Day 7 – Jan 30, 2015

5:30 AM

The morning sun was quick to wake all of us. My tent had withstood the onslaught. Water had seeped into two of the neighbouring tents. Their rucksacks which were kept outside were all wet. I checked for any congregation of reptiles beneath my tent. But there was none. Morning tea conveniently cushioned in my hands, I stood near the mother-daughter duo. They were happily pulling down creepers and munching leaves. The daughter, shy as always, hid behind the mother when she saw me. Lakshmi knew I meant no harm, so she continued and Deewani too slowly realising it, started munching but only cautiously. I was too happy to see them. Their presence had thwarted off any untoward happening.

9:00 AM

Bidding farewell to the Hornbill camp, we trekked back towards Deban. We had to reach the FRH by evening and thereon to our resort back in Miao. It would again be a long walk as we had to cover twice the distance in a single trek. So with everything packed and luggage mounted, the whole team started the return journey.

A lot of Sapphires, Jesters and Sailors were encountered (again these are just butterflies🙂). Bikki showed us a rudraksh tree. All got super excited and starting collecting the beads. I had never seen so many of them in my life and that too in its natural element on the tree as a fruit. Others took just one, two or maximum five. I on the other hand acquired around fifty five (yes fifty five!) with the help of Bikki. I was too pleased at the accomplishment. I didn’t have an inkling about what I would do with so many of them. But I didn’t want to waste the opportunity. It was in the eastern Himalayas, an abode of the Lord himself. When will I get such a chance again! Also, it was the only tree in our entire trek route. So, all of it went into my rucksack. If we had stayed there for some more time I would have made a century. But time and tide wait for none and I was gratified with a little more than half a century.

12:00 AM

We reached Halidibari (another camping spot); had a quick lunch of alu and rotis. There was small stream nearby we drank, washed and moved on.

1:00 AM

Everybody was busy with varied activities and engulfed with different feelings. The helpers along with the elephants had taken a short route. The cook and one of us had taken another short cut. Three were birding with Bikki and Moshang. One was clicking butterflies. And I stood between the two groups; one that went ahead taking the shortcuts and one birding and butterflying behind. Being the last day, I was already sad about having to leave a place that had become a home in just six days. There was an overwhelming sense of belonging. So, I decided to move along, with nobody in sight either in the front or back, only the forests and trees peeping from either side.

A yellow-bellied fantail gave me company for some distance, hopping from one branch to another alongside. I was wearing a t-shirt that blended with the surroundings. It was part of the hunter’s collection. I was obviously no hunter and had only purchased it as it made me one with the forest. And true to its guarantee, the t-shirt played its part well. The fantail could evidently not differentiate and considered me to be a part of the olives and browns. And so, was moving very close to me. I cast my camera aside, stood there and watched it for a while. Such a wonderfully painted creation of God! How lucky I was to be here and witness all of this! It must have agreed to the thought too, for it looked me in the eye and tilted its head in a nod. I bid a goodbye and trudged on.

Just some 100 m on the trail and I heard sounds in the shrubbery and dense growth around. The obvious initial reaction was fear because it was a dense forest, a tiger reserve at that, and it was no bird that could have made such a noise. Moreover, it wasn’t just one, it was more than one. And the sound was not from trees but from the ground. I stood motionless for some seconds. The sound was drawing closer. As if something or someone was walking closer to me. No member of my group was insight. Instinctively, I decided against standing there and quickened my pace back till I met someone I recognised. And I was too glad to see them. Now, one would think I am overdoing it when I say this, but these were exactly my feelings at that moment. The fantail was still there and I hurried next to it. It didn’t fly away; it must have sensed a slight fear in me (or I choose to believe so) because it waited there with me for few moments before I could hear my trailing group arrive. The company of such a tiny little thing could infuse strength at times when you needed, even a shred of it, the most. Believe me that was a feeling and a moment I can never forget; forever etched in the memory! I loved the bird for that. With such a large group arriving, it flew immediately. But not before it made an eternal connect with me.

We moved in the same direction, but there was no sound now. Whatever it was must have moved away. I refrained from telling anybody about the encounter. We finally reached the point where we had climbed into the forest. Noa-Dihing welcomed us back with her rejuvenating water. I was elated to hear and see her gushing waters. We sat on her banks; had our leisure lunch; filled our bottles and headed for the Deban FRH that could be seen but was still far ahead. We decided to drink water like the animals do. Everybody drank in that pose and was clicked for memory’s sake.

2:30 PM

Walking the bridge back to Deban was the toughest for all of us. We had all come with different yearnings but all had had similar experiences in the last six days. We were bound together by a wonderful forest.

3:00 PM

Deban Forest Rest House! Lakshmi and Deewani were there. We bid the entire team that had been with us for the week, a goodbye. A trip is not complete without a group picture. So, all the cast and crew including the two giants posed for a memorable photo.

4:40 PM

Two SUVs carried us back to Namdapha Jungle Camp at Miao. We did a bit of birding on the way. I fulfilled my desire of clicking a snap with a soldier of the 42 Assam Rifles.

6:00 PM

We were back at the resort and our trek into the forest had formally ended. With a nice hot shower and fresh clothes, we gathered in the garden where a small camp fire was lit. Karok, Sheru and the pups were there too. They were excited with our arrival. One by one, everyone started sharing memories and their experiences of the trek. Nobody was willing to go back to the concrete jungle. The last night seemed to be consuming all. Nostalgia crept in; six pairs of eyes were gazing the camp fire with such intensity, as if a gin would conjure up from it and make them stay there permanently. I definitely wanted a gin to come out.

Singhpo got locally brewed alcohol made of rice. It tasted like sour buttermilk. We were already so high with the effect of the forest that alcohol couldn’t touch that space. Alcohol was in effect just buttermilk. After what seemed a very long time, we rose for dinner. It seemed different sitting on a table and chair for dinner after six days of forest styled dinning. We got treated to the local preparations from the area. Items made inside bamboo sticks. They were simple and delicious.

While we enjoyed the dinner, we discussed the various birds and mammals seen during our treks with Mr. Singhpo. I casually happened to look at the wall, where many photos of the apes found in the forests, hung. I asked about one of them. It was an Assamese Macaque. When he described it and its strange behaviour, to my surprise, I realised that the sounds that I had heard had been these macaques. They were heard more and seen less. One striking point was that, they rarely attacked humans in a group but if they chanced upon a solo traveller, they did definitely attack. I finally opened up my little secretive encounter with the species that may have been them. Mr. Singhpo confirmed that the area which I described was indeed where they were found. All hands stopped for a second and all eyes looked at me; clearly, I was alive and dinning, so logically dinner was the more important thing to focus on!

We finally retired to our huts. Sleep didn’t come easily. The thoughts of what we would be leaving behind tomorrow kept cropping up. In the end, sleep took over; as it always did.

(to be continued…)