Singing Meadows

In the middle of the night, I received a call from a military officer, informing me that my brother was in critical condition. He went on a biking expedition in the Himalayas. I, along with my parents booked the first flight to Leh while he was being shifted to a hospital in Leh from the military hospital in Tsomoriri in a military helicopter.

Two days after the incident, he gained consciousness, his oxygen level and pulse rate steady. I teased my brother, ‘Victor, you wanted to chase the wind, instead you got chased.’ He did not smile, neither did he look at me. He just kept staring at the ceiling. At that moment, I sensed that something was terribly wrong with him. I did not know then that I had lost him forever.

In the afternoon, the captain of the biking trip visited Victor. I sat by Victor. My parents had just left for the hotel. Past two days were very consuming; we weren’t sure whether Victor would make it alive.

The captain gave all the details of the remaining trip that Victor missed. Victor was not listening and kept staring at the tubes dangling to his body.

‘Vivian?’ That was the only word he spoke from the morning.

The captain said, ‘We could not save him. His body has been handed over to his parents.’

I asked, ‘What was the cause of his death?’

‘Heart attack’, he answered.

Victor murmured, ‘It was all my mistake. I am the one who should be blamed for his death.’ He beat his head hard and sobbed into the pillow. The captain tried to comfort him, in vain. He muffled, ‘Sir, you cautioned us. But we didn’t listen to you. It was me who wanted to see the hot springs, who wanted to explore. I am responsible for my friend’s death. Vivian kept telling me to go back. But I was arrogant and curious.’

The captain held his hand and asked, ‘What happened? Please tell us.’

Victor sighed and flinched. It was clear that he did not want to remember anything from that incident. Nevertheless, he started telling his story:

I stopped to take a leak on the side of the road. Vivian saw me and joined me. It was a vast stretch of land with shrubs and huge boulders and rocks in between. I saw steam rising few yards away and wanted to explore. I was sure it was a hot spring. But Vivian hesitated. He repeated your words, “not to venture into the meadows as they could be haunted”, but I was adamant. We decided to take Vivian’s bike and left mine on the roadside. ‘It would hardly take 5 to 10 minutes, I thought, for the hot springs appeared nearby. We could easily catch up with the gang’.

But there were no hot springs. ‘Where did it go?’ I said removing my helmet and scratching my head.

Vivian shrugged, ‘maybe it was just a mirage’.

We turned back but a cave caught my attention. It was hidden behind a big rock, and I heard the sound of gushing waters from the cave.

‘Let’s go back. We need to catch up with the gang.’ Vivian kept grumbling, but I did not budge. I was determined to see the hot springs.

Vivian pointed towards a sign and said, ‘Look, someone has smeared the danger sign with red paint. Let’s just go back.’ But I had already decided. ‘Vivian, come on now. Let us check it out. We’ve come so far. Don’t you hear the sound of the water?’

We stepped inside the narrow mouth of the cave that was wide enough for an average man to enter. I carried a camcorder and Vivian put the torch on his mobile. There was enough light but just-in-case. We must have walked ten steps inside the cave when Vivian whispered, ‘Can you hear a voice singing?’

‘Try something else. I won’t be scared so easily.’ I said.

‘Shhh,’ he said, ‘Focus. It is a beautiful voice. And the song, I think, it is in the native language. The sound of the song is in unison with the sound of water.’

Then the torch went out. The mobile switched off. The Camcorder turned off. We felt a cloud pass over us. Everything went dark and Vivian panicked, ‘what just happened?’

I put my hand on Vivian’s shoulder and he shrieked. ‘Don’t be afraid. It’s just me.’ I assured. ‘I will check my mobile. Probably we are deep inside the cave.’

The song was clear. I too, was able to hear. Like someone was humming it nearby. For a second, I thought, it was Vivian singing trying to scare me off. But Vivian was in panic, I could feel him trembling all over closer to me. Moreover, it was the voice of a girl.

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