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The drive back to the hotel was uneventful. After the experience they had at the Monoliths, Bhrigu kept scrolling through his tablet exploring the history of the place in more detail. Sacchit was quieter than usual. He was disappointed over getting no significant findings at the Monoliths.
As the shadows outside grew darker, the cobwebs in his mind got messier. He remembered Dr. Friedman eagerly helping with the itinerary for the trip. He had gotten over his hesitation at the idea of the effort and commitment such a trip would demand by thinking of Bhrigu and how it would be good for him. Steeped in history and culture and natural beauty, and perfect for relaxation with a side of learning, Dr. Friedman had told encouragingly.
The first few places they had visited and stayed seemed exactly as advertised – tourist spots to experience the beauty of nature that was ageless.
As the trip winded down, the journey and the destinations evoked of time that was like a manifestation of the yesteryears. It filled Sacchit with a sense of unease although he never thought to cut short the trip and return back home to his comfort zone – buried in work. A sort of perverse pleasure and nervous excitement egged him on to continue.
Late in the night, Sacchit finally stopped tossing and turning in futile pursuit of sleep and stepped out onto the balcony. The quaint hillside room they were staying in was cozy and offered a panorama of view that did ample justice to the images posted on that online reservation site.
The traveling, the walking around on the rough terrains, the excitement – everything should have been enough for an early night and undisturbed rest. And yet, neither the aching bones nor even the anticipated schedule for the next day could bring the calmness of sleep he craved. He glanced inside at the other end of the half-lit room to check what Bhrigu was up to. Usual – sitting up scouring the internet. At least one of them was sticking to the routine, Sacchit silently chuckled.
“Don’t get wet in the rain. The main reason for the trip is a change of scenery and relaxation, not to get sick again.”
Sacchit did not need reminding. The Institute, in its infinite wisdom and inescapable brand of work politics, had welcomed his leave application and swiftly approved it with the Remarks column reading ‘R&R’. It had seemed funny at that time but now, the memory only served to irritate.
Sacchit ignored Bhrigu as he did whenever convenient. The rains picked up speed forcing him back inside the room. Bhrigu had put aside the tablet and was staring at the television mounted on the opposite wall, his reflection visible on its switched-off surface.
“So, doing your homework for our next adventure? The transparent river?”
“Also known as Wah Umngot.”
“Yes. Our last stop before going back home. We start in the morning and will stay there in a nearby homestay for a couple of days.”
“But it seemed you liked the Monoliths and I thought perhaps you would want to visit them again. You did stare when we went to see the Stonehenge last year but it didn’t appear you cared for them like these ones now, so it’s these Monoliths here that are special.”
Bhrigu’s keen perception honed by observation and reasoning was uncanny at times. Sacchit was suddenly aware of the silence and found Bhrigu looking down at his hands. His characteristic patience was unwavering whether the conversation continued or stopped abruptly. The real reason Sacchit realized he had stopped talking was because he had not made up his mind yet.
Onward or back to the Monoliths? Something told him that the atmosphere in these parts heightened his twin senses of hearing and smell. That is why the Monoliths had transfixed him in a trance. Was it illogical? Nothing seemed to make any sense anymore. Anyway, the flight back home had flexible dates, so, even though the transparent river seemed to beckon him for no reason other than it being the final stop for the trip, he decided, at that moment, to stay another day here to revisit the Monoliths.
Sacchit picked up the tablet and found the saved video on Stonehenge that Bhrigu had made during their field trip. No, they might look similar but they were definitely not the same. These Monoliths here had some meanings that resonated with him although he did not know if he perceived them as ‘special’ in the way Bhrigu had seemed to infer. It could have been coincidence or it could have been that the decision made his mind feel light and free but when Sacchit drifted off, the sleep was deep and dreamless.
The morning that greeted them seemed darker than any dusk anywhere on earth. Bhrigu was no stranger to the rains with the weather back home but the torrential downpour that greeted him now was staggeringly brutal and strangely fascinating.
It was at once an invitation to wonder at the primitive and a reminder of the elemental might of nature. Sacchit was as gloomy as the overcast skies as he chided himself for not deciding earlier to stay here longer. Then they could have stopped at the village near the Monoliths for another night. But with the pre-set plans to move on to the next and last stage of the trip, he had told Bhrigu it was better to get a good night’s sleep at the hotel with all its amenities.
The next decision Sacchit made was swift and unequivocal. They were going back to the Monoliths and no amount of rain could ruin that plan. The driver who was a local disagreed, first politely, then vehemently. Not even the temptation to make money with this one trip that he probably made in an entire month could dissuade his stance. So, Sacchit did the logical next best thing – he leased the car by offering an astronomically high collateral in crypto to offset the rental company’s risk clause.
He would drive himself and Bhrigu could ride shotgun helping him negotiate the treacherous roads. Adventure within an adventure was a premise that needed no convincing. Bhrigu was already inside the car preparing to read some physical maps with the GPS going haywire due to the raging storm and relentless rain since the previous night.
The hotel staff, other guests and the driver looked at them with a mixture of awe and apprehension as they drove away. Not that Sacchit felt no concern about safety for Bhrigu and himself but he felt oddly confident that he could figure out what was affecting his mind in the presence of the Monoliths and the rains could not hurt them.
The headlights hardly illuminated much ahead and the windshield was taking some serious pounding while the wipers did duty overtime without making too much of a difference. Sacchit let out an involuntary nervous whimper as the car started veering more and more out of control. For a fleeting moment, he considered the pros and cons of switching on the auto-drive mode but immediately rejected the idea as the risk outweighed the convenience of driving.
They had been going on for a couple of hours. Although the difficulty and danger meant they had not progressed very far, it was still near impossible to maneuver the car safely enough to return. The only way was to move forward.
Sacchit could have sworn he sensed a boulder rolling down in front of the car making him swerve because visibility was not just poor anymore it was practically like driving blind on luck. Bhrigu looked up from the map he was scrutinising and did not even flinch.
Either his heart stopped for a few moments or it was the illusion of time going so slow it appeared standstill, and then the rush of adrenalin meant a jolt of everything happening too fast all at once.
The wheels skidded and the furious stomping on the brakes only ached his foot without obeying the laws of simple physics that the car should stop now.
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Co-written with @Ani
