Mo Yaling

The Gunshot

‘Seriously! Is that you darling! It’s unbelievable! I didn’t recognized you in this dress and skin colour!’ The professor exclaimed.

‘Professor! I’m sorry! I’m really really sorry that I am saying you this!’ I said sadly. ‘It’s like I know you – but I cannot really remember ABOUT you! I am having a memory loss!’

‘What the hell are you talking about darling!’ He shouted.

‘It’s true professor! I can’t even remember WHO am I!’

‘I see!’ He replied gravely. ‘Since how long are you facing this problem darling?’

‘Four to five days max – I have calculated today by the remaining charge of my cell phone.’

‘That’s quiet interesting! Did you have a head injury?’ He asked.

‘May be – no idea at all!’ I replied.

‘Well – I will examine you carefully tomorrow.’ He said.

‘Professor,’ I hesitated a little, ‘do you have any idea – who could be my ‘sweetheart’?’ I asked him.

‘Sorry dear! I couldn't get you!’ He looked confused.

I took out my phone and explained him all about the last day’s call.

Professor looked at me for a while before he could say anything. ‘Okay Neel!’ He dragged me aside and said, ‘Let me help you.’

‘So – my name is Neel!’ I said thoughtfully.

‘Yes. And you are a sports-person – a shooter – a champion – a gold medalist of Olympic games. You got married just a few days ago to Nayna. Probably you have saved her name in your phone as sweetheart!’

The name Nayna made a tingling sensation in my mind, but I couldn't remember anything like that in reality.

‘How did I came here?’

‘How did you came here?’

Although with different tone, both of us spoke at the same time and laughed out after a moment.

‘So,’ the professor said, ‘the secret is hidden there! Probably we could have understand their language!’ He indicated Thera and others.

‘How did YOU came here?’ I asked.

‘Ah! By falling!’ He said.

‘Falling?’

‘Yeah. We were searching for some long living species of bee’s-’

‘We?’ I questioned in the middle of his words.

‘Yes. Me and Quentin. He is a geologist.’

‘Quentin!’ I uttered inattentively. Once again the name buzzed something in my mind but couldn't brought out anything.

‘Yes. Quentin.’ He continued. ‘He was the first person – who told me about these bee’s and we decided to come on this expedition. When we were searching for that insect – I fall off a slope and reached here. I was injured, quiet badly, but these people have some knowledge – which is unique – I got cured just within two days!’

‘How did you know me?’

‘That’s a long story. We met a few years ago. I was getting ready for an expedition and searching for a gunman in my team. Our common friend Lhobo – did that name remind you of anything?’

I nodded negatively.

‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘it’s not even necessary now. When you will get back your memory you’ll remember him. He brought you to me. We had an affectations to each other at the first sight and you have accompanied me in two of my expeditions. This would have been the third one – if you would have come with me! By GOD! You ARE here! How did you knew I am here? Who told you?’

‘I have no idea professor!’

‘Ahhh!’ He sighed. ‘We are stuck here darling! I think!’

‘What do you mean by ‘stuck’?’ I asked.

‘I am having a queer feeling darling!’ He replied thoughtfully. ‘I have tried in so many ways to ask them about the outer world of this valley. But these people - they haven’t got outside of this place in generations! May be – their ancestors came here long long ago – may be thousands of years – and the way they came in this valley became destroyed by any earthquake – and these people got stuck here!’ He remained a little quiet and started talking again. ‘When I saw you and realized it’s ‘you’ - I got excited. I positively hoped that there might be a way out! But now ...’ He didn’t completed his words and stopped abruptly. Then after sometime he spoke again. ‘I have to bring back your memory at any cost! There must be something going on outside this valley. People are searching for me. That’s the way you came in here. And now people must be searching for you also. We have to beacon and bring them here to get OUT of here. But HOW!’ The professor become silent and thoughtful.

‘Why did you came here ... with them ... at this village?’ I asked after sometime.

‘They were panicked due to the incidents you experienced. Probably they wanted to cross check those incidents with this people. I just followed them – in search of any clue to get out of here. That’s how I came.’ He replied.

I was about to ask him something, but he stopped me. ‘Not any more darling. Too many questions may harm your brain. You have talked so much today I think. Let’s go to sleep. We will continue tomorrow again.’ Then we fall asleep on that yard.

The next day when I woke up – I was feeling very fresh. I remembered the last night’s talk with the professor in my mind. Now I know – who am I – but it is just like an information to me – I have a wife – parents – friends – family – out there somewhere. I couldn’t recall them – but I was just missing them – it’s a very peculiar kind of sensation! Still I was feeling a little comfortable with the arrival of the professor. At least I would be able to communicate somebody in my language! What more can anyone expect in this situation! Two days ago, after that ritual, I was feeling a family-kind of thing with these people! And now – when as the professor has arrived here – and passed me those information about me – I was feeling to get out of here! Alas! Human characters!

‘Morning darling!’ The professor greeted me as he stretched his body. ‘This place is really nice I think as a second opinion.’

‘And why is that?’ I asked.

‘What month is it?’ He asked back.

‘I have no idea.’

‘Ah! That’s right! It is December. And today is – may be fifth or sixth – approximately. Do you feel any cold here darling?’

‘Not exactly.’ I had to admit.

‘Nonetheless it is Himalayas! I didn’t noticed it first. This place has really something weird.’ He said.

After having our breakfast the professor proposed for a walk. I guided him. After going some distance we saw an woman – it seemed that she is coming back after bathing. The professor bowed and greeted the woman and asked in sign language that if she had bathed somewhere.

‘Siilin.’ The woman nodded and said with a smile as she pointed with her finger.

‘It looks like there are some kind of water body that way. Let’s have a look darling.’

We found a small stream, but it looked like a man-made irrigation canal.

‘Hmm. Probably it has been brought from the river.’ The professor said.

‘River professor!’ Suddenly it struck in my mind.

‘Yes. I just recalled. We have crossed one on the way yesterday when we were coming here.’ He said.

‘Professor RIVER!’ I almost shouted.

‘What!’ He looked at me astonished.

‘The river can lead us OUT of this valley!’

The professor remained silent for a while to fathom it and then burst out in laughter. ‘Brilliant darling! Brilliant! Brilliant! Luckily you have lost your memory only – not your wisdom!’ he professor exclaimed with joy. ‘We have to made a plan darling – come – we have so many things to plan!’

He began to walk briskly. I followed him.

When we came back to the common yard of the village, we saw a gathering. There were tension in everybody’s face.

‘Something has happened darling!’ The professor said in a hushed voice.

We went and tried to understand what has happened. Some two-three persons has come from an other village with some news. The professor located one of the person from the village he has come, dragged him out of the crowd and asked in sign language that what has happened. What the man said with his gestures – it seemed that some demon has attacked one of the cattle of that third village and has eaten it up!

That wasn’t a good news for us! We were supposed to plan a remotion from here. Now we have to wait – who knows how long! Thera and his people got busy with their cattle after the meeting was over. Every animal was counted out and secured in their respective places. Fire was prepared in seven places around the common yard. Thera and the other aged person from the professor’s village performed some rituals to secure the place, cattle and the villagers. Women and children were sent to sleep inside the houses. Rest of the people were divided into groups to take turns to watch and ready to fight with whatever they could get near them. Needless to say that me and the professor were out of those teams and activities.

We were laying on the ground after our dinner, facing the sky. It was a clear starry night. Neither of us could sleep. Both of us kept thinking about the preposterous nuisance that has fallen on our necks.

‘If I had my gun with me!’ I said to myself unknowingly.

‘What?’ The professor asked.

‘What what!’ I replied.

‘You just said that if you had your gun! Where is your gun?’

‘Did I said that? Did I have a gun!’

‘Of course you have one! You ARE a shooter! A champion! A gunman!’

‘I … I don’t know … I couldn't remember!’

And the next moment we sat up hurriedly with a sound. A faint, but clear sound. The rest of the people heard it too. We all got excited to hear the sound again. But the sound was no longer heard. Everyone else was skeptical about the sound, except me and the professor.

We looked at each other. Both of us were sure that it was nothing but a GUNSHOT!