3. DAY 2: Evening

The new day rose. The usual morning Sun was mysterious and gloomy.

In sleepy mood, all of us did our daily morning tasks.

Tatya might have discussed with his colleagues in Dhamner village about our experience definitely because when he returned home from school that day, without even stopping for drinking sip of water, he asked me hurriedly and angrily, "Did you trouble a hive yesterday?"

This sudden question of his caused me tremble with fear. I was looking at Raaj and Maai one by one. What will happen next?

Tatya almost thunderstrormed on me and said, "Tell me! I asked you something, right?"

I said while trembling, "Me... me... on aft... Aft... afternoon!"

Tatya said, "Explain everything what you did! Otherwise we will be gone! I will not scold you. Tell me what happened on yesterday afternoon?"

I got assurance that Tatya was concerned about security of all of us. Then I started talking without any fear, "Yes yes! Yesterday I hurled a pebble at a hive near the rivulet but but..."

Tatya shacked my shoulders and said, "But what? Tell me!"

I said, "The pebble returned back to me and I avoided my face otherwise..."

Tatya: "Oh no! The mistake is committed! A big big mistake!"

Me: "What mistake?"

Tatya said, "Discussions with my colleagues made me learn that no one in this village ever dare to trouble honey bees. Especially when full moon is near. Also, no one ever collects honey from any hive here! If done, the "Fire Goblin" who is protector of all honey bees takes revenge!"

Slowly in my mind I started realizing why I got the scary honey bee dreams!

Tatya kept saying further, "While on the way to your school, a small rivulet passes by. Near to that is a mountain. There are many trees on it. If you climb up more, you could notice a fort. But it's not a fort but a fort-like structure from historical era. It's been derogated now. But people of this village call it a fort. Many people see a burning fire emerging from the fort going towards the trees. It floats in the air while moving towards trees. So people call it a goblin which looks like a fire because the fire's shape looks like a goblin!"

Gulping, the breathless me asked, "So, the white Satan we saw yesterday is the fire goblin?"

By now we all had gathered in yard sitting on a big mat...the lantern kept nearby... and the white moonlight illuminating our faces!

Tayta: "No! The white Satan is none other than a mad man in this village!"

Me: "What? A mad man?"

Cutting our conversation Maai said, "What foolish deeds you do Jay thoughtlessly! Disgusting!"

Raaj: "Maai, first let us listen to what both are talking!"

Tatya: "So listen! That yesterday's white Satan is a mad man. He once got caught by Fire Goblin and from that day he became full mad. He lives in the fort and for last few days he was not seen in this village!"

Maai again sarcastically said, "See! Our Jay brings mad men back to their hometown!"

Raaj: "Maai, let's first listen the full story. Don't comment in between!"

Tatya: "When I dictated our experience to my colleagues and few other people, they were sure that it was that mad man. Merely throwing pebble at the hive made the fire goblin rise and mad man some back!"

I asked further, "But why the fire goblin had caught this mad man?"