The Great Downpour

Chapter XXIX

PART THREE

THE DENOUMENT


CHAPTER XXIX

The medics were out of their jeep within the next minute. A quick questioning took them to Chand, Yash and Inspector Dubey. They called the helicopter pilots and assistants to help take these three injured and sick people quickly to the General Hospital at Jabalpur.

Inspector Dubey was conscious but bleeding, though with the pressure that the medics had applied to his trunk and scalp, the bleeding was slowly but surely coming under control.

He gestured that he be taken to the students. The medics put him on a stretcher and took him to where the students stood, tired and relieved, munching real food for the first time in five days.

“Who among you is Rati Lancaster?” Vijay asked them.

Rati was surprised to hear her name called. She came forward, saying, “I am Rati, Sir. What is the matter?”

“I am … Inspector Vijay Dubey, your father!”

Rati couldn’t believe her ears. Her own father! How could that be? Oh God, let this be true and not a dream! She waited for the older man to say something.

“Your mother, Carmen …”

Rati said, “Yes, go on, please!”

“Carmen is here, in Seoni. She has come to search for you and your group!” Vijay was feeling weaker and was finding it difficult to speak on account of the pain. The medic gave him an injectable pain killer and asked him to remain quiet and started taking the stretcher away with his colleague holding the other end.

Rati ran with the stretcher.

“Are you joking, Sir?”

Vijay raised his head and shook it. Rati was now definitely sure that the gentleman she had just talked to was her father.

“Tell me where you are going to take him,” she asked the medics.

They told her they would take him to the General Hospital at Jabalpur. She returned to her friends.

“I can’t believe you saved yourself and went back to Seoni the same day,” Seeta was telling her brother. “We were worried about you! At one point, when you did not turn up, I even thought of giving up on you, bhai!”

“There is no need to worry, bahen. Everything is fine. By the way, where is the second peon, Mahadev?”

They gathered around, sipping hot tea and relating the various adventures they had gone through over the past four and a half days. In return, Sundeep told them about the way he had gone about arranging the rescue operation. Nanda hung on to every word of his in a way that gave off obvious signals to the rest of the friends. Eventually, it was Sandesh who pointed it out to Nanda.

He said, “Hey Nanda, why are you standing there with stars in your eyes? Is anything the matter?”

Nanda blushed and diverted her gaze from Sundeep to Sandesh.

Sandesh nudged Sundeep privately and told him, “Nanda has flipped for you, hook, line and sinker, Sunny!”

Sundeep, who was aware that Nanda had taken an interest in him for the past few months, looked away from Nanda too, and continued as if no one had interrupted.

“We had a really tough time reaching here from the Chhindwara end of the Park! We had to leave the ambulances and the provisions trucks behind and come here on bicycles, bikes and jeeps!” he was saying.

Just then, Seeta said, “Bhai, I am worried about Chand. Have you told the doctors what happened to him?”

“I told him that he had been attacked by a leopard,” said Sundeep. “Isn’t that correct?” he added.

“It is correct, bhai, but do you mind if I cross-check?”

“No, of course not,” said Sundeep.

Seeta dashed off to where Chand and Yash were being loaded into the copter. She spoke to the doctor about Chand’s condition in detail. The doctor kept nodding as Seeta explained how Chand had slipped into an unconscious state early today morning.

“Okay,” said the doctor when Seeta had finished, “we’ll do our best to save his life.”

“Thanks a lot,” said Seeta, sounding much relieved at the assurance given by the doctor.

While Seeta was away, Sundeep asked whether there was anything between his sister and Chand. Nobody wanted to sound like a spoilsport or snitch on Seeta, but the way they talked and averted their gazes, it was clear that something was indeed up between the two. When Seeta returned, he took her aside and asked her about her personal interest in Chand. Seeta blushed then, and Sundeep felt all right, since he knew Chand personally. He was sure that Seeta would not be led astray by him. He laughed and hugged her and congratulated her on her good choice!

Rati came up to Sandesh and took his hand in hers and said, “Thanks for all that you did during the last four days. Without your courage and talent, we would have been nowhere.” Sandesh accepted this with humility, but was surprised when she quietly squeezed his hands and winked at him. I think she just said “Yes” to our relationship! Wow! Rati let his hand go then, and she informed everyone that she was going to accompany her father to the Hospital. She shook hands with everyone and said that she would meet them in college in a few days. She then took their leave and went off to get into the helicopter.

The first copter took off with Yash, Chand and Inspector Dubey, accompanied by a few of the doctors, medics and Rati Lancaster.

Gangadin patted his shirt pocket to see if the packet of the diamonds in it was intact. He was waiting to go back to Jabalpur so that he could have them checked for authenticity. If they were real, his life was made! He would never have to be a peon in the college. Then again, he would miss their affection and love, he noted.

Presently, the second copter too lifted off, carrying with it the remaining students, Gangadin and just one forest officer.

The Chief I.G. of Police, who had been informed about the rescue, called back to congratulate the police and forest department officers for their success. He also expressed regret that one staffer of the college had lost his life. He signed off after this, ostensibly to attend a press conference called by the Chief Minister.

More than a hundred reporters came to attend the Press Meet at the Governor’s Bungalow in Bhopal. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh congratulated the Police force for achieving success in the face of adversity. He announced payment of Rs. 50000/= to the kin of Mahadev, the College peon who had lost his life. He also announced the invitation of tenders for the construction of a concrete bridge over the Pench River so that “such incidents as this one become a thing of the past”. He regretted the death of the female tiger but pardoned the shooting act of Inspector Dubey as a “life-saving act” in a state of emergency. In addition, he announced that the captured tiger would be transferred to the Gwalior Zoo where he would be “rehabilitated” and made to “forget” his penchant for human meat. He added that he would recommend the names of Sandesh, Sundeep and Farhad for the National Awards for Bravery. Finally, he declared that picnic groups exceeding 100 persons would no longer be permitted to visit any National Parks or Wildlife Reserves in the state.

In his speech, the Chief I.G. commented on the sad death of four of his constables in the line of duty. He announced a payment of Rs. 50000/= to the relatives of the constables. He also commended the action of Inspector Vijay Dubey and announced free treatment and a grant of Rs. 25000/= from the M.P. Police Relief Fund. He declared that his police force would see to it that the dacoity menace was removed forever from all the National Parks and Wildlife Reserves in the state within six months and all the dacoits would be arrested and thrown into prison. “The Law will take its own course,” he ended on an optimistic note.

Sundeep also spoke. He described the troubles he had to face in arranging the rescue initially, but went on to thank the administration, the police and the chief minister for their cooperation and for successfully rescuing all the survivors in a reasonable time-frame. He hoped that the administration and the police remained responsive to the needs of the people from time to time.

At the end of the formal conference, many reporters met the survivors of the adventure on a one-to-one basis and procured details of their heroic deeds and their problems. These would feed Page One of most newspapers and form the headline news in most TV channels for the next three or four days before other news edged them out and made them a part of archives.

During one such interview, reporters learnt about the 12-foot long “anaconda” that had bitten Bhairavi. Never one to lose an opportunity for display of her face and “figure” to the cameras, Bhairavi had embellished her facts with a lot of fiction that she had to retract the next day when the reporters went to town about a “fictional adventure” by an “attractive townie”!

***

The group had gathered by the bedside of Chand, who was now shifted to a private room. The past three days had been tumultuous. He had regained consciousness within six hours of admission, thanks to the intensive treatment started by the doctors at Jabalpur General Hospital where he was being cared for. Drugs like Magnamycin, Piptaz and Metrogyl were being used; these drugs, plus the supportive care that he received brought him out of the woods.

“So, when do the doctors plan to discharge you?” asked Nazima.

“I don’t know. Ask Seeta. She spoke to the senior attending doctor today morning,” said Chand.

“Ask Seeta, he says!! Ha ha!” guffawed Mohammad.

“Leave him be, yaar! Let us stop teasing them about all this. After all, he is our friend … and Seeta is, too!” said Sandesh.

Sandesh stood with Rati holding his hand. They had finally become “steady partners”, and they had announced this just a few moments ago. “Rati is my girl-friend, friends, and I prohibit you all from making fun of us!” When Farhad had looked mischievously at Rati, she had looked down, shy and embarrassed, but she had nodded her acquiescence. Everyone had laughed and then congratulated them both.

Yash, who was recuperating in the next bed with a huge plaster cast around his right leg, said, “Sandy wants to protect his own butt from jokes and teasing, you know!”

Farhad moved a few inches closer to Nazima and said, “I am gonna be the next one to announce something, you know … but I daresay I don’t think she knows!”

Nazima did not realize what Farhad was trying to say and asked him what he meant. Farhad brushed away the query, adding cryptically that “she would be the first to know”.

Muhammad, who had his eye on Nazima, looked away as a conflict of interest had developed in his love story. Wiping a tear, he turned to Farhad and said, “I am with you, friend. Go ahead and declare your love!” Farhad thanked him and put his arm around him.

“You know, Mummy, I am really lucky to have a pal like you.” He said. Taking Muhammad out of everyone’s earshot, he added, “If you are serious about Naaz, just say so and I’ll bow out of the race.”

While the group continued to chat in this room, another re-union was taking place in the air-conditioned private room two floors above.

***

Rati was crying openly as Carmen held Vijay’s hands in her own and said, “I am NOT going to allow you to continue this dangerous line of work in the future. You and I will settle down in Paris like before where I have the antique business. I need you there! I don’t want to lose you again. I promise to be a good wife! Really!”

Vijay laughed as he opened his arms and hugged his wife and daughter.

“When I have two beauties to look after me, why should I work in a jungle?” he said and laughed once again.