Mo Yaling

The Shining Object

Everything happened within a few seconds only. No one could fathom for a long time WHAT actually had happened! Nayna regained her consciousness and raced first. ‘Neeeel!’ She reaches the ridge of the waterfall and calls him her heart out. And the next moment she attempted to get down through the narrow way beside the waterfall.

‘Madam! Madam! STOP! You can’t get down right now!’ Prema came running.

‘Bhabi! STOP!’ Shankar came running and hold her hand.

‘Leave me Shankar bhaiya! Leave me!’ Nayna shouted like a hysteric.

‘Don’t be MAD bhabi! It is suicide to get down there now! Look down below! The tiger is alive!’ Shankar pulls her back.

All of them looks down. The tiger has fallen in the pool at the base of the waterfall. It swims around to look for a way out of there.

‘I have to bring him back bhaiya! Please leave me!’ Nayna almost cried out.

‘We will all go with you Nayna. Please calm down yourself!’ Quentin urges piteously.

‘Yes madam – please control yourself.’ Prema said with folded hands. ‘We cannot go haywire. Soon it will become dark. We have to find out or set up a shelter for the night. You three stay here. We are coming back soon. Kali – come with me.’ Prema left with Kali.

Nayna started sobbing as she flopped on a rock and then broke into tears suddenly. Shankar sat near her foot helplessly. Quentin puts his hands on her shoulder with sympathy.

Nayna couldn’t believe that her Neel has fallen off from here. Just thinking that Neel is no longer alive a cold wave flew through her spine. How will she face his parents? No. She can’t go back without Neel. At any cost she has to find Neel. Or else she will sacrifice herself in this jungle!

Shankar too was very upset. Though he was not very close to Neel, but he liked him. Neel was the pride of their area. The one and only famous person he knew personally. Neel was not snooty to be an Olympic shooter. Rather he was very down to earth. Shankar couldn’t believe what had happened to Neel. He was even more sorry for Nayna. She is too young to be a widow. Bullshit! What is he thinking! Neel must have survived! He should be! At any cost he will find out Neel!

The most miserable condition was that of the blue eyed nature lover soft hearted french geologist. He had never thought that he would get into a situation like this. He felt sorry for Neel. He felt even more sorry for Nayna. He didn’t know how to console any woman in this situation except putting an arm around her shoulder.

When Prema came back alone it was five o’clock at that time. The sun has just hidden behind the western ridge.

‘Come. We have to climb a little up for our night shelter. We have to reach there before it is too dark.’ he said.

Prema started climbing the mountain. Three of them started following him wearily. When they reached the spot, Kali was preparing the fire just outside the camp. All of them were feeling very tired and cold. They sat beside the fire and felt comfortable. Prema and Kali has set up a night shelter beside a big tree. They have surrounded a small space with bamboos and branches of trees, then they have covered them with thick rubber leafs. It has created a cosy room with a small opening. Kali heated some water on the fire and prepared and served ready to eat noodles to all of them. Nayna had no desire to eat. She refused the food. Quentin passed her a chunk of chocolate from his own share. Nayna couldn’t refuse him. She washed down the chunk with some water and laid down with her bag as a pillow. She was too much exhausted and fell asleep quickly. Rest of the four men sat there in silence. The forest was calm and quiet too, except the crackling sound of the fire, the chirrups of cricket and a faint roar of the tiger from time to time from a distance.

When the first ray of sun touched them it was quiet late then. Nayna was the first to wake up with a shudder. She woke everyone up. They didn’t knew when they fell asleep last night. They left the camp and went down to the river and freshened up themselves. Prema prepared a special tea adding a little roots and leafs from some kind of medicinal herb.

‘Telimbabo.’ He said.

‘How that helps?’ Quentin asked.

‘Well,’ Prema arranged his words before saying something, ‘it helps in wound healing and pain relief mainly – that much I learned from Topju - the Dongdai.’

‘Dongdai? What is that?’ Shankar asked curiously.

‘Dongdai means priest – priest who follows Donyi Polo – a kind of religion.’

‘But none of us are hurt I think.’ Quentin says.

‘No no – not that!’ Prema felt a little embarrassed. ‘I just thought – since I got it on my way – may be – as a defence – just ...’ Prema smiled without finishing his words.

‘By the way,’ Shankar said in a sudden recollection, ‘Have anybody of you have heard the tiger this morning?’

‘Tiger or no tiger – I am going down that way!’ Nayna uttered impatiently. She just talked after yesterday’s incident.

‘Yes madam – we are ready.’ Prema said.

‘Then what are we waiting for?’ Nayna said as she picked up her bag and started walking.

‘Well – I-I’ll need rope absolutely!’ Quentin said in a frightened dry voice.

‘Yes Sir! Of course!’ Prema replied.

Before going down they scrupulously searched for the tiger, but it was not there. The narrow way down by the side of the waterfall was really narrow and steep. Kali leaded the way followed by Nayna and Shankar. When they reached a relatively spacious area, Prema tied a rope around Quentin’s waist and lowered him tardily. When they slowly descended at the bottom of the waterfall this way the sun was at the top of their heads. They quickly had a meal and Shankar asked -

‘Now – WHICH way to go?’

The same question was revolving in everybody’s mind when they were having their meals. It was like a dead end. No doubt the tiger was growling as it couldn’t find a way out.

‘And my next question is – WHICH way did the tiger went through?’ Shankar said thoughtfully.

‘Probably that way.’ Prema pointed a spot. ‘Those signs of breakage on those rocks seems to be very fresh.’

‘Do you mean to say that the tiger jumped down to the valley that way?’ Shankar exclaimed. ‘That is suicide!’

‘May be.’ Prema replied crisply.

‘Where did the river gone?’ Nayna asked.

‘I was thinking the same thing.’ The geologist replied as he bend to touch the water. ‘There is a mild downward current in the water. That means there are cracks on the bed of this pool. The river has passed away through those cracks.’

‘May be.’ Prema replied crisply once again.

‘Let’s climb down.’ Nayna says frenetically.

‘Madam,’ Prema says patiently, ‘What you are suggesting is the job of mountaineers. We are just guides and porters. Yes – we can climb rocks to some extent – but right in this situation – it will NOT be wise to take such measure. We haven’t that much rope also.’

‘Are you suggesting to go back? NO! I’ll NOT!’ Nayna almost shouted.

Everybody remained silent. There were NO other options. Even Nayna realized too that there were no other way but to go back. But the thought of leaving this place without searching Neel and going back was driving her crazy.

‘Can you arrange climbers from that village – what’s it’s name – Bomdo! Can you?’ Quentin asked.

‘Yes sir – may be I can.’ Prema replied hesitantly.

‘Then we can retreat back now. We camp tonight at the same place. Then we will reach Bomdo by tomorrow and come back straight here, this place again – by the day after tomorrow and we will camp here. Then we will climb down the next day. How’s the plan?’ Quentin looked at everyone’s faces.

‘Indeed a good plan – I second.’ Shankar said.

Prema and Kali nodded in consent. Nayna was sitting at the edge of the mountain. Probably she has not heard any of the conversations. Shankar approached her. He sat down next to her and began to explain everything softly. Nayna was looking absentmindedly around and below while Shankar was talking to her. Suddenly she saw something radiantly shining over a tree in the valley. What’s that?

‘Hey! Do anybody have a binocular?’ She yelled. ‘I can see something down there!’

Everybody approached towards the edge. Shankar got up excitedly. As he leaned over to the edge of the valley and looked down, his foot slipped. He tried to grab quickly whatever he could found in front of is hand to save himself. BUT ...