by Ranjit Lal
Two familiar faces suddenly emerged out of the darkness, staring up at them. ‘Hello, miss. Are you all right?’ Dr Sham pointed his torch at them as he climbed up.
‘Oh, Dr Sham?’
‘We thought it was the Brishit!’ Raveena cracked up.
Dr Sham smiled, pulling at his wispy goatee and raising an eyebrow. ‘Sky-watching, eh?’
To the girls’ surprise, the duo was carrying its recording equipment. ‘What are you recording at this hour?’ Monica asked. ‘Ghosts?’
‘Nightbirds,’ Anantram replied, flashing a toothy smile. ‘Nightjars and owls. We think there’s a Eurasian eagle owl nesting among the rocks above the big house. You know, where we met you this morning. We’re hoping to record some calls.’
‘That sounds exciting…’
‘But isn’t it dangerous at this time?’ Raveena wondered. ‘Shroom said there are leopards here.’
‘Madam, leopards are dangerous only to dogs and children,’ Dr Sham said. ‘Besides, we need to do our work. And you both are out here too…’
‘Would you like to come along with us?’ Anantram piped up.
The sisters exchanged glances. They’d met the two researchers several times on the forest tracks and once or twice at the estate. They seemed to be harmless and friendly, and were always well-behaved. ‘Why not?’ Monica shrugged. ‘We haven’t had a late night since we got here. What say, Rave?’
‘I’m game. Come on!’
They continued up the steep path above the rest-house, the same track that Raveena had taken that morning when she had run into Gaurav. Every now and then they stopped to listen but, apart from the soft susurration of the wind through the trees and the odd screech or yowl, the night was silent.
They made small talk as they trekked, discussing Shroom and her antics. Monica and Raveena also briefly told the men about their encounter with Gaurav that afternoon, and how his dog had met a tragic end. Then they walked in silence for a while, Dr Sham leading the way and pointing out hazards on the path with his torch. Raveena followed, with Monica and Anantram behind her.
‘It’s such a beautiful night,’ Monica whispered, stumbling a little. Anantram steadied her, his arm hovering around her waist.
‘And just look at all the stars,’ he said. ‘The starlight is quite bright, isn’t it?’
They passed the spot where Raveena had slapped Gaurav, and she felt a sudden wave of regret.
‘Ma, I’m going for a short walk,’ Gaurav told his mother after dinner.
‘Again? Haven’t you walked enough for one day? You were out nearly the whole day. I’ve hardly seen you. And aren’t you exhausted?’
‘Not really. I’m okay.’
‘Let him go. It’s a beautiful night.’
‘Is it safe, Megha?’
Megha smiled. ‘There are leopards in these mountains, but they’re generally interested only in dogs. So it should be quite safe.’ She looked at Gaurav. ‘Keep to the path and you’ll be fine. You can take one of those stout walking sticks along and keep banging it against the rocks. No animal will come anywhere near you. We’ve also got some head-mounted torches; you can borrow one of them.’
‘What time will you be back?’ his mother asked.
‘I don’t know. In an hour maybe.’
‘Don’t be longer than that.’
Armed with a headlamp torch, Gaurav set off briskly and crossed the wooden bridge. He knew exactly where he was going. As he walked he began switching off the light for longer intervals, trying to get used to the dark. Often he stumbled over a rock or root, but gradually his eyes got used to the starlight. The stream rushed past beside him, glinting silver and black.
When he approached the little stone bridge with its guardhouse, Gaurav crouched down and took out his binoculars. There was a light in the window of the guardhouse, and a small fire flickered outside. Two men stood nearby, silhouetted by the firelight, facing the path. From his morning excursion, he remembered the path joined the one running parallel above, where he had seen the two bird researchers go. It was near a curiously misshapen pine tree. He walked up and down a bit and then found it. The track was steep and he was careful to be as quiet as he could. Fortunately the gurgle and splash of the stream drowned out the sound of the pebbles he dislodged and the twigs he snapped.
Gaurav reached the higher path and looked down through the trees. He could see the misty glimmer of light from the guardhouse and the silver points of starlight bouncing off the stream. He walked on towards the east, in the direction of Shroom’s Perch, peering through the trees from time to time. This place was so different at night, with black shadows pouncing everywhere, and the river rocks looming ghostly white. Then he spotted the lights of the big house. He hunkered down to watch. He just had to know how many guards were there and how they patrolled the property. He still didn’t have any concrete plan in mind. At the moment, he had to glean as much knowledge as he could about the place and its security arrangements. He moved ahead to where the view was clearer and raised his binoculars to his eyes. There were several lights on the paths that ran around the house, so anyone walking on them would be visible. He’d just have to wait and see what happened.
Ten minutes later, he saw the shadows of the two Gurkhas walk past. They banged their lathis and blew on their whistles, and then disappeared around the side of the house.
Gaurav started and froze. Were those voices? And the sound of someone stumbling – a girl’s squeal? He heard several footsteps coming his way. Who the hell was wandering about this lonely forest track in the dark? Probably crazy honeymooners, though they certainly weren’t staying at the estate. He ducked and slipped behind a huge chir pine.
During their little jaunt, Raveena suddenly realized that she ought to have gone to the bathroom before leaving. Or maybe not had so many rum-and-cokes in the first place?
She let Monica catch up and whispered to her, ‘Listen, I’ve got to go…’
‘Rave, can’t you hold it?’
‘No! God knows how much longer we’ll be out here. I’ll die!’
‘Okay.’ Monica tapped Dr Sham on the shoulder. ‘Sorry, Raveena needs to be excused.’
For a second he looked puzzled and then he nodded. He gave her the torch. ‘We’ll just wait ahead.’
‘That tree,’ Raveena said, flashing the torch at the huge chir pine. ‘I’ll go behind it.’
‘Be careful. Here, bang around with the stick first. There may be snakes.’
Gaurav couldn’t make out what those people were murmuring. And he thought it better to stay put than take a peek at who they were.
Raveena took the stick and torch from Monica and stepped off the path. She tapped the trunk once, gingerly went behind -and screamed. Gaurav, on his haunches, was gawking at Raveena, flabbergasted to see her again.
‘What happened, Rave? Wait, I’m coming!’ Monica called out.
‘No, don’t come here! I’m okay. It was just, uh, a spider’s web on my face.’
‘Oh, god! Come on now.’
Raveena took a deep breath. For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating. Damn, she shouldn’t have had so much rum. She was going to throw the bottle away the moment she got back. But… Gaurav was still there, standing up now and looking at her in a sweet, imploring way.
She stepped closer to him. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing here?’ she hissed. ‘Have you been stalking us? Are you mad?’
He shook his head furiously. ‘I came for a walk, I swear! But god, you scared me! What are you doing here?’
‘Those bird guys are recording owl hoots and asked us to come along.’
‘Rave, are you talking to yourself? And can you please hurry up!’
‘I’m sorry I startled you too,’ Gaurav said.
‘You know,’ Raveena said, her face inches away from his, ‘this is the second time we’ve bumped into each other today.’
He just nodded.
Suddenly she leaned forward and kissed him firmly o
n the mouth. ‘That’s for slapping you this morning,’ she said. And then she turned away. ‘No go, Mona! It’s full of spiders’ webs. I’ll find another place,’ she called out.
Stumped, Gaurav remained standing behind the pine tree, trying to make sense of what had just happened. How had Raveena suddenly appeared like that out of the dark and kissed him? What was going on? And what were the sisters doing roaming about at this hour with those two guys? Well, maybe the scientists were recording owls after all – or maybe they were just out for an after-dinner stroll with the girls. And why had Raveena kissed him? He’d better head back. Everyone around these mountains seemed to be mad.
Raveena had asked him if he’d been stalking them and he had replied honestly. But now perhaps he ought to follow them, just to see what they were up to. He took off behind them, keeping a safe distance. Intermittently, he could see their torches flickering through the foliage, and he could hear the girls talking. Gaurav thought of Zara. He missed her terribly; her happy chattiness as she walked close, her arm tucked into his, telling him about the buildings she would design… How wonderful it would have been to have her by his side with Rani bustling back and forth excitedly, sniffing every which way. But that part of his life was over, and he was to blame for it.
Some distance down the track, the researchers called a halt and switched off their torches. Dr Sham pointed to a spot about thirty feet up the mountainside. ‘That’s where we think the nest is, inside an opening among the rocks there. We saw the birds sitting outside.’
Anantram had trained his binoculars in the opposite direction, at the grounds of the big house.
‘So what are you going to do now?’ Monica asked, glancing at Raveena. Her sister was looking behind constantly, as though she thought she was being followed.
‘We’ll sit and wait and listen for a bit. The birds might have gone hunting. They’ll call when they get close.’
‘Those lights…’ Monica said, pointing through the trees. ‘Isn’t that where we went this morning – Shroom’s house?’
Anantram nodded. ‘Yes, that’s Abhinav madam’s house.’
‘Wait here,’ Dr Sham said suddenly. ‘I’m going to climb up to check on the nest. I don’t think the birds are there. Anantram, give me the small mike. I’ll put it there – maybe there are eggs or chicks.’ He rummaged in his bag and took out a fibreglass helmet with a light, which he fixed to his head. ‘Okay, I’m all set…’
‘Be careful, sir, those birds can be dangerous.’
Wow, Raveena thought as she watched Dr Sham effortlessly stride up the mountainside with his backpack. He must have been at least fifty, and was in pretty good shape.
A little distance away, Gaurav too watched as Dr Sham climbed up, and was equally impressed.
The researcher reached the ledge, aimed his headlight at the opening and crawled inside. He emerged five minutes later, and joined them in seconds.
‘Yes,’ he told Anantram briefly, and nodded at the girls, ‘four eggs. I’ve left the mike and mini-cam there.’
‘But shouldn’t the birds be sitting on the eggs?’ Monica asked. ‘And what about lights?’
Dr Sham nodded. ‘It’s an infrared camera. But I think we might have disturbed them; we’d better go now. I’ll switch on the mike and camera when we get home, and we’ll monitor it.’
They were on their way back and had walked for about ten minutes when they heard a rough sawing sound, but it was difficult to pinpoint from exactly where it was coming.
‘Who on earth is sawing wood at this hour?’ Monica whispered, a chill going up her spine.
‘Leopard!’ Anantram muttered. He circled his arm protectively around Monica and drew her close. She felt goosebumps as he brought his mouth against her ear: ‘In the forest below us…’
Then both he and Dr Sham excitedly switched on their equipment. The girls watched silently, petrified yet thrilled.
Gaurav, having seen them turn back, had left the track and this time hid behind a boulder on the cliff side. He waited for them to pass and then returned to the path. After their lights and voices had faded, he looked up to where Dr Sham had climbed. If he could do it… Gaurav wiped his hands on his jeans and tackled the slope. It really was amazing how bright the starlight was once you got used to it. The climb wasn’t difficult; there were convenient steps hewn into the rock and within minutes he was at the ledge, peering in. He flashed his torch inside. No bird or animal charged out to defend its territory. Then he wriggled into the opening as Dr Sham had done, flashing his torch around. It was musty and smelt of bats. But the cavern behind the opening was surprisingly large, about as big as a bus. Several creepy-crawlies scuttled into the darkness, away from his light. He shrugged and got back onto the ledge. There seemed to be nothing of interest here. However, he got a much clearer view of the big house with its neat grounds and disciplined flower beds. For a while, he sat at the edge of the ledge, dangling his legs, gazing at the house and the dark forest surrounding it. He felt the chilly night breeze and tucked his jacket snugly around him.
And then it came to him. Just like that. Suddenly he knew exactly what he must to do to avenge Rani’s death.
His face set, Gaurav climbed down and headed back to the estate, his heart beating fast. He too heard the leopard sawing and grunting as he reached the lower path, and wondered what Rani’s reaction would have been. She had so fearlessly leapt at that elephant; a leopard would have been chicken-feed to her. He clattered his stick on the rocks and tree trunks and made for the estate at a brisk pace.
After they were dropped back to the rest-house half an hour later, the girls prepared for bed. Monica stared at her sister as she brushed out her shining hair. Something had happened; she just knew it. ‘Rave, what’s up? You’ve been acting funny since you stopped for that pee break.’
‘Nothing… I’m fine.’
‘No, you’re not. I hope you’re not coming down with something.’
‘I just had too much rum, Mona…’
‘I’m not falling for that – come on, tell me!’
Raveena tossed her head. ‘Okay, if you must know. Do you know who was behind that pine tree?’
‘Pine tree?’
‘Oof! Where I stopped to pee!’
‘Oh. You said spiders…’
‘No – it was him again.’
‘Who?’
‘Gaurav!’
Monica sighed. ‘Rave, you really shouldn’t drink so much.’
‘He was crouching there behind the trunk, looking like a frightened rabbit.’
‘Why the hell would he be hiding behind the very tree you stopped at?’
‘I don’t know!’ Raveena shrugged. ‘But he was there. He said he’d come out for a walk, which I suppose is quite believable, considering we were out walking too. But, that’s not all – I kissed him!’
‘What! First you say you slapped him and now you say you kissed him!’
‘That’s right.’
‘Whatever for?’
‘I… um, I don’t really know. I just did it… spur of the moment. I was feeling so bad about slapping him.’
‘What was his reaction? Did he put his arms around you and kiss you back?’
‘No.’ Raveena smiled. ‘I think he nearly fainted.’
‘I’m sure! You must have grossed him out with your rum-breath.’
‘Oh, shit. I never thought of that.’
‘Rave, what’s wrong with you? I mean, you see this guy and kiss him behind trees in the middle of the night in the forest. He’s just a kid, for god’s sake – and he said he had a girlfriend. Do you have a thing for him?’
‘Of course not! Don’t be silly, Monica.’
‘Well, goodnight then. Try and get some sleep.’
‘Hullo, wait a minute! That Anantram – Bugs Bunny…’
‘What about him?’
‘He was holding you close and whispering sweet nothings to you!’
‘Raveena, shut up and go to sleep.’
At the neat blue cottage, the researchers put down their knapsacks and began undoing their boots. Dr Sham was frowning. ‘We shouldn’t have taken those girls with us,’ he said. ‘It’s too dangerous.’
‘But they were sitting there on the track…’
‘I know. Well, maybe it was all for the best.’
Yes, Anantram thought, remembering the feel of Monica’s soft body bumping against his and the smell of her skin. Yes, it was certainly worth it. He’d been alone in these blessed mountains long enough. Dr Sham could think what he liked.
NINE
‘Good morning!’
Gaurav looked up from his sketchpad. Megha aunty was standing at the door with a sunny smile.
‘Oh, hi, aunty.’ He got to his feet and quickly shut his pad.
‘You have a visitor.’ She pointed towards the dining hall.
‘Me? Okay, I’m just coming,’ he nodded. It was almost eight-thirty. His mother had gone for a walk with Mihi and Mariamma.
At a table in the dining hall, Shroom sat swinging her legs as she gorged on a plate of ham and scrambled eggs. Her chaperones stood like sphinxes in the doorway, but with faint smiles on their faces. A glossy brown pony waited outside sleepily with a groom in attendance.
‘He’s here, Shroom!’ Megha aunty announced.
‘Oh… hi,’ Gaurav mumbled, taken aback to see her.
‘Hi.’ She looked at him and swallowed a mouthful. ‘I thought we could go for a walk to Shroom’s Perch,’ she said. ‘If we keep quiet for a while, we might see the leopard.’
‘I heard the leopard last night.’
‘What? Where? When? Did you see it?’
‘No. It was calling somewhere between your place and here.’
‘Were you scared?’
‘No.’
‘Liar! Bet you were. The last visitors who heard it got so scared, they vamoosed the next day.’
‘Don’t you have lessons in the morning?’ Megha aunty asked.