town. I’m afraid I won’t be able to respond to everyone’s inane inquiries. Ponna’s health is deteriorating. I am the offspring of this meaningless dynasty. Why are you retaliating against Ponna?’ He sobbed in front of her as he said this. Nothing, however, could calm Pavatha’s rage. seven Kali couldn’t get asleep even after he’d completed his snack. He closed his eyes as he lay on the cot in the cool shade of the portia tree, savouring the soothing air. From inside, he could hear the noises of cooking. He got up after some tossing and turning, and the cot groaned beneath him. Neither the fast for the chariot festival nor the snack that followed had brought him any joy. Instead, his mind was bombarded with a slew of contradictory thoughts. Kali reasoned that going for a walk in the forest with Muthu would help him feel better. Where had Muthu gone? Was it a working day on the farm? Muthu had a knack for discovering or inventing new secret hideaways that no one else knew about. Muthu had taken Kali to the well the last time he came to visit. It didn’t have much water in it. ‘How are we going to swim in this, machan?’ Kali wondered.