The boy is at the gun point. The person in front of the boy held the gun to the boy. He is laughing crazily. His finger is at the trigger of the gun. He is going to fire soon. One moment the boy thought kicking on the leg of the person so that he falls down. But the buy out of fear could not even move his foot inches. The boy closed his eyes waiting for the last moment of his life. And a sound of firing………………………
The boy wakes up. He was sleeping. For the last 7 days same dream is coming to him after he got a letter from Indian Defense that he has to go to the LOC as battle is going on there between Indian and Pakistani militants. The dream will be starting like his father is calling him for help and he will go for that to LOC and will be ending like this. His father was an Army officer who went to the war 3 months back. The boy joined Army one month back and unfortunately from a reliable source he came to know that his father no longer exists in this earth. As the man said “The troops were taking rest and suddenly one bomb blast there….. And all of them just been obliterated”. How easily the man told him as if it is not a matter at all. But the boy could not believe it. He feels his father is still there and asking him to come to help him out there. But the Army has enough proof for his death. Anyway it was a dream after all whatever the emotions behind it. But always the boy feels sarcastic after having this dream. Suddenly the door in front of him opens and his mother comes in.
“So you are going for the battle”, Mother said.
“Yes” replied the boy.
“I have lost my husband and going to loose you soon” the mother cried.
The boy was astonished how her mother came to know the fact.
“I have seen your diary where you mentioned the place of your father’s last existence. You think I don’t understand anything. You hide the fact but I can read your minds. You are never that jolly as you were before one month. You will be always writing something in your diary. So I thought of going through it and found the facts.” Tears came out as she was talking.
“But those are not facts” The boy shouted. But suddenly he couldn’t believe what he told.
He doesn’t know why in spite of the validity of the news he can’t believe his father is dead.
“I don’t want to lose you, son”
“I will bring back my father”
“He is dead. And you know better than me. Don’t give me false hope”
The boy was silent.
“But he wish I go” as he told the words water filled up his mouth. He could not uttered the last few words properly.
Mother came forward and hugged him
“You are just like your father. I am proud of you too.”
“I am proud of you too, mother”
The boy didn’t want to leave her mother. He tightly hugged her. He doesn’t know whether in his life he will get the same opportunity again. This may be the last time he is getting the precious gift of God the mother’s affection.
“Don’t even think that I won’t be back”
“I know you can’t leave me alone.”
The train is running very fast. He had the same dream again. After waking up he remembers his mother, who came till the platform with him. While the train is taking motions the boy didn’t wanted to leave the door of the train. As much as time it is possible he was looking at his mother standing in the platform raising her hand. And suddenly she was no longer visible. Might be the last time he saw her mother. His thinking suddenly got disturbed by the sound of his co-passenger.
“Thinking about your girl friend?” The co- passenger asked.
“I don’t have any” he lied.
“That is interesting; at this age I have to believe.”
“It is up to you.”
The man is of middle age. He is also from the army.
“Do you have any fear of the battle?”
“No” Army persons should not say they have.
“Come on friend. Look at me I have my family of my wife and one baby. They will all wait for me when I will go back to them and bring gifts for them. Do you know I promised my son to give a cricket set returning from battle? Don’t be afraid at all. There would be no war.
We have to just move here to there.”
Is it? Then why my father died?
May be the person was correct. For the last 40 days they are just moving here and there. No sign of battle till now. Some experimental firings only so that they don’t forget how to fire! But the place they came now the boy is very interested about it. He has information that his father spent his last time of life here. The boys always search for any material existence of his father but he fails.
“Tomorrow morning we will move forward. Tonight sleep well. Have enough food too. We don’t know how many days that are coming we have to be sleepless and may be food less” Major said.
The boy particularly not interested to leave this place so soon. And sleep; whether it comes when you are in battlefield. But last night also he slept and got the exact dream he is getting for past 2 months almost. He becomes very remorse after it. And now a day he is also afraid of sleep; because he will have the same dream which he don’t want to experience.
The boy is not getting sleep at the night. He came out of his tent. And to his surprise he heard some noise. He saw some light. He realized they have been attacked. He woke up his major who in turn woke up all the battalions. But the attack was before than the time they expected. And the boy knows nothing to be done that stage. Sound of bullet firing and shouting. Lots of people are dying. The boy is going to kill some human being for the fast time in his life. He held the gun tightly, even more tightly it requires. Two bullets just passed narrowly beside his ear. He can feel the heat. He started firing too.
Suddenly two Pakistani fall down; may be in his bullet. He felt pride in himself. But someone near him had fallen down. He looked it was the same person he talked in the train. Junk of bullets hitting here and there and suddenly he thought his father is commanding him to move forward. The boy got crazy if he moves he will die for sure. Is his father is calling to him? They boy remembered his mother.
“I know you can’t leave me alone.”
The boy moved forward. He is running without looking anything. He is firing too without listening anything. Feeling his danger his major is telling him to stop but he is not listening to him now.
The major was astonished seeing his courage. The boy is killing many opponents. And Pakistani shoulders are going back. Major ordered his shoulders to go forward. Suddenly the boy fallen down.
He is very far away from his mates. One Pakistani shoulder came out forward from the dark. The boy pressed the trigger of his gun. Alas! No bullets.
The boy is at the gun point. The person in front of the boy held the gun to the boy. He is laughing crazily. His finger is at the trigger of the gun. He is going to fire soon. One moment the boy thought kicking on the leg of the person so that he falls down. But the buy out of fear could not even move his foot inches. The boy closed his eyes waiting for the last moment of his life. And a sound of firing………………………
The boy was surprised no pain. He opened the eyes. It was his father in front of him. The Pakistani was lying down in the ground, dead. His father killed him by his pistol. The sound he heard was that of his father’s firing.
“I knew you will come and save me. I have no means going back from here. Nobody was here. I just went outside to bring water and one bomb blasted. All my friends were death. I escaped narrowly. Waiting for help from Indian Army; but no way I can communicate to them. I was roaming here and there; passing my life taking jungle fruits. But I knew one day you will come. I don’t know how but some one was telling me. Now we can go back. But before we have to win the battle” Father said.
“Sure father”, the boy got tremendous energy seeing his father in the battle ground.
India won the war. The boy returned the house with his father. His mother was astonished.
They all felt very happy. They all will have party tonight.
But now the boy has bigger duty to perform. He has to go to the house of the Army personal he talked with in the train while going for battle. He has to give a gift, a cricket set; he bought to give the kid. And he has to tell the kid that kid’s father sent it for the kid. He is starting for that. He doesn’t know the house exactly. But I am sure he will find out it.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Adventure of Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
was tired and lying down on the bed inside a hotel room very near to Trivandrum railway station. Last few hours were very hectic for me and my friend. We were about to cancel the trek to Agasthyamalai, for which we waited long time and came through the long distance from Chennai to Trivandrum.
I didn’t had enough idea about the place but my friend told me that it is a dense forest in the midst of which we are going to spent a whole night, the idea which I really liked as I didn’t had prior experience of this. Though coming to Agasthyamalai was not the sole purpose we came to Kerela. Actually we had attended the marriage of my PL at Kollam.
From there through bus we directly came to Trivandrum Forest department office. But the only thing we got there was refusal. They refused us to give permit to entry in the forest. At that time I lost hope. But my friend was not that kind of person who will give up so soon.
We chalked out some plan and made some callings. And soon we found one way to fulfill our wish. That moment both of us felt very happy. I could easily spot the difference looking at his eyes how differently he was feeling now from the time when we got the refusal, I prayed to God to show some miracles and he listened.
But now both of us need sleep as we have to catch the first morning bus to Bonacaud, the base camp for the trek. Did I say morning; okay to be more perfect it was simply dark when we left next day for Bonacaud. And fortunately we got the bus to. Thanks to my friend who took lots of precautions asking so many persons to make sure we don’t miss the bus. And after all I was feeling very happy inside could not stop singing when the bus started for Bonacaud.
Now let me tell something about the place we are going. The place Agasthyamalai has a historical background. Bonacaud can be said the gateway to Agasthyamalai.
Agasthyamalai, the name of the place came from the name of the great rishi Agasthya. Agastya is a legendary Vedic sage or rishi. Some say that it was the sage Agastya who first brought and popularized the Vedic religion to south India. Agastya and his clan are also credited to have "authored" many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman. In some reckonings, Agastya is also said to be one of the greatest Seven Sages or Saptarshis. The word is also written as Agasti. A-ga means a mountain, Asti, thrower. Also a name of Lord Shiva. Agastya the Rishi, was born of both Gods, Mitra and Varuna, from Urvashi. Agastya is also the Indian astronomical name of the star of Canopus, is said to be the 'cleanser of waters', since its rising(February) precedes the calming of the waters of Indian Ocean. Other reference is in Mahabharata in Sauptikaparva as the teacher of the teacher of Guru Drona, who gave Drona, the greatest of weapons, Brahmastra (used by both Arjuna and Ashwatthama at the end of the war).
Agastya Malai (also known as Agastyarkoodam) is a 1,868 metres (6,129 ft) peak in the Western Ghats of South India. The mountain lies on the border between the Indian states of Kerala (in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram District) and Tamil Nadu (in Tirunelveli).
Agastya Malai is a pilgrimage centre for devotees of the Hindu sage Agasthya, who is considered to be one of the seven rishis (Saptarishi) of Hindu Puranas. The Tamil language is considered to be a boon from Agasthya. There is a full-sized statue of Agasthya at the top of the peak and the devotees can offer pujas themselves.
Historians believe that Agasthya might be one of the vedic seers who travelled to south and introduced the vedic religion there. According to tamil tradition Agasthya was instrumented in creation of tamil language and literature. He is believed to be still dwelling on the mountain agasthyamalai. Actually the great Rishi Agasthya came there to find peace and reaching there he came to know about the herbs and medicinal effects of the plants of the place. And ultimately he settled there. It is been presumed that he went to mahasamadhi in that place.
We reached Bonacaud very early morning. It was nothing but a village surrounded by green hills which made this place really special. On the way there was lots of waterfalls I have seen. Anyway we went to one house which seemed deserted to me but it was not, one family was living there. There had been once upon a time one industry in that place but that is no longer functioning now. So people used to work there have no way of living left. They simply help tourist as guide and cook to visit the forest.
I forget to tell you that the forest we are talking about is called Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary; it is in the southern border of TamilNadu and Kerela, nearly 70 kms away from Trivandrum. We took morning breakfast there served by one person who I had no idea that going to be our guide soon. It was raining that time and we had to wait till the time rain stops. But I was always very fascinating to nature could not stop visiting the surrounded place even in the midst of that rain; I put on my rain coat and made some gentle roaming nearby places.
After the rain stopped we started, we means four of us. My friend, me, one guide and one cook. The cook was carrying food for us. And to my surprise the guide didn’t had any riffle, instead he had one knife like catary. I was thinking if we had been attacked by any wild animal can he save us with the help of that weapon.
But now is not the time to regret and I begging your pardon, that I don’t have enough writing skill, to explain the natural beauty of the place. It was really God’s own country as they say. The forest was indeed a dense one and in fact it was the densest forest I had ever visited. Moreover as it rained it was very green too, as my friend said it was looking like Amazon forest. Indeed it was, I was searching for any kind of wild animal we can see in our journey. I was damned sure anything can be inside this dense forest. I was taking snap here and there.
I was also disturbing my friend to take my snaps that were actually busy knowing more about the forest from the guide. In course of our journey we crossed some small rivers. And ultimately we came to one bamboo hut. The guide told us to take some rest as the coming forest is going to be not only dense but also a bit stiff. They gave us a powerful medicine, cigarette ash with red tea mixed with sugar. This is very powerful medicine against the leech.
Those leeches are really dangerous. Three of them stuck to my feet and sucked a lot blood to make that place senseless. When applied the medicine on that spot, I had immediate relief.
After having some food, we again started towards our destination. It was something like a computer video game the more distance you cover the more reward is waiting for you! The more distance we are going the path is becoming the harder to follow but the natural beauty of the place becoming more prominent. I had the real experience of wild which can’t be told only be felt. As we are passing through tall elephant grasses, suddenly our guide spotted elephant dung.
It was not one elephant; it was a herd of elephant passed the place. We missed them hardly ½ an hour. And to my surprise we were following the same path the elephant went. As I told it had rained so in the mud we can see the footprints of elephant. I was scared and tried to figure out what my friend has in his mind. Is he too scared like me? Anytime those elephants can come and can kill us. We can not do anything. But this was the adventure. Being very adventurous from my childhood I felt very happy to enjoy the moment in midst of the fear.
After some time we came to a place where we have to cross a big river to reach our point. But at that time it was something impossible to do. We were not at the season time. The river was flooded. It has just heavily rained. The guide and the cook went to search nearby places to find any place from where we can cross the river, but they were in vain. So we had no way. We decided to return back.
While coming back our guide revealed that they were surprised seeing the stamina both of us had. We covered the distance in very less than the time they expected. I was surprised seeing the stamina of my friend and mine too. My friend was capturing vedios in our return trip.
We came to the same bamboo hut. We had to spend the night there. Though initially I was very much afraid thinking of it, there may be snake, or any venomous insects which it the night can bite us, I shown my concern to my friend. He too seemed worried a bit. But finally we decided to spent the night there as anyway it is going to be a new experience spending a night in midst of a dense forest. The hut was a two storied one. And they made good arrangements for our sleep in up. After reaching there we could see the night lights of Trivandrum from there looking like yellow star beneath us. The night was dark.
I had a good sleep. In morning I heard some hauling of fox but coming out the fence could not spot any.
I wake up very early in the morning next day. And I went for a morning walk. As I do every new place I visit. But I choose a narrow lane which goes to a nearby river hoping I can spot some wild animal came there to drink water what they usually do in the morning. As was really very afraid as I was moving the forest was becoming denser. I felt some movements of animal I looked here and there spotted none. I blamed my courage and ultimately proceeded towards the river. But again didn’t see any animal. I came back to the bamboo house with frustration. I found my friend was waiting for me.
After having the food cooked by the guides, we decided to move towards Bonacaud. My friend got some tips on herbal medicine from the guide who seemed adept in that subject.
Next day morning we will be leaving Trivandrum. I and my friend, already made up our minds that we will be visiting here soon again at the season time. I felt a little sadness leaving the place. Anyway it was a nice experience after all. But we have to leave. We have to attend office. There are lots more things in life to do. We have to move.
I didn’t had enough idea about the place but my friend told me that it is a dense forest in the midst of which we are going to spent a whole night, the idea which I really liked as I didn’t had prior experience of this. Though coming to Agasthyamalai was not the sole purpose we came to Kerela. Actually we had attended the marriage of my PL at Kollam.
From there through bus we directly came to Trivandrum Forest department office. But the only thing we got there was refusal. They refused us to give permit to entry in the forest. At that time I lost hope. But my friend was not that kind of person who will give up so soon.
We chalked out some plan and made some callings. And soon we found one way to fulfill our wish. That moment both of us felt very happy. I could easily spot the difference looking at his eyes how differently he was feeling now from the time when we got the refusal, I prayed to God to show some miracles and he listened.
But now both of us need sleep as we have to catch the first morning bus to Bonacaud, the base camp for the trek. Did I say morning; okay to be more perfect it was simply dark when we left next day for Bonacaud. And fortunately we got the bus to. Thanks to my friend who took lots of precautions asking so many persons to make sure we don’t miss the bus. And after all I was feeling very happy inside could not stop singing when the bus started for Bonacaud.
Now let me tell something about the place we are going. The place Agasthyamalai has a historical background. Bonacaud can be said the gateway to Agasthyamalai.
Agasthyamalai, the name of the place came from the name of the great rishi Agasthya. Agastya is a legendary Vedic sage or rishi. Some say that it was the sage Agastya who first brought and popularized the Vedic religion to south India. Agastya and his clan are also credited to have "authored" many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman. In some reckonings, Agastya is also said to be one of the greatest Seven Sages or Saptarshis. The word is also written as Agasti. A-ga means a mountain, Asti, thrower. Also a name of Lord Shiva. Agastya the Rishi, was born of both Gods, Mitra and Varuna, from Urvashi. Agastya is also the Indian astronomical name of the star of Canopus, is said to be the 'cleanser of waters', since its rising(February) precedes the calming of the waters of Indian Ocean. Other reference is in Mahabharata in Sauptikaparva as the teacher of the teacher of Guru Drona, who gave Drona, the greatest of weapons, Brahmastra (used by both Arjuna and Ashwatthama at the end of the war).
Agastya Malai (also known as Agastyarkoodam) is a 1,868 metres (6,129 ft) peak in the Western Ghats of South India. The mountain lies on the border between the Indian states of Kerala (in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram District) and Tamil Nadu (in Tirunelveli).
Agastya Malai is a pilgrimage centre for devotees of the Hindu sage Agasthya, who is considered to be one of the seven rishis (Saptarishi) of Hindu Puranas. The Tamil language is considered to be a boon from Agasthya. There is a full-sized statue of Agasthya at the top of the peak and the devotees can offer pujas themselves.
Historians believe that Agasthya might be one of the vedic seers who travelled to south and introduced the vedic religion there. According to tamil tradition Agasthya was instrumented in creation of tamil language and literature. He is believed to be still dwelling on the mountain agasthyamalai. Actually the great Rishi Agasthya came there to find peace and reaching there he came to know about the herbs and medicinal effects of the plants of the place. And ultimately he settled there. It is been presumed that he went to mahasamadhi in that place.
We reached Bonacaud very early morning. It was nothing but a village surrounded by green hills which made this place really special. On the way there was lots of waterfalls I have seen. Anyway we went to one house which seemed deserted to me but it was not, one family was living there. There had been once upon a time one industry in that place but that is no longer functioning now. So people used to work there have no way of living left. They simply help tourist as guide and cook to visit the forest.
I forget to tell you that the forest we are talking about is called Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary; it is in the southern border of TamilNadu and Kerela, nearly 70 kms away from Trivandrum. We took morning breakfast there served by one person who I had no idea that going to be our guide soon. It was raining that time and we had to wait till the time rain stops. But I was always very fascinating to nature could not stop visiting the surrounded place even in the midst of that rain; I put on my rain coat and made some gentle roaming nearby places.
After the rain stopped we started, we means four of us. My friend, me, one guide and one cook. The cook was carrying food for us. And to my surprise the guide didn’t had any riffle, instead he had one knife like catary. I was thinking if we had been attacked by any wild animal can he save us with the help of that weapon.
But now is not the time to regret and I begging your pardon, that I don’t have enough writing skill, to explain the natural beauty of the place. It was really God’s own country as they say. The forest was indeed a dense one and in fact it was the densest forest I had ever visited. Moreover as it rained it was very green too, as my friend said it was looking like Amazon forest. Indeed it was, I was searching for any kind of wild animal we can see in our journey. I was damned sure anything can be inside this dense forest. I was taking snap here and there.
I was also disturbing my friend to take my snaps that were actually busy knowing more about the forest from the guide. In course of our journey we crossed some small rivers. And ultimately we came to one bamboo hut. The guide told us to take some rest as the coming forest is going to be not only dense but also a bit stiff. They gave us a powerful medicine, cigarette ash with red tea mixed with sugar. This is very powerful medicine against the leech.
Those leeches are really dangerous. Three of them stuck to my feet and sucked a lot blood to make that place senseless. When applied the medicine on that spot, I had immediate relief.
After having some food, we again started towards our destination. It was something like a computer video game the more distance you cover the more reward is waiting for you! The more distance we are going the path is becoming the harder to follow but the natural beauty of the place becoming more prominent. I had the real experience of wild which can’t be told only be felt. As we are passing through tall elephant grasses, suddenly our guide spotted elephant dung.
It was not one elephant; it was a herd of elephant passed the place. We missed them hardly ½ an hour. And to my surprise we were following the same path the elephant went. As I told it had rained so in the mud we can see the footprints of elephant. I was scared and tried to figure out what my friend has in his mind. Is he too scared like me? Anytime those elephants can come and can kill us. We can not do anything. But this was the adventure. Being very adventurous from my childhood I felt very happy to enjoy the moment in midst of the fear.
After some time we came to a place where we have to cross a big river to reach our point. But at that time it was something impossible to do. We were not at the season time. The river was flooded. It has just heavily rained. The guide and the cook went to search nearby places to find any place from where we can cross the river, but they were in vain. So we had no way. We decided to return back.
While coming back our guide revealed that they were surprised seeing the stamina both of us had. We covered the distance in very less than the time they expected. I was surprised seeing the stamina of my friend and mine too. My friend was capturing vedios in our return trip.
We came to the same bamboo hut. We had to spend the night there. Though initially I was very much afraid thinking of it, there may be snake, or any venomous insects which it the night can bite us, I shown my concern to my friend. He too seemed worried a bit. But finally we decided to spent the night there as anyway it is going to be a new experience spending a night in midst of a dense forest. The hut was a two storied one. And they made good arrangements for our sleep in up. After reaching there we could see the night lights of Trivandrum from there looking like yellow star beneath us. The night was dark.
I had a good sleep. In morning I heard some hauling of fox but coming out the fence could not spot any.
I wake up very early in the morning next day. And I went for a morning walk. As I do every new place I visit. But I choose a narrow lane which goes to a nearby river hoping I can spot some wild animal came there to drink water what they usually do in the morning. As was really very afraid as I was moving the forest was becoming denser. I felt some movements of animal I looked here and there spotted none. I blamed my courage and ultimately proceeded towards the river. But again didn’t see any animal. I came back to the bamboo house with frustration. I found my friend was waiting for me.
After having the food cooked by the guides, we decided to move towards Bonacaud. My friend got some tips on herbal medicine from the guide who seemed adept in that subject.
Next day morning we will be leaving Trivandrum. I and my friend, already made up our minds that we will be visiting here soon again at the season time. I felt a little sadness leaving the place. Anyway it was a nice experience after all. But we have to leave. We have to attend office. There are lots more things in life to do. We have to move.
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