Flash of lightning wet with rain, body soak with blood kneeling on the ground hair loose dripping mix with blood and rain. The body that got beaten up with cut marks when it rains on those wounds the body curls up with pain and agony. Tenak was left there to die, but somehow he had enough strength to kneel on the ground, trying hard to stand and walk. He tried hard putting every strength he has on his arm trying hard to stand. His legs hit by an iron rod he couldn't even move an inch. He shouted but no one heard him on that dark rainy day.

In the realm of water serpents Tenak was the last siblings of the water serpents family. They lived underground. He was mighty strong willed heart, his brother too was strong. They don't live together like humans families, they have one lakes or river for each one.

Lying on the ground crying he remembers the smile of Jimjim. She was considered ugly by humans. But to him she was the nicest person he ever met.

He remembers his parents teaching that it was taboo for serpents and humans to mix. His harmless eagerness led him to such a situation and even put Jimjim in such a horrific condition.

The lake Tenak occupy was a huge lake but it was near the human occupation. Many villagers come to take baths and wash their clothes there.

Niora was a beautiful girl along with her friends she often comes to the lakes to take a bath. She was tall, beautiful her long lustrous beautiful hair was her pride, many girls would talk about her hair while bathing together. Her giggle laughter was like music many boys from villages around loved her, many even proposed to her. She was like the pride of Nenak village.

Under water Tenak would hear the girls bathing and laughing. He used to hear both girls and boys talking about Niori's beauty and he would hear Jimjim's ugliness also. He wanted to look at both of them Niori's beauty and Jimjim's ugliness, "what is considered beauty and ugly in the human realm".

Tenak parents have taught their sons never to mix with humans. They were warned from the beginning not to show themselves not to go near them. It was like taboo for serpents to mix with humans. Tenak also remembered those reaching but somehow in his mind he felt that it was just sightseeing I'm not going to hurt them I'll just look and be gone he thought to himself.

Tenak lying on the ground wanting to stand up falls down again and again, with every strength he wants to run into the village and wants to see Jimjim. But all his strength and all his energy gave up on him and he suddenly fell into deep sleep lying on the ground but somehow in deep sleep he felt someone slowly dragging him into the lakes. He felt someone making him say something which he couldn't make out he just slept knowing nothing.

It was chaotic in the Nenak village, some villages were fighting among themselves it's cold dry winter, the ground looks bad, the land that use to be fertile seems like a dry barren land. Nothing seems to be growing now. When wind blows the wind carried loose sand like in dessert.

"How dare you killed my cow" a middle-aged man angrily shouted at the young man infront of him who was being hold by group of young man trying to control their fight.

"If it's your cow then why did you left it near my farm, it ate my vegetables i have grown there, don't you know the land is not growing anything if you let the cows eat whatever is grown, then what shall we eat, if we don't get food then I shall Kill and eat your cows" shouted at the elderly man.

Elderly man trying to look as calm hide his uneasiness then shouted again "let's go to Headman lets make them take up the matter and settle", young man feeling favours going against him, and villagers old, young, man, woman and children gathering in large number feeling that he have to show his humbleness towards the elder man and getting bit frightened by the crowd knowing that they would surely take his side because of scarcity of food going on at this times, said, "ok I'll pay for the damages but you too have to consider that my cow too was killed by you, i don't want to fight I'm showing my respect to you".

Elderly man getting hesitated for a moment wanting to speak but looking at the crowd he just nodded and walk out of the circled form by the villagers.

Reaching home an elderly man getting furious saw a child playing infront of his house, he kicked his shoe which directly hit the girl child's back and shouted, "Don't you have work at home playing infront of my way, eating free food you useless child and your useless mother, you people prick me ugly people get out of way, bring my shoe back right now".

The child afraid hurriedly run and pick up a shoe and got the shoe to its master. Wearing it back the elderly man just pull the girl child ear and said, "don't dare show your ugly face when I go out of my house and when I get back do you understand?". The child just 7 year old nodded her heart with tearfully.

She just walk slowly back to the house and saw her mother whose name was Jimjim washing clothes tirelessly. She stand there watching her silently afraid to disturb. Her mother was busy washing she didn't notice her child watching her work. She was racing against time to finish her work fast. The sun was setting she have to finish washing, she have to cook, so many works to be done. Everyday she work like that there's no tomarrow.

Jimjim after washing the clothes, ran into the kitchen, made fires, cut the vegetables, boils meat, she was so eager to finish her work on time. She didn't notice her young child watching her silently. A young child afraid to disturb her mother's work not to make her sad, she silently stands in the corner of the kitchen, waiting patiently like a young matured child knowing her responsibility of work. She wished she could help her but since she doesn't know how to cook she silently watches her mother working to grasp her method of cooking.

After finishing her work Jimjim cleaned all the utensils, cleaned the kitchen and waited for the masters of the house to have their dinner. It was already a time to eat, Jimjim seeing her child at the corner of the kitchen she smiled and held her tight, "Devo, hoped you are not hungry yet", Devo nodded her head affirming she isn't.

Since birth Devo was born dumb. But her eyesight was sharp and her hearing ability was quite abnormally sharp.

One by one all the family members of them came to have dinner. An elderly man, Jimso was Jimjim's eldest brother. He was robust and always a bad tempered man, his wife Ringwa was very opposite of his husband. She was nice and beautiful but was always afraid of her husband's bad temper and tantrums. They have three beautiful children an eldest 15 year old boy Mamwa, 12 years boy Dimwa and an 8 year old girl Wanwa. Thanks to her mother's beauty they were very handsome and beautiful.

Wanwa eat her food but some portion when her father was eating and talking she hurriedly hid some meat in a handkerchief. Her mother and brothers saw it but they all ate silently knowing that she was keeping the meat for Devo and their aunt.

They were all afraid of their father so they just kept quiet, eating their dinner.

Jimso keeps talking about the incident where his cow was killed, he was angry at the young man from the village, "how dare he challenge me by killing my cow, how dare he talk to me that young man, who the damn person was he i have to go out and find about him", after saying it he washed his hand and went out.

Ringwa couldn't say anything in his husband's matters. He was like absolute power at home and even outside the house always showing his bad temper everywhere. They all looked at him going out. When his shadow was not to be seen Ringwa called Jimjim and Devo to eat with them, "come fast and eat Devo might be hungry come hurry Jimjim feed her, she loves meat".

Jimjim fed her child some meat and vegetables, and even Wanwa gave her meat to Devo. Though they were cousins she loves Devo like her own younger sister, whatever she eats she always hides in her handkerchief and brings it to Devo.