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The team had arrived, the village people had gathered.  Muki requested the team and others to gather in the temple and they marched towards Mariamma temple...!! The forest rangers and the villagers were not comfortable with each other.  It was always a clash between their interests accusing each other for harassing.  Villagers claim that they were not poachers and Rangers maintained that Villagers were accomplice. 

"We are going to the next base camp.  Some ten miles away from this place.  Will see you there, once you finish here...!" One of the Rangers said and Dr. Koite nodded.

"They are staying here for a day!" decided Muki and declared.  Dr. Maria agreed smiling broadly and Koite reluctantly.  Indroneel explained why the team is here and Bijoy said, "We will help you in your research...will show you the trees.." he only understood that they are here to study trees.

"Where is Dhatri?" Soumya asked with beady eyes looking around and Ravi gestured at Bijoy's house.  Jim was all excited; his camera never stopped clicking.  Ravi had forgotten that he had a camera with him.  The gathering was colorful.  The men.., mostly in white dhoti or checkered lungi and women in colorful sheets wrapped around their waist and a waist length blouse with ornaments of beads and metal.  The sanctum was dark with a sole lamp burning.  They had gathered in the open ground.  Indroneel was explaining.  Maria was moving in the temple complex.  She was surprised by the strikingly large number of women gathered.  They were discussing, arguing, laughing with men.  They seem to be powerful than men. 

"Is there is matriarchy here?" Maria asked Bijoy who was accompanying her with Ravi.  Bijoy looked blank... "Who runs the house here?" Ravi changed the question and Bijoy grinned.  "Men! For name sake! Everything is managed by women...!" he said.  "We have to even beg for liquor ... " he said winking at Ravi and Maria thumped on Bijoy's shoulder.  "Girls choose the groom..." he said.  "We have a trial...If the girl doesn't like a boy, she leaves him and hunts for another partner..." Bijoy went on.  Ravi raised his eyebrows.  "Marriages are after the trial... the girl and the boy stay together... and then the girl decides about the marriage..."

"Phew...! What a system... " Ravi gaped.  He couldn't digest the thought of a girl rejecting a boy in the backward country like India...! He looked at Maria.  She was scribbling furiously in her notebook and Bijoy peeping in.  "Putti, is staying with a boy and now have decided to get married after holi... He stays in neighboring village... " Bijoy informed.  Ravi shrugged and Maria had a broad smile.  "Great!" she blurted.  Bijoy smiled... "My wife left me when I lost my leg.." he said indifferently.  Ravi looked up at him in surprise.

“I got married when Baby was here….!” He smiled with a bright face recalling …! “Then she left me….!” He said.  "I stay with Appa... his wife died long back... he didn't marry again....!" he said as a matter of fact.  "We speak gondi... mixture of Hindi and Telugu..." he said and Ravi nodded.  The village meeting was going on.  Jim was excited… he was recording everything.  A subdued Soumya was scribbling the proceedings, Ravi was moving around with Maria and Bijoy. 

“If you are studying forests then you should visit the temple woods….Devrai..We don’t disturb that forest…!” said Muki and everyone nodded.

“The temple forests are naturally grown forests for ages.  The tribals collect only those which fall on the earth.  The twigs, ripe fruits, fallen flowers and dried leaves… They do not cut the trees, or burn them ….” Indroneel provided the information and Koite got up to go to grab the opportunity. 

“There are tigers and predators… there are all sorts of animals roaming freely in our forests… Someone will guide you into the forest…”Muki cooperated. 

“Ok! Let us go!” Dr. Koite forgot about the breakfast.  “Breakfast….” Jim said glancing at Maria.  She was looking at the other side where Pappi was narrating something to Appa.  Maria saw Ravi breaking into a sprint with Pappi, followed by Appa.  There was something untoward happening around.  Maria caught up with Appa.  “What happened?” she asked concerned. 

“Baby… That Rascal Gathiram…” he blurted something incoherent increasing his pace.  Maria followed. 

Ravi was first to reach Gathiram’s house following Pappi.  “Oh hell…!” he was shocked to see.  A skeleton like person was on the floor puked everywhere with blood stains and Dhatri had passed out with blood red hands and swollen fingers with bleeding mouth. 

“Shit… Dhatri…!” Ravi knelt on the flood not bothering about the deadly, mucus and smell, “Dhatri… wake up!” he yelled holding her wobbling head in his arms. “Damn.. she is burning…” he couldn’t bear her body temperature.

“Are you breathing…? Are you dead?” he yelled in panic.  He looked around to find only pappi. 

“Dhatri…! Oh God! What do I do now?” he picked her lifeless body.  “Wake up!” he patted on her cheeks trying to forcibly open her eyes.  “Damn! Dhatri.. wake up..!” he looked at her red face.

“Mother used to give her cold water bath..!” he remembered Bijoy saying.  He looked around. 

“Get some water..!” he yelled.  Pappi stood there rooted to the ground not understanding what he wanted. 

“Paani lao… Damn it!” he yelled again and she sprang into action.  She dashed inside the house and brought a earthen pot with efforts.  He took it from her.

“Aur lao… get more!” he yelled and poured the water on Dhatri’s head frantically shaking her. 

“Wake up… Dhatri!” he held her closer.  Pappi had got another potfull of water…  He poured it on Dhatri’s head, wiping her face with his sleeves.  “Hey.. wake up..!” he said gently feeling her body temperature subsiding… He removed his Jersey and soaked it in water, wiping Dhatri’s face with the web jersey he tried to remove her jacket.  Pappi helped him.  Dhatri was sweating profusely… Ravi didn’t know what to do. 

“Marimai…. Marimai…” Pappi was praying, closing her eyes.  He too closed his eyes in prayer.  “Oh God! Let her be ok…!” he didn’t know what to pray.  Appa came running and looking at Dhatri… he knelt down.  “Aaiyyo… Marimai… Marimai… help her!” he prayed and picked her up.  “I am taking her home” he said and Ravi got up. 

“I will carry her..!” he picked up Dhatri and ran behind Appa.