On the way
The car came to a sudden stop with an uneasy thump. With a few jolts the engine shut off, interrupting my slumber. Now, there was a great silence. But I could hear the sound of silence. I never knew that silence had a sound. I could hear it when the car’s engine stopped roaring leaving a sounding silence.
Driving at a stretch from Kolkata was exhausting. I’ve been driving for eight hours already, so an hour ago I handed the wheel to Rudra. I went back to the passenger seat after that to try to rest my eyes.
Leaving Kolkata, a congested city, my heart was now overflowing with joy. As time passed, the outer world unveiled her in all her splendor and color. On both sides of the curving black peach road, there was a jungle of shawls. There was a green horizon and a glimpse of blue sky in the distance, kissing each other. The hills towered above the jungle. I was now experiencing the feeling of a heavenly lover in a natural courtyard.
The springtime wind, intruding through the open car window made my eyelids heavy. After a little while, sleep sat on my eyelids completely. A sudden jerk brought me back to the reality of the sleeping world. I opened my eyes. Rudra was holding the pace on the wheel when I looked up.
“What happened,” I asked.
“The gearbox gets jammed, and we could not head even a step.” Raising both hands, Rudra broke the spell.
I peered out the windshield. In the forest, two or four hills had emerged. The carved peach road had spread through the woodland like a black ribbon. It disappeared behind a distant hill. On this autumn afternoon, the dense forest of vegetation looked gloomy. I became surprised when I peered through the tree’s opening at the sky. Black clouds obscured the blue sky. The sun’s last rays were being blocked out by nature as a warning of an approaching storm.
“What right now?” I asked.
Rudra was chewing gum in one go. He didn’t mind my question. It was Rudra, a man without tension. Even when in danger, he never felt tension. He believes that danger only affects other people. I get upset with his personality on occasion. Again, it is prudent to maintain calm when in danger.
From a young age, we both attended the same school for our schooling. I didn’t spend my college years with him, but I currently work at the same place. We work in the same department at a global pharmaceutical corporation’s office in Kolkata. When we got an escape from ‘slavery’, we drive off to a distant location without a pre-plan, like, vagabonds. We were now heading to Daltonganj. We stopped for lunch at a Punjabi motel on the side of the road in the afternoon while Rudra handled the steering.
I startled into a startled glance up at the sky. The storm was getting closer when our car reached a dead end.
“What to do now?” I took a quick breath and said after turning to face Rudra.
“If you know something more, you would be more anxious.” Rudra grinned as he continued.
“The route we are traveling through is no longer a car road. We left the highway an hour ago. I chose this route because a local suggested it would be quick. You were asleep then. I spent around thirty minutes driving on this route.”
“It’s a big mistake, Sanju,” Rudra yelled.
Rudra’s foolishness made me feel even more panicky. The prospect of getting a lift from another vehicle was also lost. ‘What will happen to you now,’ I asked myself. I thought reloading the luggage from the vehicle and searching for a refuge, would be better.
“Sanju, we will not find shelter anywhere in this forest. We have to stay on the branches of the trees,” Rudra said as he unloaded the luggage from the car.
As the trees started tossing their heads violently, he chuckled. I told Rudra that situations alter individuals. You failed to change your habit.
“Time to laugh now?” I spoke with anger.
“Okay, friend, it’s alright. You assert that while I am silent. But remember that it’s this shrill smile that inspires confidence in others. Watch out for everything. Please direct me where to go. In the woods? Or next to the road?”
I raised my gaze to the sky. In the shadowy sky, the cloud soldiers finished their preparation. Lightning shot through the breast of dark clouds like missiles. The forest insects were quiet, much like the troops positioned in the woods. Sensing the impending danger, the screams of the birds also stopped. It’s a calm atmosphere.
I told Rudra, “Let’s walk down the road. The forest is not safe in the storm, nor is it safe to stay in the car. I took the flashlight out of my bag and started walking along the road.”
While walking, Rudra said, “You know, Sanju, it was a dream for many days to enjoy a storm in the forest, wet in the rain.”
Rudra continued - “If the car did not break down this dream would never be fulfilled.”
Before Rudra could speak, a storm began to brew. In the dust and dried leaves, one could not open one’s eyes. The wind had made a lot of noise in the forest. We started running. But running was impossible in the storm. We were being pushed back by the storm’s shock. The blackness was piercing lightning illumination. At the top of the hill in front of me, I could make out a little home in that light. Rudra had also seen it.
“Sanju, the hill,” he added, “Let’s climb up.”
