Chapter 11

A boy of not more than ten came and placed three cups of tea on the table. Nathan was not interested. “When did my students reach here?” Nathan asked Parshuram impatiently. He thought it would be better than asking whether they had reached at all.

“No one came here, Mr. Nathan”, said Parshuram with a tone of bewilderment. “Anyone coming to Kimpri would come in a vehicle especially in weather like this and…were they not supposed to come with you?”

It would be useless to explain the presumed chronology of events to Parshuram, Nathan thought. “We saw their gypsy stranded about seventeen kilometers from here…” said Nathan. “… The place where you can see a cluster of huts on a mountain slope. The place had a milestone, saying Kimpri seventeen kilometers…so we thought that their vehicle had broken down and they had taken the mail van up to here.”

On hearing this, the old man with the broom and dustpan stood up. Parshuram could see him from the corner of his eyes, coming towards the table.

“But Prof. Nathan, the mail van does not arrive here on Tuesdays. It comes once a week and we have decided the days to be Friday and Saturday for Kimpri. The rest of the week it goes to Palampur, Rampur and around there…”

“Which place, did you say Saab?” Rampal had come to their table and asked Nathan. His eyes were watering and he was shivering. He had folded his hands beneath his shawl as if in a sort of prayer.

“Seventeen Kil…” Nathan wanted to answer him, but the man went hysterical. “Don’t go there Saab” he shouted “that is the jungle. You will become a part of it. Don’t…”

By now, everyone had stopped their work and was looking in the direction of the big table. Parshuram got up and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Relax, Rampal. Relax.” But Rampal continued shouting. “Don’t go there. Don’t…” Nathan got up and two other employees came to the table. They were about to use force on Rampal when Nathan signaled them not to. Nathan came towards him and said “We are ready to listen to you, but first calm down…”

“I assure you Mr. Nathan; you would not want to listen to this man. It is a waste of time.” Parshuram told Nathan.

“I know what has happened…” insisted Rampal.

Nathan was not sure if he could waste time listening to a man whom everyone calls a lunatic, at the risk of avoiding a possible danger in which his students might be. Parshuram left the table. “If you need me, I’m over there”, he said signaling towards an office table behind a counter.

“Why do you think we shouldn’t go back?” He asked Rampal in pahari language. And Rampal told.