Chapter 42 Embrace Of The Coirs

• 'We're breaking our backs for nothing' ACP Rathi uttered in exasperation. It had been already two long hours they had been scanning the forest but other than a few wild boars and deers no other animal had crossed their path. The group had almost forgotten their encounter with the deadly snake, as if the incident had occurred long ago or perhaps didn't occur at all. Everyone was expecting the expedition to come to end so that they could at least get a wink of sleep in the early hours of the day. Two of the guards, Mann Singh and Bhairon Sardar - Bhonsle's favourites, as they belonged to Bhonsle's village, were in the most pitiable position as they were to resume duty at end of the expedition till their relievers turned up. Bhonsle knew the guards had other plans for the first day of the year - some tribal festival for which they had to be excused. There was shortage of guards in that area and despite advertising in newspapers the positions were yet to be filled up.
• After sometime Bhairon Sardar excused himself to answer the call of nature and as he stepped down the path taken by the regiment making his way through a cluster of trees, an eerie silence greeted him. The voices of his people waned in the distance and the sounds of krickets seemed to multiply, with the cries of some unknown birds breaking the monotony in between. A smoke of mist had descended down from the sky, making vision difficult despite the flashlight. He had just unzipped his pants when someone whispered very close to him. He looked all around pointing his gun in the darkness but there was no one or nothing. After relieving himself he had turned around and taken a few steps when he heard the whisper again. He turned back to face the tree on whose trunk he had relieved himself. This time someone clearly called out his name followed by mumbling of words he could hardly understand.
• 'Is anyone there?' he shouted and strode forward with all the courage as was to be expected from a guard of his clan expediting his duties. He examined the area carefully for an intruder. Or was it that someone from his own line was playing truant with him?