The tusker

 It was the first call of the day to the temple. Rule is nobody answers the phone other than the head monk. Maybe because having a telephone was a  luxury those days. Luxury is not good enough word it was a rare privilege, like a peerage in UK. Having a lot of money would not enable you to obtain a telephone, you need to have the right connection and the money.

Headmunk could not answer the call. Because he was in the toilet. And unlike these days those days toilets far away from where you live outside the main hall.

When the second call came monk was ready,  waiting. He was ready and waiting because telephone calls don't happen everyday, so, missing a call was so disheartening. 

the call was from a friend, a businessman. It was about the elephant, that the pries recently sold to this businessman. 

The businessman wanted to buy the elephant not for employing the elephant for work and make money but to have him near his house, because in astrologer had told him, that a bad planetary position is about to cast a extremely bad times on his business and the well being of his family. 

Of course there are ways to mitigate if not completely prevent these bad spells he had said

One most powerful way is to have grown up elephant in his home garden specially in the night. 

Pries agreed to give the elephant But he wanted to sell it for market price, even at a little higher price if it is possible. The price agreed was 475000 Rs. It was a large amount of money at the time. Businessman paid the money in cash and took the elephant away at an auspicious time. 

Pries was very happy. He had spend only 50000 rupees for the elephant. Because it was like a  gift from the government to the temple. 50000 that is spent was to grease the government machinery for the smooth transaction. 

Now back to the telephone call. They has been a serious situation at the house of the businessman. Apparently the elephant has not been able to prevent the predicted bad spell. His daughter has run away with his family driver and his son who has become so angry of this unbearable same on the family had got drunk and  attacked the elephant, with the hook that mahout use to control the elephant. Elephant has been wounded but more than the injury businessman was worried that it will happen again and he wanted to give the elephant back to the priest.

Priest agreed again. The elephant was broad back next day itself without much ado, unlike his leaving the temple 1 year back. Though  the elephant was transferred the money transactions did not take place. Perhaps because it was understood between the parties that the elephant will eventually returned back to businessman, when he is ready to receive it.

Meanwhile something miraculous happened to the elephant, that would make elephant worth  4 /5 times it's original value........

To be continued