THRILL

To sustain in this world the animated Beings need various things, like water, oxygen, temperature, light, food, etc. But we, the human beings, need more than those just mentioned. We need some thrill in our lives. And we try to get this thrill from various sources, like food, sport, horror stories, and nostalgia. Here, is the story of Avinash who is feeling monotonous in his life for quite a few years. And he is searching for the thrill. Now, the time has become intolerable and he must need some thrill.

He called his one school friend, Manas, “hello, how are you Manas?”

“Who is this?”

“This is Avinash, your classmate. I was in section B and you were in section A. There was another Avinash. You called him Fat Avinash. So, I am the Slim Avinash.”

“Ha, ha, ha….you have made me surprised. I am thrilled to hear from you after such a long duration. What are you doing at present?”

“I am a school teacher. And what about you?”

“I have opened a chicken shop. I do retail selling of chicken. And also takes orders for big social functions, like wedding, Annayaprashan, marriage anniversary, party meeting, and various social and political functions.”

“Oh, Manas, I have forgotten your face. Fortunately, I put down your contact number in my diary. So, I can talk to you. Every day, when the sun rises, you and I wake up by the same light; every day, you and I see the same moon; you and I eat vegetables of the same soil, yet such a long distance that we cannot measure. Just I feel the trill to think about it.”

“Let’s go Avinash. Nice talking to you. I have some customers to attend right at the moment. So, we can talk on another occasion.”

The thrill which Avinash has been enjoying just a few moments ago vanished.

Avinash sat for some time. He was lost in his thinking. He watched the clock. It was 11 a.m. An idea came to his mind. He called his other school friend, Arup. Arup’s house was near the school. Every day, he used to come to the school just at the prayer. Sometimes, he could not attend the prayer. He was an amicable boy. Though, right now, he must have been a man of two children. He is now a father. The mobile of Arup started ringing.

“Hello, Arup, this is Avinash, slim Avinash.”

“What a surprise! How are you? Where are you?”

“I live in the same district where you live. And I am ‘fine’ if you keep aside the literal meaning of the word.”

“I heard that you had got a government job.”

“Yes, I teach at a school, and what about your job?”

“I do carpentry. I was in Rajasthan for five years. Now, I have returned home. I have started my own business.”

“That’s good. After all, you have to be settled in your life. Now, tell about your wife and children.”

“I have married a village girl and I have one daughter and one son.”

“So, you are a skilled family man now.”

“As you say. Well, Avinash, I have some work now. We will talk on another occasion.”

The call got disconnected. Avinash was trying to relish the conversation and derive the trill out of it. Communication is a two-way process, but the thrill is not always a two-way process. Arup may not feel the same thrill as Avinash is feeling now. But Avinash, too, is desperate to find the trill in himself. The day passed somehow. In the later part of the day, Avinash was engaged in some private activities. At 10-o-clock in the evening, a phone call came to him. It was a call from a friend in Uttarakhand. He was his Facebook friend. They have not met together face to face. Yet they have spent some valuable time talking over the phone.

“Hello, I am Vijay. How are you? I have a proposal for you. Will you prefer to visit the Orbit Park next month.”

“I am fine. It’s a surprise to me that you have planned to visit Orbit Park. Who else is going there?”

“One friend and his family, you and my family. There will be seven members in the team including you.”

“I think it will be a memorable experience. Let me give one day to think and decide as you know I have some other official works”

“Well, no problem, take your time. But I am waiting to hear from you soon.”

On the next day, Avinash informed his friend that he has decided to visit the place on the condition that they will allow him to derive thrill as much as he can. That night Avinash saw a dream of forest, dense forest. Inside the forest, there is intense darkness. Only those places are visible where the sun rays have entered tactfully through the gap of leaves. That was the end of May and he will start his journey on June 15.

For few days Avinash is busy not only with his profession but also preparing for the journey. Initially, he made a list of articles that are needed for the journey. He has read some travelogues, adventure stories, stories of the gallant mission. From there he has got some extra ideas. For example, he has thought of practicing remaining breathless for few minutes. He has decided to buy some important antidotes and their doses. For few days, Avinash will take some measures to decrease his weight. He will buy a sleeping bag, a pair of shoes suitable for hilly areas, one torchlight with long focus, sanitizer, water disinfectant, one binocular, one magnifying glass, etc.

Before the day of his journey, he makes a total review of his preparation. All are ok. Now he will take a sleep few hours and the next morning is the entry point of his adventure. He reached the station one hour before the scheduled departure of his train.

They will meet together at the Dehradun railway station. Only, he has started journey one day before others. Vijay and company will start on the next day. After 40 hours of the journey, the train reaches Dehradun. It was a new place never visited by Avinash. People, their gestures, their habit of communication, even the announcement on the station by the Railway Authority sound different. This feeling of difference is mixed with his search for the thrill, and his desperate attempt to kill the monotony for few days. He calls his friend over the phone.

“Hello, Vijay, where are you? I have reached the platform at right time.”

“Dost, our train is late by 30 minutes. You have to wait. But don’t worry, I can see you on the platform. You just take a seat inside the waiting hall. If there is any problem, you may take the help of RPF.”

The call is disconnected. He watches the people on the platform. Avinash has a habit of looking at people. Sometimes, he behaves as if he is sitting on the gallery and watching the earth on the ground. His friend suddenly appears before you. This is their first meeting face to face. He has been feeling a thrill for few days regarding how his friend will be.

“Welcome Dost, welcome to our land. Is there any problem during the journey?”

“No, it is fine”

“Have you taken something to pacify your hunger?”

“No, I have been waiting for you.”

“Do you prefer to maintain the economy of words? I see you are using sign language more than verbal language.”

“No, no, nothing like that. I am looking for all of you. You are six new faces to me. On the other hand, I am only one.”

“This is also an adventure. What do you say Avinash?”

“That is right.”

They take a Gypsy van in reserve from the stand adjacent to the station. Now, they will take a journey of four hours to reach the destination, Orbit Park. On the way, Avinash listens to the discussion of his team members. The driver also participates in the discussion and gives us some valuable information. That information will help us. Our vehicle is running over the hilly roads. On one side there is the hill and on the other, there is a steep slope. We all are enjoying the journey. Some places where the road is taking a turn are really dangerous. A landslide during the monsoon is a big threat to the people here. However, all are natural phenomena and we have to face them. We have to know the way how to survive before the whims of nature. The vehicle reaches the cottage where they will stay for the next three days. The caretaker of the cottage approaches near their vehicle. Vijay talks to him.

“Is it Krishna cottage?”

“yes”

“We have booked three rooms here.”

“Ok, Babu, all are ready. Here the check-in time is 12-o-clock at noon and check-out at the same time on the next day.”

They all take their rooms and keep their luggage inside. Now, they will take some rest and after that, they will visit nearby places. On the next day, they will spend the whole day inside the Orbit Park. Avinash is highly expecting the thrill of the forest. They enter the forest around 8 a.m. the next morning. At the entry point, they are asked for availing the Jeep and Guide. Vijay agrees to the proposal and after a bargain, they hire a Jeep and Guide. A Guide is an experienced man working here for 20 years. He has seen many memorable incidents here. A few years back he saw a tiger eating a man. As it is the National Park, no the animals here are not kept inside the cage. They are free to roam about anywhere inside the forest. All these stories have made Avinash excited.

They have now entered the deep forest. This is the core area of the forest. So, People are not allowed to walk here. Every nook and corner may be fatal. Often, tigers are seen here. Once, according to the Guide, ten tigers caught a Jeep and tried to kill the travelers inside. For five hours they had tried, but failed as the glass of the Jeep was very hard. Avinash has been highly excited to take some pictures of the place standing in the open. The Guide has been requesting him again and again for not venturing out into the forest. But, Avinash is excited. He cannot control his excitement. At last, he comes out of the Jeep with his camera. He starts running. His friends are astonished to see such an act of Avinash.

“Avinash, Avinash, what are you doing? This is not the right place to do such a photoshoot. Please, come; we request you to come. Please, we are afraid.”

Avinash disappears in the forest. A roar is heard. After some time, again a gigantic and terrible roar is heard. His friends are awe-struck. They cannot talk. They cannot feel each other. Even they have forgotten to take a breath. They regain their senses only when Avinash is seen near their Jeep. They are all surprised. And utter their thanks to God from the core of their mind.

But even today, no one among them knows how Avinash has saved his life.