I. (Cont.)
It takes time to properly photograph. On a tripod, the giant camera must be placed proportionately so as not to introduce movemental blurs. To ensure that the viewfinder is not muddled by external light, the photographer must shroud himself and the camera with a dark, silken cloth. And then the focus must be tinkered to perfection, or close to the idea of perfection. The young Kuki man was placed underneath a jackfruit tree- the breadth of Lalsai hills in the horizon behind. Soon, the king had entered his dark shroud; and the people in his cortège- Mahim Thakur, Haider Kha, Nisar Hossain and numerous others instantly had placed a rather unrefined demand on the Kuki man: "Hey, don't even move by an inch! Keep your breath held, don't dare to drop your eyelids. The Noblemen are going to see your picture".
Maharaja was being tedious with focus determination, minutes upon minutes had passed and all the while, the others were reminding the man to be resilient with keeping the expectations placed on him. It was unsure how much of those he had understood but a few moments later, he had collapsed on the ground with a twisted-eye. A strong, young man like that- he was flailing about like a just-decapitated goat; there were gooey-aquatic emissions coming out of his mouth. His brethren who, until then, were only crowding at a distance, had broken into screams upon experiencing the sight. Instantly there was a new gossip in the air: the king has trapped the soul of the Kuki man in a strange black box.
This gossip had garnered a significant credibility due to one specific reason, or rather— an event. Compared to other tribes, the Kukis are fierce and have had rebelled against the royal power several times already. And coincidentally, that Kuki man was the youngest son of Lal Chokla. That Lal Chokla, the fearless leader of an influential Kuki sect, who had, once upon a time, attacked an important village of Monipuris- Kochabari. What was the motive behind this operation? To gather several fresh heads to be offered to his father La'ru's grave. The cases of such conflicts amidst deep jungles do not usually reverberate all the way to the royal court; but since Monipuris enjoyed a deep influence therein, the royal family was deeply disturbed and enraged by this instigation. Monipuri daughters come to this family as future queens. Obviously, there exists an inate bias among the general people towards their in-laws, and the kings are not exempt from this rule. So there were many Monipuris in the capital living both as citizens and serving in high-ranking official roles. The Monipuris were hellbent on punishing Lal Chokla, the leader of Kukis and ultimately he was captured with the help of English soldiers and put to justice— lifetime banishment.
Cuntitled #22
Animal Affirm XI / Methluck and Dogspeed (White Light / White Heat)