After a brief photo session. We started our return journey. We had two options to get down. Either the way through which we came from or through road. Though I was tired, but wanted to go back exploring another route. So I told Kanuram to go by road. I wanted to check the road condition for my future rides. Till now Kanuram had almost finished his mobile battery in listening the Santhali songs. I requested him to turn off the songs. Now I could clearly hear the natural sounds of jungle. The dog sometimes used to run away from us and Kanuram used to stop suddenly in between. This made me curious. He told this place is full of gray langurs and other animals. So we have to be careful. Thankfully we were having the dog with us who used to warn us by doing his sudden movements.
Though the flat road made our walk quite easy, but it also went long. However, I was not in mood to go via jungle route again. So we kept walking. I kept clicking. The dog kept pissing here and there. After some time I felt Kanuram was not very sure about the total distance through road. He was giving some vague ideas. This was a matter of worry, but there was enough time to get dark. It was just 1 pm. So I decided to keep walking. Though my legs had started paining by now. Road condition was also not good. Not at all good for any vehicle. It was a wide path without forest cover, which appeared to be abandoned long time back. Full of stones, gravel and bushes. We were exposed to sun rays now. There were no flat rocks - kind of structure anywhere to sit and take rest for while.
The whole return was getting painful. I just had one opportunity to sit. At a particular point of time I was so irritated with Kanuram due to his unawareness of the left distance. But this is what the mountains test. Patience and cool are the foremost things not to be forgotten in such time. Our eyes were craving like anything to see a glimpse of road. Kanuram used to stop anywhere he got a chance to see beyond the trees to see any mark of road like structure. Really it had become a live episode of 'Man vs. Wild' where we both were tracing mark of human habitats. We were so tired, but did not had option to stop for a while. Clouds starting thundering. Kanuram's 'inbuilt forecast system' raised alarm. Situation was getting worse. We were almost running downhill without having idea of how far to run. I was gasping for air.
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| Ants hill in the middle of the road |
We were hopeful of managing to reach to the main road by 3 pm. My watch was also indicating that we were almost near to the level from we started at morning. But the clouds made us worried. I had umbrella, but did not want to get trapped in rains at this place. Suddenly my mobile started buzzing. It had started getting signals. Now these signs made me hopeful. The slope had also turned flat now. Kanuram indicated me towards a road bifurcation point. Go straight and we reach the main road. Turn left and we could see a pond. I opted for turning left. In a short while we reached a man made pond like structure. It looked like a government initiative for water supply to nearby areas. There were few sign boards written in Bengali and painted in dark red and green, indicating it as a property of Forest Department.
After getting fresh at the pond and resting for a while under the huge tree at the site, we started again. This time to end our trek and part from each other. We knew we were very near to the main road. Therefore our chat turned emotional. I told him how much I enjoyed his company. He was also trying to say something which I never understood, but yes, he was getting bit emotional too. Really, we had a very good time with each other. We learnt a lot of things from each other.
Finally I could see the black tarmac. It appeared like it had been a very long time to see a black metaled road. Such was my condition. I was so happy to see that. I bid adieu to my dear friend Kanuram and paid his 'Guide fee' - Rs 200. We both had to go in opposite directions. I had to catch bus to Asanosol, where as he was supposed to go back to Palash Bithi lodge. But the most overwhelming emotions had yet to come. When we both were going away from each other, this dog kept watching us separating for few moments and I don't know what happened to her. She just ran towards me. I was so moved to see her.
I tried to make her run away from me. But she didn't. I kept walking in hope of getting a lift or some place to sit. She accompanied me. I tried a lot, but she didn't go. Finally I saw a milestone which could be used to sit for a while. I sat there and started waiting for help. A rural man appeared coming towards me on his cycle. I asked him to drop me to the nearest village, but he told me an auto-rickshaw was following him and would be reaching in no time. And within a minute or two the auto-rickshaw appeared. I waived my hand to stop it and the driver stopped. I saw the dog came running towards me.
Suddenly this idea came into my mind. I asked the auto-rickshaw driver to wait for a while and went back to the dog and gave her some bread piece which I was carrying for emergency. She went busy in eating it and I ran and jumped into the auto. She kept watching the auto going away from her.
I hope she would have reached her home safely. Thanks for your beautiful company dear doggy :)
( Incidentally the same thing happened with me 7-8 years back in a trek to Har ki Doon in Himalayas (Uttarakhand). A dog followed us for the whole trek of 7 days. It became like a part of our trekking team. After reaching our base camp we took shelter in a building and this dog disappeared. We felt his absence. Next day we were surprised to see him back. It was just 5 AM in the month of January. Still dark. Nobody was there at that time. Not even our guide had woke up. Only this dog came to see us off. ) 