Part 25

Part 25

The walk in the morning was pleasant though very tiring through the slopes, curves, bends! Descending into the valley was taxing on knees for Maria.  Dhatri was ahead of everyone in sliding into the deep slopes.  She used to slide down, survey find out some plain clearing, come back running and Climb up the slope in one go! Chinu helped Dr. Koite and Maria in the descend and brought them to the clearing.  Indroneel Ghosh was independent enough being a trekker himself.  Soumya had latched on to the boys giggling and talking animatedly.  Every Plant, shoot, Tree, creeper, shrub, bush was examined and coded.  After of about four hours walk and descend they finally rested for a quick lunch.  Maria was exhausted and tired, but surprisingly Dr. Koite, despite his size was still energetic. 

They hardly had covered around five miles, a long way to go.  “Look!” Dhatri pulled Maria's hand.  Maria couldn't see anything again.  Dhatri pointed at her binoculars and Maria smiled sheepishly taking out hers.  “Settlement...!” Dhatri said and everyone turned in her direction. 

“Yes, we will be spending the night there.” Said Chinu and started collecting the spread out things and the leftovers of the food, ready to move on. 

“Why do you want to study this?” Chinu asked and Soumya giggled at his stupidity.  “We want to study plant evolution ...” Dr. Koite said clearly and slowly trying to suppress his heavy accent.  Chinu gaped.  “I mean you can have to documents.  We have documented almost everything in this area.  All big trees are numbered and named, we have the forest composition, we have the records... you could have asked for them...” Chinu still was puzzled.  Dr. Koite shook his head.  “Are you sure, you have everything?” he again asked stressing on every word.  Chinu fell silent.

“Well...” Dr. Maria took over.  

“It is like this.  We are studying the cluster of plants that grow in vicinity of each other supporting each others growth...” She was clear enough.  Chinu nodded still looking confused. 

“See .. you have Teak trees... Look at the canopy… around 30 meters? with big leaves but have you recorded what grows around it?” she asked.  Chinu shook his head looking enlightened.  “Look around!” Maria told him. 

“Yeah... we find water tube creepers, ferns, grass....”

“Yeah.. grass... why?” Dr. Maria asked.  Chinu's face brightened up.  “Humm … because of the moist accumulated by the big leaves....” Chinu understood.  He had a new look at the surrounding now. 

“Trees and creepers... they grow on each other...” Dr. Maria said looking at Dhatri.  She was looking around with new enlightenment. 

Ravi and Jim had a massive task of Photography.  Both  busy with the work and Ravi was carrying his portable tripod on his shoulder along with his heavy camera.  Every plant was to be examined.  Jim was serious when it came to work.

“What about fern?” Soumya asked. 

“Right! Ferns is not originally from this part.  But it has found its new home here!” Koite said.  “Its evolved and adapted to this environmenet...” he came to the point.

“Look at this...Blue fern...” he said sitting down to examine.  “Chappa...!” Dhatri exclaimed...

“What?” Everyone asked.  “Dhut Teri...” Ravi muttered under his breath, ignoring her completely. 

“Yeah... Chappa...” Chinu grinned.  “What is chapa?” asked Jim and Dhatri plucked a leaf of blue fern. 

“Tattoo  ..  White tattoo...” she said looking up.  Chinu held out his hand.  She pressed the leaf on the back of his palm and peeled it out.  The white leaf design glowed on his black skin...

“See?” Dhatri grinned.  The fern leaf glowed so did Dhatri.  Ravi's camera never stopped clicking.  Dr. Maria had a broad smile.  She turned the leaf and showed the white fungus gathered at the back of the leaf.  “Dhut Teri...” Ravi exclaimed being fooled.  Dhatri tossed her head back and giggled, closing her eyes... “Man....” Jim blurted with gaping mouth looking lost in her dimples.  Ravi looked on. 

“Let me have one…!” Jim held out his hand.  Dhatri grinned.  She plucked another leaf…

“No wait… here!” Jim pulled out his T shirt and turned.  “Here on my back…” he stood with his back on them.  Ravi looked away hopelessly.  Dhatri came closer… “Chappa… she said thumping the leaf on his back.  Jim winked at Ravi.  Dhatri took out the leaf and still the white tattoo glowed on jim’s white back…!

“It will fade away..!” Dhatri added moving away.  Ravi controlled his urge to get the tattoo on his biseps. 

“Let me do it on your back..!” Jim said plucking the leaf.  “I have it on my hand… See!” Dhatri showed the back on her palm.  “You can have one on me..!” Soumya was all ready to have chappa on her lower back.  Jim obliged winking at Ravi.

“Time to go...” Dr. Koite got up and the group moved.  “Jay Bolo Mahadev Ji ki..!” Chinu and Dhatri raised their hands joined by Ravi, this time!

By evening they were at the Tribal settlement.  “Dolu..” Chinu informed.  “There are around hundred huts here and some still below.  They had not reached the bottom of the valley.  “We will stay here for the night..” he said and all agreed.  “They are halbas… cultivators…! The clearance and terrace farming in fragmented lands…” Chinu gave a formal information as they approached the settlement. 

“The descend is alright but it will be difficult once we start moving upwards…” Chinu warned. 

The settlers were already informed.  Chinu went ahead and talked to the head.  They were given a warm welcome.  The sun had already set in the valley and the nightfall was engulfing the surrounding.  The chirping had died out.  The whine and gripe could be heard from the crikets and cicadas.. The surrounding suddenly became spooky. 

“See?” Dhatri showed her glowing white Tattoo in that darkness, so did Chinu.  Jim tried to take out his T Shirt again.

“No..Don’t! Insects..!” Chinu warned in his limited English.  Dhatri again giggled and Jim again was lost with gaping mouth.  Ravi took out his night vision camera.  Chinu held out his tattooed back of the palm.  Ravi looked at Dhatri.  She moved away ignoring him.  He flared up in rage.  “Dhut Teri..!” he mutterred and Dhatri turned to face him thrusting her hands on her hips.  He challenged her and she turned her back on him.  Then they heard the chirping in the night startling them all.  Everyone looked around to see the singing bird, straining their eyes, Ravi ready with his night vision camera.  The chirping didn’t stop and soon they heard the crow.  “What?” Indroneel looked at Chinu.  The crickets were louder and creepy.  “Chik…chik… cheeck…cheeck…” they heard from somewhere unable to guage the direction.  “Monkeys…!” Chinu blurted with horror…descending faster signaling them to follow him.   They all turned hurriedly.  “Dhatri….!” Indroneel called out loudly in anger and she turned with innocent face. The chirping and the cheecks stopped abruptly.

“Stop it!” he warned her loudly.  “What sir?” she looked at him confused.

“Stop it, I say!” he came nearer and Dhatri ran to catch up with Chinu.  “Phew..” Indroneel wiped his sweat between the shrills of cicads …!

“What was that?” whispered Dr. Koite.

“Her ventriloquesm…!” Indroneel sighed. 

“What?” Dr. asked and Indroneel nodded moving ahead.  They had reached the middle of the settlement.  Ravi close behind Dhatri looking at her suspiciously; Chinu walking briskly as if to save himself from monkeys and Jim and Soumya hand in hand enjoying the hospitality of the dewllers…! 

******   *********   *********

There was no electricity.  They were given a hut to stay.  Both Ravi and Dr. Maria had their Laptops charged with additional batteries.  The settlers offerred rice and curry.  Soon they got engrossed with the documentation deep into the night.  Dhatri kept peeping in sitting behind Dr. Maria with sleepy eyes.  Dr. Maria raised her tired hands and stretched herself. 

“Can I type?” Dhatri asked.  “What?” Maria looked back.  Dhatri pointed at the keyboard.  “Hey stupid…!” Soumya hit her lightly.  Maria looked at Dhatri intently.  “You want to type?” she asked and Dhatri nodded.

“Ok! Try! I will dictate…!” Maria gave her the laptop and soon was awed by Dhatri’s speed.  Her fingers danced on the keyboard in lightening speed.  Maria smiled broadly placing her hand on Dhatri’s shoulder fondly.  Dhatri looked back.  “You are my assistant…!” Maria declared and Dhatri glanced at Ravi who was busy downloading the photos and clips on his laptop.  Soumya moved away to help Jim.  Dhatri and Maria raced to finish their work.  They had collected around 165 samples to be documented, filling up the forms full of plant ontology and botanical names, that Dhatri had heard for the first time.  Maria helped her with the information and soon they were in tune with each other. 

Ravi had finished downloading and was ready to merge the documents created by Jim, Maria and Dr. Koite.  Jim had finished the documentation of the physiographic information looking into the official documents provided by the Forest Department and Dr. Koite and Dr. Indroneel were busy keying in the conposition of the forest and clusters of Vegitation.  Maria and Dhatri had finished on the Plant descriptions and documentation.  Ravi was waiting for the three groups to merge the documents with photographs and numbering.  Soumya had started labeling the smaples packing them neatly into the sampling pouches and boxes.  The real research work had started and Dhatri was looking at the enormous work with beady brown bright eyes. 

It took them past over midnight to finish and hit their bed.  Dhatri had disappeared again in her Sleeping bag setting her alarm.  They all were in one room which looked like acdormitory.

Every passing day, Dhatri was experiencing and learning something new and was exhibiting something extraordinary.