Song of the Forgotten Road...

FICTION 

Advay walked towards the structure. At the base hidden by a pile of rocks was a dog lying in a pool of blood. Its lower portion had been severed from the body, exposing its internal organs But the animal was alive, its eyes half closed and his tongue rolled backward. Advay pulled out his phone and called the forest doctor.

In the solitary stillness of the evening, amidst the mist that threw a placid vagueness into the surrounding, Advay made his way up the steep road, trying to fathom what exactly he felt. He had walked this route a thousand times, taking in the changing moods of the mountain that shimmered in the horizon and the gushing river that weaved through the mystic landscape.

Bhalukpung, a quaint border town, was his home for the last one year. A forest officer by profession, he manned the very last outpost attached to Nameri National Park. He stood at the vanguard where the untamed green wilderness made its transition into the hilly tracks of Arunachal Pradesh.

Away from his home and freed from the day-to-day societal contacts, he survived his solitude by building a routine and raising it to the level of a ritual. He would get up early in the morning, finish his office chores by twelve and then ride his motorbike to the nearest outpost. Here he would spend a few hours and return home by four. He would then go out for his evening walk.

Advay would cross over to the Arunachal side, past the square pillared welcome gate that had a colossal concrete image of the Mithun sitting at the top. The lifeless beast that stared down with watchful eyes and its sharp pointed horns tearing into the open sky above. A few meters ahead was a crude tin and bamboo structure that served as the entry check point. A bored looking middle aged man, who checked the visitors' permits would wave at him. Advay would slow his steps and wave back.

For some reason, this small gesture of bonhomie would plunge Advay into a profound sense of bliss. This man, his smile, the walk through Mithun gate, the stalls that lined both sides of the street would usher in an acute numbness into his being. It was as though his mind with its multitude of thoughts had suddenly ceased to exist.

In that elevated state, he would trek for one and a half kilometers to reach a flat, round shaped space. A signage informed that it was once a helipad . He would then lay on the tarmac top waiting for the all pervading darkness to descend around him.

But today an aberration has crept into his routine. A silent stir…a miniscule wave… seemed to have disturbed or rather nudged the flat stillness of his mind. It made him uneasy. To calm himself, he stepped on to the grassy patch at the side of the road and forced his eyes shut.

A car passed by, making a growling sound and momentarily burying the soft notes of wind, dancing to the rhythm of the gushing river. Advay opened his eyes. He thought he heard something or rather sensed it. A wheezing sound…labored and tired. A few meters ahead, perched at the edge of the road was a replica of a Buddhist stupa. A white dome surrounded by multihued prayer flags.

Advay walked towards the structure. At the base hidden by a pile of rocks was a dog lying in a pool of blood. Its lower portion had been severed from the body, exposing its internal organs But the animal was alive, its eyes half closed and his tongue rolled backward. Advay pulled out his phone and called the forest doctor.

It was only when the doctor laughed at his request that he realized what he was doing.

"It's a dog…a stray dog for god's sake…not a deer or a leopard. You know what to do" The doctor said and hung up.

Advay picked up a rock. This was the only way he could lessen the misery of the poor animal. The dog's eyes glistened in the orange light of the dying sun, a heart broken gaze bored into Advay. His courage failed him. He dropped the stone and sat on the stairs beside the animal.

Something glinted around his neck, a dog tag. It had the name Leo engraved on it.

"Leo, it's going to be ok…don't worry" said Advay. His voice was choking.

"Just hold on" he continued "You have been brave…it's going to be over before you know"

Advay ran his hand over Leo's head. The dog was shaking…a shock coursing through his body.

Leo was one of those mountain dogs. Thick furred and strong bodied, found in the higher altitudes. The collar and the tag says he had a home once. But how did he end up here? The dog had been run over by a speeding vehicle, perhaps by one of those beasty eight wheeled trucks.

Advay's eyes moved over the dog's hind parts. Dried blood mixed with dirt clung to his fur. On his right thigh was an ulcer like laceration, quite distinct from his recent injuries. He wondered if this was the reason for Leo's abandonment. He was left on his own once his so-called family learned about his illness. Dogs were supposed to be man's best friend but the feeling's not mutual.

"You are such a beautiful creature… You must have gathered a lot of love" said Advay "I know that feeling…of being loved. It feels amazing to be wanted…" he paused, and looked out at the distance, the shrinking light making it difficult to see.

"My family loves me too. But I am never around. " he continued "I can't blame them, if their love for me has changed…They miss my absence more than they miss me…When my mother died I couldn't be with her. She died alone, in her room, in the dead of the night."

Leo stopped breathing. An encompassing coldness wrapped around them. Advay gazed at the star studded sky. Those spots of lights began to dance furiously, as tears rolled down his cheeks.

By: Emon NC

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