Shuddho walked briskly through the forest path rubbing his hands partly in excitement and partly to ward off the chill. It was post sunset and darkness had settled down comfortably over the surroundings. The crickets had started their orchestra and the occasional screeching of the owl or the howl of the fox nearby, added to the symphony. Suddho, however, was oblivious to all these. His mind was rife with the exciting news he had just received. There was a possibility of another Rhino hunt and he was again appointed as…
Year: 2020
Chapter 7
The next morning, Shrikant woke with a searing pain in his ankle. He propped up his leg on the pillow and was reaching down to apply the cold press that Moni da had given him when he heard the knock on the door. Shrikant limped across to open the door to find Moni da standing outside with an anxious look. “How are you feeling today sir?” he asked Shrikant “Better” said Shrikant weakly. “But you don’t look so Sir?” said Moni da peering down to look at his ankle. “It…
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 details Shrikant’s first tryst with wildlife. He meets with an accident while trying to capture a photograph of a baby elephant and almost gets trampled by its mother. Amodini saves him from impending death. This incident leaves a deep impact on Shrikant goading him to know more about the little girl.
Chapter 5
Lunch at the forest resort was a simple but delicious affair. It consisted of fresh vegetables from the local market, a serving of lentils and wholesome wild fowl curry all cooked in authentic Bengali style. Moni da, Shuddho’s boss and the Resort’s caretaker cum manager, had taken great effort to ensure that Shrikant would have no reason to complain. Not used to such hospitality, Shrikant was feeling a bit awkward at all the attention he was getting. After lunch he called up Surabhi to inform her that he had reached…
Chapter 4
The 13149 DN Kanchankanya Express left the Sealdah station for New Alipurduar Junction at precisely 20.30 hrs. Shrikant sat next to the window reading the English daily he held in his hands. He shook his head with a knowing smile as his eyes scanned the news article which appeared under the big bold headlines that read: “Forest Fire Rages in North Bengal destroys village. Elephant rampage adds to the mayhem”.He had just finished his dinner which had been a sumptuous meal of chapati and vegetable curry prepared lovingly by his…
Chapter 3
The night was unbearably sultry. Matongini tossed and turned in her mat as she found it impossible to sleep. After several attempts when she realised sleep would continue to evade her she came out of her room to sit on the balcony outside her house. This was her sole possession in the world. Other than Shuddho, Amodini and this small two-storied enclosure, there was nothing else that she could call her own. The house comprised a slanting tin roof covering two small rooms that were encased within walls of thick…
Chapter 2
Amodini, oblivious to Matongini’s concerns, was busy in her own world. It was a simple, carefree and happy world. She nestled cozily in the gnarled cradles of the Chalta[1] trees that grew abundantly in the green thickets of the Chilapata forests and felt peace pervade her being. She noticed the beautiful mosaic of dried Sal leaves on the damp forest floor and reveled in its beauty. She lay on her back facing the blue sky above and watched with boundless glee as the branches, tired from bearing plump ripened fruits,…
Hiraeth – Where the Heart Belongs
Prologue Amodini looked at Mata. The pachyderm’s fear was palpable in her eyes making them shine with the intensity of two burning pits of fire illuminating the dark jungle surrounding them. Amu knew she could do it. She had done it before. Moreover, Shrikant’s trust in her abilities strengthened her resolve. Slowly and gently she placed her hands on Mata’s bristling trunk to calm the pachyderm. All the time her lips were moving silently but rhythmically, singing the loving lullaby that always worked its magic. Shrikant watched from behind the…
Chapter 1
“Amuuuuu!” Matongini scrunched up her aged eyes shading them with her hands to look into the distance as she called out for her granddaughter. The thin wrinkled skin on her throat stretched and the veins swelled up as she did she so. In her other hand she kept waving the red scarf that she usually used to attract Amu’s attention. “What is the point of shouting yourself hoarse Owui[1]?” said Shuddho her 20-year-old grandson lazily from one corner of his cot where he had been sprawled out since morning. “As…
Kolkata! Kolkata!
Kolkata, the city of my birth is the only city I can truly call home. It has given me all my ‘firsts’ which has made my life what it is today – my first friend, my first love, my first job and also my first story. It has nurtured my childhood, witnessed my adolescence bloom into youth and seen me mature as a woman. Today when the heart is all aflutter with the uncertainties in the World, the mind strays to those moments that I hold close to my heart.…
