Forgotten Three days - IV (In the hands of death)

(Prologue: Unfortunately the one day expedition to Bhatli Fort was protracted though our day’s ration exhausted. Six of us had to spend the night under the open sky at the heart of the Debrigarh Range Forest, by a jungle sprint with log fire for the night. Four friends were lying like logs by the log-fire letting myself and Pulu on guarding job for the last part of that unending night. But a blunder of life committed, putting the six lives in the hands of death.) 

6:30PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: In the heart of the Debrigarh forest the six lives were left at mercy of death as both us fell prey to morning siesta.

Not at the tickling of the first bunch of the soothing morning sunrays of Debrigarh forest but kicks of Banaj and Bhegnath and jeering of four woke us up.

6:34PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: While getting ready, that morning, all four were shouting and scolding us for putting everybody to life-threatening. From that point onwards, many a times both of us had reiterated the tit-bits we did, except the bread staling, while guarding. Tried to convince that might be in the last 15 minutes we slept, chitchatting leaning on the stone. But all our words were in vain.

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

6:35PM, May 12 - Lamay: Why you people didn’t follow the villagers, knowing that you all were lost?

 

6:35PM, May 12 - Surjit: Six lunatics lacked your analytics. Please don’t disturb.

 

6:36PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Surjit, thanks for giving a good title, “Six lunatics without analytics.”

 

6:37PM, May 12 - ARUN MAHAPATRA: Happy Birthday Priyadarshi ...

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

6:37PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: As decided the group was scheduled to leave the camp by 7.00am, the anticipated time for that part of the jungle to have its share of first rays of the morning sun.

6:39PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: In that shivering morning we finished our daily stuff and Shashikant equally distributed the rest of the bread loafs spread with jam.

6:48PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: At that time one male partner of the elderly couples came near us and gave us their left out "Chuda (flat-rice)". With gratitude, Bhegnath accepted. He reiterated to follow down-stream. Had few emotion-filled words in Sambalpuri dialect and took the way that we traversed previous evening to reach the base camp.

6:57PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Banaj suggested for the "Chuda Piaza Bhaja (Flat-Rice Onion Fry)” with the left onions as Maggie was exhausted. He also took all pain in chopping the left onions and along with Niranjan prepared the recipe. A foul smell of kerosene didn’t lessen our savoring.

Urge of stomach is always stronger than the olfactory.

6:59PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Hot black coffee followed soon, prepared especially by Shashikant from the spring water and we six were on our feet for next phase of walking.

 

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

7:00PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Will resume soon... Banaj may continue.

 

7:00PM, May 12 - RAKESH DAS(USA): OMG ... You remember an event that took place almost 23 years ago to this detail. Amazing.....Wow! Arobindo, copy these content back to laptop/desktop system and make a story for publication.

 

7:03PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Well Rakesh even at very remembrance, I feel like re-living those days again.

 

7:12PM, May 12 - HARESH BHAI: Waiting for the next phase to begin.

 

7:15PM, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): Auro your hard disk is amazing and so is narrations.

 

7:19PM, May 12 - BANAJ(UK): Se galu bi maruni, sata katha guda kahuchi...(He is not bluffing either, telling only the facts...)

 

I can testify, whatever I remember.

 

7:41PM, May 12 - GIRISH SREERAM(USA): Quickly was going through - good story like reading a book. You should write a book.

 

7:42PM, May 12 - GIRISH SREERAM(USA): On a side note I thought Pati Babu said hard dick.

 

7:48PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Abe UBI, bhoka dekhichu (Hey UBI, have you seen hunger?) Neither Dick nor Disc will work! Odia mane pakei pakei padh... (Re-read recalling Odia...)

 

7:51PM, May 12 - BALAKRISHNA DIXIT(USA): Aurobindo, copy paste and save all messages.

Create a document and share.

 

7:52PM, May 12 - Lamay: Not at all. Let’s enjoy online story.

 

8:06PM, May 12 - AKSHAYA SABAT(East Asia): Auro amazing ... Picture abhi baki he Bhai ... (Brother, still of the picture is pending ...)

 

8:07PM, May 12 - Lamay: But, where is that idiot?

 

8:09PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Bala … don’t know how to get back the posts for future editing. Manjo Das has assured to provide later.

 

I will be back. Guys, please enjoy IPL Cricket …

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

8:31PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Well before the onset of 2nd day journey it was the maturity of Shashikant, the Google.com in boiling water from the running stream and cooled it for our carrying to drink during the day time. The practice he adopted since the previous evening. That was the great effort from the big man, in size then, in keeping we people from not contracting any disease during expedition.

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

8:33PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: His recent photo is not available even in Face book. Hopefully, the big man must have added few more kilos. Ha…Ha…

 

8:34PM, May 12 - AKSHAYA SABAT(East Asia): All attention ... Auro is back … 

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

8:37PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Again for the 2nd day journey Bhegnath took the lead as he claimed having traversed that part of the sanctuary earlier. We followed the downstream. Our foot marks were adjacent to the running stream. Sometimes crossing it from left to right and vice-versa, depending upon the obstacle it was posing on our way. I remember once I slipped on slippery pebbles in the stream and drenched in the chill water. It happened with each one of us but all managed not dipping in the stream.

8:40PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Sometimes we were off the stream to have a smoother path but no sooner were back near the stream.

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

8:42PM, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): Now if Auro asks for paid subscription for further narration we have no option.

 

8:43PM, May 12 - DEBASIS RAY(USA):Ha ... Ha ... you are correct.

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

8:50PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: As the walk continued the morning dense mist was getting thinner and thinner. By 8.30 am there was 100% visibility and by 9.00-9.30 am the sun was at its full might. Even in that wintery 15th January, 1993 we were sweating. We were literally, virtually and practically ran out of all edibles. At intermittent break we gulped water we were carrying.

Alas, consuming water was not at one's freedom, it was under strict prescription of Dr. Shashikant.

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

9:12PM, May 12 - HARESH BHAI: Did you all collect water from the spring?

 

9:14PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: No... No... The cooled boiled stream water Shashikant prepared in the morning.

 

9:14PM, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): Haresh Bhai u r missing the story partly. It is boiled spring water.

 

9:16PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Ya ... I mean to say the spring water as Shashi advised that the running water doesn't carry malaria parasites.

 

9:17PM, May 12 - HARESH BHAI: Great ... Pls continue ...

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

 

9:17PM AM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Well it was the able vision of Shashi that we didn't drain out of our body fluid.

9:21PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Well during walking down the stream the pebbles were sometimes so slippery that everybody was to be all vigil so as to avoid any casualty. During that walking I narrated one of my childhood stories about getting lost in jungle.

 

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

9:23PM M, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): Auro and Banoj did you ever feel at that time that you may not get out safely?

 

9:30PM, May 12 - MANOJ DAS(USA): Great narration Arabinda, keeping 100 people glued to the phone, as Pati mentioned, now start paid subscription, we are all in.Story inside the story is amazing.

 

9:32PM, May 12 - HARESH BHAI: Auro at least 20-25 members are online now ... Why don't you continue...

 

9:33PM, May 12 - Tutu: Really a great narration by Auro. I am thrilled, to read with so much clarity. 

 

9:34PM, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): He wants paid members ...

 

9:35PM, May 12 - SABYASACHI: Bhegnath did narrate this story after he was back. But hearing from Auro and Banaj after so many years, it is really refreshing.

 

9:35PM, May 12 - Lamay: He visualises it in a perfect way.

 

9:37PM, May 12 - Lamay: If other members will contribute, will be awesome.

 

9:37PM, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): Dil mange more …

 

9:38PM, May 12 - PROF. PANDEY: Banaj you also contribute. Give Auro time to write.

 

9:40PM, May 12 - PROF. PANDEY: So much eagerness was not there even in world cup semi-final match.

 

9:43PM, May 12 - AKSHAYA SABAT(East Asia): Auro … come back soon …

 

9:46PM, May 12 - Tutu: Really difficult to narrate. Need to appreciate Banaj’s effort in bringing out such memory. Bhegnath was a true adventurist.

 

9:59PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: B'Day celebration of my mother-in-law. Sorry, taking off. Will be back in hours or might be tomorrow. Else, I may land up updating my divorce case to this group. Ha … Ha …

 

10:03PM, May 12 - RAKESH DAS(USA): You are in wrong profession, Aurobindo ...

 

10:03PM, May 12 - RAKESH DAS(USA): Odia Salman Rushdie ...

 

10:13PM, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): Let Auro continue with his own pace. This will keep the topic alive. Great story telling ...

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

 

10:41PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: The story I narrated to the group about my getting lost in a jungle goes like this:

10:49PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: I was in Standard III or IV at Govt. Upper Primary School, Daitari, with densest forest of Keonjhar district then. Might be the same today but have not been there since leaving in 1982. It was 4.30 pm, school was off. I had an urge for nature’s call. In front of the school, across the adjacent road was a perennial jungle sprint at a fall of around 20 feet depth.

10:55PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: I went by the sprint, full of Coromandel Ebony bushes around. I took off my pant off and place it on the school box and went behind a dense bush. It seemed like someone crossing on the road nearby that I shifted my position. Again with some movement in the nearby bushes I had to shift my position two-three times.

After I washed myself cleaned in the running water, couldn't pin-point the location of school box and pant thereon. I searched for some time but with sliding of sun behind the high rising mountain of Daitari, the evening follows very fast.

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

11:01PM, May 12 - CHANDRA SHEKHAR PATI(MIDDLE EAST): Story main story ...

 

11:02PM, May 12 - BANAJ(UK): That's the mark of a true novelist, carry on Arabinda ...

 

11:03PM, May 12 - Gyana Bhai: Banaj/Aurobind … you both can compile the narrations and publish.

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

11:04PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: I started crying in fear of getting bashed from my Mother for losing the school box leave apart walking nude back home. To save myself from embarrassment I dared to wait till it became little more darker. In that moment of anxiety, while strolling, I fell on ground, getting hit by something.

Oh my God! It was on the box that I tumbled on with my pant on it. I got home back bit late but was happiest, getting back lost valuables.

11:09PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: I shared the story to express the anxiousness of losing valuables. At the material time we were without food, little water left in our bottle and had lost direction. Only thing to follow was Bhegnath who was following a running sprint.

But all had faith in him that he would drive us out of that situation and maybe we wouldn't have to pass another night beneath open sky in the heart of Debrigarh Reserve Forest, empty stomach.

11:12PM, May 12 - BANAJ(UK): We were told by the old man that the village was just "Adha Kosa (Half a Kosa, Odia word to measure distance)" or something like that in Samalpuri. We had a little discussion on what it translates to in kilometers. We thought it was less than 3km and would not take more than an hour at the most in that jungle terrain.

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

11:12PM, May 12 - SUSANTA KUMAR PANDA(UK): Bahut Dum he ye kahani me …

 

11:13PM, May 12 - BANAJ(UK): Arabinda even, Susanta, the Halley’s Comet of this group is following posts.

 

11:15PM, May 12 - SUSANTA KUMAR PANDA(UK): Ha … Ha … Ha … Carry on ...

 

11:16PM, May 12 - DEBASIS RAY(USA): I remember the Jungli look of Niranjan even today. Totally famished shabby and dry ... 

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

 

11:18PM, May 12 - BANAJ(UK): On that Adha Kosa, Shashikant hissed, “Se di’jana jemiti kahile, mote laguni ghante lagiba...(Like those couple said, I feel we would reach in an hour...)”

Niranajan, (being ever so doubtful) shouthed, “Arre bhal se bujh. Hanuman Lanka ku jump karithile, sei’ta para 36 Kosa... (Interpret properly. Hanuman jumped to Lanka, perhaps was 36 Kosa ...)”

11:22PM, May 12 - BANAJ(UK): Both started calculating, with help of SK, our Google.com and it came to 10-15 km or so. But soon Bhegnath reminded and corrected it was Jojana in Ramayana not Kosa. Then we got some confidence that it was walkable but after hours following the stream, we were nowhere near any village. Arabinda continue please ...

11:23PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: Yes Banoj, at that time I recalled about our Keonjar people telling about "Ha ... Ta...(That’s … There …)"

But the "Adha Kosa" in Sambalpuri and "Ha ... Ta..." meant, after walking up to 10.00AM, we were nowhere near any sign of human civilization. Is not it?

 

11:25PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: During this phase our walking the sharpened bamboo poles, carried from the range office were used to help ourselves dragging through the pebbles. But the worst was yet to happen.

Pulu shouted, "Abe mo jota chidi gala… (Hey my shoe is torn…)"

Right shoe sole was wide open from front for about an inch. He was almost limping and sometimes dragging his leg.

 

11:34PM, May 12 - AUROBINDO: But at this time, rest of my batch mates must revert back …

We were out of Hostel for more than 24 hours. Was there any hunt for us?

Only after your response I will drag the limping Pulu, fighting to match the galloping five, to the next stoppage.

 

 

CROSS TALKS STARTS:

11:35PM, May 12 - Surjit: Not again Auro … 

CROSS TALKS ENDS:

To be continued …

 

[With adversities around, one should expect the worst. Anything lesser would be nothing less than a boon. Keeping composure and executing a task in hand is what one can do the best at bummers.

 

Adversities are the greatest teachers!]