Khajjiar, Himachal Pradesh, India. January 2016
I don't know exactly where he started. And I don't know where he went. But his presence was ubiquitous ever since he entered our lives. This was something that Rupali did not like. Mishti was not very excited either initially but I guess he grew on her. She kept asking about him later. Even defended him after the events of the night. The night and the sequence of its events, which only I was fully aware of.
Rupali has always been very open about her discomfort to strangers. It's because of her past. She knows not to trust anyone. This explains her being overprotective about Mishti. I on the other hand am a little easy going. And I easily trust anyone. Particularly of the type we are talking about. This irks her. This day was no different. As I got friendly with our stranger, her discomfort was visible. While Mishti got amiable after a few hours of our encounter, she still kept her distance. What if he does something inappropriate. Something that her mumma has reminded her off so many times.
At one point during our trail our stranger met another friend of his and they were behaving strangely animated. One would be suspicious of such behavior. Rupali wanted us to head back but I wanted to go on. Irritated she headed back to the hotel taking Mishti along. I kept moving alone and realised that now even our stranger and his friend were not around. On my way back I met him again. Alone. He was looking at me. When I questioned him on his disappearance and his strange friend, he kept mum. I don't know what occurred to me but I invited him to our hotel. He readily agreed. This was perhaps a mistake as I realized only when the night unfolded.
While Rupali was upset that I invited him to the hotel, she sat along putting up a cheerful face while we had our evening tea and biscuits together on our porch.
Later as we settled into our room, I would have thought that he had left. But he was lurking around, his presence pervasive. While this made Rupali nervous, Mishti and I laughed at her expense. During the evening i saw him again. And again. As I closed the lights for the night I was sure that he was still around.
The first signs of trouble happened late at night when a few hooligans, his friends perhaps, kept shouting outside our room. Our cottage I must tell you was not a part of the main establishment at the Deodar hotel in Khajjiar. It was cut off from the main building without even a phone connection. No they were not drunk but I could not understand what they were saying loudly in their own native language.
I got out of bed and looked from the window and could see at least 5-6 of them looking towards our cottage. He was quiet, not the one making noise. I opened the door and gave nice little pep talk at which one of them tried to attack me. This shook my confidence a little and I was scared for the first time that night. I managed to keep calm and persuaded them to leave. Rupali was anxious when she heard about the attack and kept reminding me that we should have never been so friendly in the first place.
We had barely settled back in the warmth of the blankets when they were back again. This time the noise was louder. Perhaps they had a plan of sorts. While he was still quiet and stood in a corner, a couple of his friends were right onto our porch, the same very place where we had our evening tea. They had the audacity to come right outside our door! It irritated me that it was all because of him. Mishti was fully awake by now and was rather amused by the proceedings.
I was half sure whether to step out late in the night with the ruffians outside. What if they attacked again? This time in a group. If I had to call the hotel guys for help, I had to leave the room and go to the hotel main establishment which was at least 50 yards away. Upon deliberation, I took it upon myself, pulled out the bathroom curtain rod and stepped out. While our stranger was quiet the others continued to bark. I landed a hard blow on a couple of them. I shouted at him. He looked at me and meekly went away. Did not utter a sound at all. Rest of the night was peaceful.
The morning after had no sign of him. I felt sorry. He was very loyal, like they all are. Once on our trail earlier in the evening where we met him, sensing trouble from lungoors, he kept a strong guard protecting our family. But where was he? We were to leave in a few hours and I was missing him already. A few pieces of bread were kept for him in case he came back. But he did not. The night was harrowing for him. A little dog surrounded by local big fellows sat quietly in the corner, helpless.
Mishti looked for him first thing when she woke up. Where is Joy, she asked. After all, she had named him.
I don't know exactly where he started. And I don't know where he went. But his presence was ubiquitous ever since he entered our lives. This was something that Rupali did not like. Mishti was not very excited either initially but I guess he grew on her. She kept asking about him later. Even defended him after the events of the night. The night and the sequence of its events, which only I was fully aware of.
Rupali has always been very open about her discomfort to strangers. It's because of her past. She knows not to trust anyone. This explains her being overprotective about Mishti. I on the other hand am a little easy going. And I easily trust anyone. Particularly of the type we are talking about. This irks her. This day was no different. As I got friendly with our stranger, her discomfort was visible. While Mishti got amiable after a few hours of our encounter, she still kept her distance. What if he does something inappropriate. Something that her mumma has reminded her off so many times.
At one point during our trail our stranger met another friend of his and they were behaving strangely animated. One would be suspicious of such behavior. Rupali wanted us to head back but I wanted to go on. Irritated she headed back to the hotel taking Mishti along. I kept moving alone and realised that now even our stranger and his friend were not around. On my way back I met him again. Alone. He was looking at me. When I questioned him on his disappearance and his strange friend, he kept mum. I don't know what occurred to me but I invited him to our hotel. He readily agreed. This was perhaps a mistake as I realized only when the night unfolded.
While Rupali was upset that I invited him to the hotel, she sat along putting up a cheerful face while we had our evening tea and biscuits together on our porch.
Later as we settled into our room, I would have thought that he had left. But he was lurking around, his presence pervasive. While this made Rupali nervous, Mishti and I laughed at her expense. During the evening i saw him again. And again. As I closed the lights for the night I was sure that he was still around.
The first signs of trouble happened late at night when a few hooligans, his friends perhaps, kept shouting outside our room. Our cottage I must tell you was not a part of the main establishment at the Deodar hotel in Khajjiar. It was cut off from the main building without even a phone connection. No they were not drunk but I could not understand what they were saying loudly in their own native language.
I got out of bed and looked from the window and could see at least 5-6 of them looking towards our cottage. He was quiet, not the one making noise. I opened the door and gave nice little pep talk at which one of them tried to attack me. This shook my confidence a little and I was scared for the first time that night. I managed to keep calm and persuaded them to leave. Rupali was anxious when she heard about the attack and kept reminding me that we should have never been so friendly in the first place.
We had barely settled back in the warmth of the blankets when they were back again. This time the noise was louder. Perhaps they had a plan of sorts. While he was still quiet and stood in a corner, a couple of his friends were right onto our porch, the same very place where we had our evening tea. They had the audacity to come right outside our door! It irritated me that it was all because of him. Mishti was fully awake by now and was rather amused by the proceedings.
I was half sure whether to step out late in the night with the ruffians outside. What if they attacked again? This time in a group. If I had to call the hotel guys for help, I had to leave the room and go to the hotel main establishment which was at least 50 yards away. Upon deliberation, I took it upon myself, pulled out the bathroom curtain rod and stepped out. While our stranger was quiet the others continued to bark. I landed a hard blow on a couple of them. I shouted at him. He looked at me and meekly went away. Did not utter a sound at all. Rest of the night was peaceful.
The morning after had no sign of him. I felt sorry. He was very loyal, like they all are. Once on our trail earlier in the evening where we met him, sensing trouble from lungoors, he kept a strong guard protecting our family. But where was he? We were to leave in a few hours and I was missing him already. A few pieces of bread were kept for him in case he came back. But he did not. The night was harrowing for him. A little dog surrounded by local big fellows sat quietly in the corner, helpless.
Mishti looked for him first thing when she woke up. Where is Joy, she asked. After all, she had named him.
