The Lucky Lad

The Arrival

Govind, the wanderer, and his dog happened to reach a small village nestled in a valley, cut off by a hill from the rest of the region. Suddenly, Govind heard a commotion. Looking in the direction of the noise, he saw a procession following a cart drawn by buffaloes. On the cart stood a young man with his hands bound behind his back. He was dressed in new clothes, and a garland of fresh flowers adorned him. His forehead was marked with red vermilion.

A Grim Suspicion

Govind suspected that the young man was being led to his doom. Behind the procession walked an old woman. Concerned, Govind stopped her and asked, “What is the matter, granny? Where are you taking that young man?”

The Old Woman’s Explanation

“Why, we are taking him to sacrifice before our deity, Shakuni! When hungry, she becomes terribly angry. Last year, we had no crop because we neglected to satisfy her appetite. We had a man in our village named Dhanusingh who once promised a goat to the goddess. Because he did not fulfill that promise in time, he died, vomiting blood. We decided to revive our old custom, and this young man is the lucky lad chosen for sacrifice this year,” explained the woman.

A Heartbreaking Reality

“Granny, is there nobody to weep for the young man—perhaps his father or mother?” asked Govind.

“What do you mean? I am his grandmother! But why should I weep since my grandson will depart for heaven after being killed?” said the woman, hastening to join the procession.

The Plan to Save

Govind was stunned but soon devised a plan to save the young man. He ran quickly into the small village, where all the villagers were participating in the procession. In a desperate attempt to create a distraction, he set fire to a hut and then rushed towards the place of sacrifice.

Desperate Interruptions

At the site, the villagers had made the young man circle the idol. He stood before the deity while a terrifying figure brandished a sharp sword and recited some hymns. Others referred to him as Bairav. With a hint from Govind, his dog jumped onto Bairav, dragging him backward. The man tumbled and rolled on the ground, startling everyone.

Revelations

“Something is wrong with the ceremony,” cried Bairav.

“I shall tell you what is wrong,” shouted Govind, stepping forward. The crowd stared in amazement at the stranger.

“I hail from the original seat of the deity, Shakuni. In our village, not one, but eleven men are sacrificed every year. And the priest is no ordinary Bairav, but Kalabairav. This year, among those chosen for sacrifice was a Brahmin, who disclosed that the deity had already married into a vegetarian family and had turned vegetarian herself. Human sacrifice would disgust her. However, Kalabairav disregarded the Brahmin’s statement and prepared to behead him. Suddenly, it grew dark; lightning began striking our village, and Kalabairav transformed into a dog. This is that dog. I am taking him to holy places, the true seats of the gods, so he can regain his human form,” explained Govind.

A Rising Crisis

All stood perplexed. Someone soon noticed smoke rising from their village. “Fire!” he shouted. Govind warned, “Because you hesitated in freeing this young man, fire has already struck your village. Further delay will lead to total destruction of your village and possibly yourselves!”

A Quick Resolution

The young man was set free immediately. Bairav bowed to Govind and said, “Thank you for saving me from turning into a dog!”

“That’s all right. Now you all must run back to the village and extinguish the fire!” advised Govind.

It was found that the hut that had caught fire belonged to Bairav!

Bittersweet Departure

Govind left the village, feeling sorry for having destroyed Bairav’s hut, but his satisfaction at saving the young man from death was immense.