nainitaal

Time: 2nd year college

Place: nainital,saat taal

The dog used to sleep inside the spacious robust hut. In fact it would slip in your bed while you dreaming. And sleep peacefully. You too would not mind it , considering how cold it is outside and that the leopards are out looking for preys in the night. Leopards kill dogs, one of the guys there told us.

The isolated hut was among 3 other huts put on the top of that mountain. If you go downhill for any reason; be it a stroll or cigarettes/liquor, you ought to ask the cook(Jungi da, if i am not mistaken) if there is any necessary item to be brought to the kitchen(grocery, etc.).

There was no electricity there. Only a genset to fetch water. everything else was un-electric.

Probably that is what gave that place a distinct feel. They told us that during winters foreigners throng this place to sit in solace. Foreigners from Israel, Italy, France. They smoke pots and remain high every time.

At night they made aaloo pyaaz parantha in dinner. Jundi da served it. They said Jungi Da is the coolest and most contended person alive, at least in nainital. He would reject a bag full of money for the life he is living now. Torn and shabby clothes. All this man wants is his two pair of trousers and some shirts gifted/given away by guest foreigners, a glass to put in some desi/vilaaiti daaru or some tea and beedis which he always puffed irrespective of what he was doing.

One of them put some whiskey in a tapri glass and sipped. He was humming 'Ma rewa' from Indian ocean. That was the next best thing you could listen to after listening to Indian Ocean Live.

Later , one of them asked us if we wished to sit out and look for the leopard. We agreed. While we were sitting there, they lighted some stuff(ganja/marijuana/?? whatever!!). I could see that weed is part of their lives in mountains. Shiv ji too used to have it with Parvati ! Then one of them said with hushed tone, "dekho Udhar!! Woh us taraf, saamne!! "

And it was there... two eyes looking towards us. very similar to the cat's eyes; the way they illuminate in the dark. Still .. Rock Still.. And then they lighted up their search torch to shoo him away.. And instantaneously they disappeared...

We were two boys.

Me and my friend Shishank.