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She was descending faster on the known route. It was taking toll on Maria's knees and their speed slowed down. Ravi had to slow down for Maria getting desperate to catch up with Dhatri. She had disappeared somewhere. They didn't know which direction! Ravi strained his eyes. Maria had stopped to catch up with her breath.

“Dr. Nixon... wait here. I go find her out!” Ravi said in a haste. “No! We will wait here!” she said. He had to wait, still kept on staring at distance to see the moving light. And there is was. Dhatri's moving light had reappeared down below.

“She is there!” Ravi said helping Maria to get up. Their descend started. Dhatri, unaware of the followers was moving into the dense forest. Ravi looked at far distance. “Sure she is moving towards the settlement....” he said. The distant snarl and growl stopped them in their tracks. Maria held Ravi's hand. The Roar froze them.

“Bear?” Ravi looked down into the valley... “Is she...?” he grew panic. He couldn't leave Maria and go in search of Dhatri. They waited for some movement down in the valley. “Oh God! Dhatri...Tiger?” Maria was panic too. “Wait...!” he said listening to the subsiding growl... ! Ravi pressed his hand on his chest. He didn't want her in the expedition, but he didn't want her to be eaten alive either...! “Damn, this girl..!” he muttered. “Hope she is alright..!” Prayed Maria. “We should have got a guard with us...!” she whispered. Ravi shook his head looking into the distance. The twilight gave them some hope and he saw the faint light. “She is moving...” he said getting up with a jerk. They started their descend faster looking around for the growling animal.

She was looking ahead devoid of alertness when she heard the snarl just a few feet away from her. She stopped with no courage to look behind. The growl came nearer. She turned herself into statue. “Don't move... if the animal is within striking range...!” she remembered. She turned herself into a statue. She heard a rustle nearby. She looked down with bated breath. She heard a loud sucking... she turned her gaze to her feet. She was standing in the middle of termite colony. A huge one at her right hand side and she heard scratching... A young bear was busy slurping the termites breaking the well built termite colony. She took a step ahead gauging at the slope downwards and threw herself on the ground rolling down rapidly. The bear busy in sucking its food, termites ignored the rustle and Dhatri saved herself losing her torch in the process. She didn't bother. The settlement was within reach and dawn was at the doorsteps of the valley. She stayed flushed to the ground for a while straining to hear the bear nearby. The bear was more interested in juicy, sticky, pungent termites that bony, skinny, big human being. It left Dhatri alone. She crawled down a few meters and then got up and broke into a faster descend. The settlement was nearing.....

“There she is....!” Ravi jumped down from the rock hanging his binoculars. Maria got up. “Let us go” she said and soon they ensued Dhatri.

Dhatri had reached the boundary. The dogs growled and barked charging on her. She stood there looking around. This was so familiar. She knew it was her settlement. It was where she lived in the captivity, it was the place where she played with other children...! She broke into a run. The dogs chased....!

She ran through the lanes trying to recollect. Things were different... The morning bustle had started. “Hey... hey...!” Someone tried to stop her. She ran faster. A shrill warning whistle reverberated in the air. The barking dogs chased her to the other end of the lane and there she stopped abruptly. A few men chasing stopped too. She was in front of a small house. Nothing seemed to have changed. Only a lamp post was the difference. A bulb was burning inside the room. The cows mooed. Dhatri stood in the middle, turning into a statue. A limping man peeped out of the door and the dogs barked furiously. He glanced at the girl standing in on the lane. They gazed at each other. He had no recognition in his eyes. He gaped at the skinny girl wearing jeans and jacket covering her body standing alone with a back pack gazing at him with big bright brown eyes.

“Lost you way?” he asked looking at her trekkers attire. She didn't answer. “Kho gaye ho?” he asked changing the language. She still didn't respond. The people following her closed in curiously. The limping man turned go inside seeing people around her.

“Good Boy?” He turned losing his balance on the crutch and held the frame of the door. He looked at the girl in disbelief. “Good boy...!” she yelled again pulling out a thread and locket hung around her neck, from her jacket. He jumped with one leg out of the house and she came a few steps ahead. He stared at her blankly at her pale face. Another figure appeared beside her amidst growling of the dogs. A third figure caught up with the two. A limping man on the crutches had reached the lane crossing the fence of the small house.

“Pappu Mari...” she said, her throat going dry with apprehensive. “Hey... hatt... shooo...” he drove away the noisy dogs raising his crutch. Dhatri was rooted to the ground. He came very close... A black man in his early thirties, balding, looked older than his age with one leg amputated from thigh. Ravi inched closer protectively. The man looked at Dhatri in disbelief with wide red eyes. His jaw dropped when he looked at the pendent she was wearing. She held the carved kirtimukh in red sandalwood woven in the black thread. He stretched his hand. Ravi stood between them.

“Let me see!” the man roared and Dhatri came around showing her pendent which was hidden inside her jacket for all these days. Maria held Ravi's hand to take him aside. The man gaped at the pendent and then touching Dhatri's cheek... “Baby?” Dhatri nodded furiously holding his hand. He still gazed at her in disbelief.

“Baby...!” she said in a bear whisper. He still wore disbelief shaking his head seriously. He turned his back on them. Throwing his crutch away, limping, sat down... expectantly. Dhatri moved ahead. Wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, she said “Kuku Mari...” and he got up with great efforts with her on his back. She slid down. He turned and the next moment she was in his tight embrace putting all his weight on her. She somehow maintained her balance and Ravi leaped forward to support both of them. Maria looked on bewildered.

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Note:  To know what she wore as pendent, kirtimukh... check my page... a red sandalwood carving... I have one with me too!!