Rannamaari

He narrowed his eyes, to see better in the bright sunlight. "Finally land" he thought. He had travelled for months since leaving his abode in Saudi Arabia. What he was looking for even he did not know. Maybe he was not looking he sometimes thought, somethings looking for him.

Ibn Bathuha a handsome and young man sat at the bow of his travelling ship, looking at the island infront of him. "Beautiful" he thought.

Once the ship could not go on any further, he and few of the crew got into a small dingy and paddled to shore. With big smiles and almost yellow teeth he was greeted by the islands children. They stared wide eyed at his clothes. Which he thought would suprise them because he was fully clothed while the children were barely hiding their privates.

"Asalaam Alaikum?" enquired Ibn Bathutha, almost knowing there would not be a reply. The children not knowing what he had said started chattering to each other and he caught one word. "Baguvaan".

"Hindus or a mix" he thought. He tried again using a mix of languages which included Sinhalese and Hindu dilects. This time he got replies and was almost pulled to the islands innards. Smiling along with the children and glad he had the ability to learn new languages, easily, he let himself be pulled. The island itself was not so big but there were trees that facinated him. After a while reaching into a certain amount of jungle he brought his right hand in range with the hilt of his knife to protect himself from any wild animal but this sense of danger was fast evaporated by the looks and vague assurances from the chattering monkeys jumping up and down around him pulling him further into the jungle, further into their lives he thought.

Pulling a small branch aside to get further he came to realise he was where he was supposed to be going. A big clearing sat in the middle of the jungle with small houses dotted around what looked like a giant arrow nailed to a post. "Odd" he thought but could not be alone with his thoughts because just at that moment a voice said "KEYSEI HOA?" and a big large hand was slammed across his back. Barely able to speak or breathe Ibn Bathutha turned around, smiling with all his might at the large man, with large hands, large feet and a large smile. "Teek hoon" he replied.

The night was filled with giant fires and spicy food. Fruits were not of variety. The only fruits he was offered were mangoes, watermelons and coconuts. The people of Mahila Dvipa were not the friendliest of people but after awhile they did warm upto to you. Ibn Bathutha sat most of the night just looking at these people. In his travels he had seen alot of people. He even met a tribe where noone wore clothes but here while eveyone was wearing something, just there was something wrong here. It seemed sexual, almost an invitation?

At dawn Ibn Bathutha was out walking in the village after doing his prayers. With light he saw things he did not before. Hindu Idols with a mix of buddhist busts. Figures he thought these islands are not so far from the Lakshadweep islands of the Hindus. Walking on he came to the post with the giant red arrow. It could swivel he thought. This was probably used for their rituals, this he had to see. The day went without incident, he observed that while men went out into the jungle women did not. They looked at the surrounding trees with an almost fearfull look.

"Banm banm, banm banm"

Ibn Bathutha woke up to this banging of drums. It was almost night the suns rays just leaving the horizon. He put on his clothes and ran out of the house. He came to the center where behind the pole with the giant arrow was made a huge fire. The chief the large man had just turned the big arrow so that it was spinning now. Ibn Bathutha was amazed at the pin drop silence of the crowd. He also could not help but feel of a coming doom. Finally the arrow stopped it was pointing to one of the houses. A woman standing infront of it, fell to the ground and started crying, which progressed to alot of unrecognisable yells but Ibn Bathutha got a few words which in his mind he arranged into a sentence. "My only daughter to be sacrificed".

The people of Mahila Dvipa were afraid of a demon. An entity called the Rannamaari. It rose from the sea. It was a large black entity. With many glowing yellow eyes. It wanted one thing to take the life of a one young female. "Why only young females?" Ibn Bathutha thought. Every six months it rose and took from the island one of its loved ones. After hearing the story he went to the house where the arrow had pointed. He knocked on the door and went in. Inside a young woman barely at the age of 18 was being washed in a basin. He looked away, more for respect than anything else. He went out for awhile and returned and he saw that her mother and some other women were now applying a yellowish cream to her body which was now covered with but a red and white striped sarong. All the while her mother was silently crying. Ibn Bathutha sensed the lack of any man in or around this house. And he was informed that the mother was a widow and she was loosing the only attachement in life. Ibn Bathutha frowned and heard his own voice in his head, "maybe somethings looking for me". He smiled.

The stars were bright but it did not do justice to the white shine coming from the moon basking the small cocoon like house on the beach the islanders had made evidently near the area from which the demon comes on to land. Here the girl was supposed to meet her end. Under the blankets she sat when there came a loud booming voice. Translated; "Im here and i wont go, till i get what i came for". From the sea came a black figure from a distance it looked huge with four bright eyes burning fiercly. As it came near it seemed to shrink, the black figure turned to a black clad large man. And the eyes, large four lanterns held together by a large stick he had put on both his shoulders. "Come to me darling" he said with a snarl. Sexual frustration filling his harsh voice.

"And go not nigh to fornication; surely it is an indecency and an evil way, has said my Allah. And here you are the man who should show the path. This is what you do?" said Ibn Bathutha revealing himself from the blanket as he stood up. Amazed the large figure tripped backwards falling on his back revealing his face. "Chief, i did not expect this from you" said Ibn Bathutha his eyes narrowed.

The sun rose next morning to the cheers from the crowd gathered near the beach cowering over each other to get a glimpse of the man who had defeated the Rannamaari. Ibn Bathutha then told the people of Mahila Dvipa the miracles of Allah. His teachings. The simplicity in what he beleived in. The extrodinary power of everyones God. And one man and woman at a time he made them beleive in Allah. And not suprisingly the high chief was the first one to become a muslim.

The well known Mahila Dvipa, "the island of women" came to be known as maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands". Its sad history not even to known to its own people but a handful.