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He turned the steering with all the force his hands could muster. But the movement of the upended road pushed the car towards the cliff! The headlight turned to an impossible angle. Rocks fell like pebbles from a boy's hand. And then, a crushing impact as the entire earth fell on the car!

The initial slide was too smooth. Then the car just rolled. Bhrigu's face crashed against the roof of the car. Sacchit was frantically looking for something to grip! Shards from the shattered front glass flew inside. Sacchit was pinned to his seat.

Mud and water were seeping in. And there was thunder! Is this the end of the world? It was too mundane. The roof shook again. Stones were still falling.

Slowly there was quietness. And then, only stillness. Time passed- Five minutes? Ten? An hour? Not a soul knew!

A hand pierced through the mud! Bhrigu pulled himself up.

The tree lodged inside the car had saved him. The car was transfixed among the conifers. It hung awkwardly, covered in mud and debris. Bhrigu pulled Sacchit out with immense strength. A small branch had pierced the collarbone. Bhrigu decided not to pull it out. Sacchit was just breathing! It was uneven and shallow. Bhrigu carefully broke the branch just outside the entry point. He pulled himself up with Sacchit on his shoulder. A stream of water was rushing down where they were making it difficult to stand.

Bhrigu checked his location. There should be a habitat not very far from here, a village somewhere in the north.

The walk through the jungle made it almost impossible to stay on course. Branches hit him in the face as he carried Sacchit. The ground was slippery. Bhrigu heard strange noises. Was the village any closer?

Then he saw something dark. It was darker than the black face of the mountain. It did not move. Bhrigu stopped for a second. Then he went towards it, adjusting his lens. The dark was hollow! A cave, carved in the mountains! Bhrigu stepped inside to check. Could there be any wild animals? He looked at Sacchit! His life was fading by the minute. He should not stop here. He should try for the village! Or maybe he should first get both of them dry!

The indecision made Bhrigu freeze! Rocks were hanging dangerously from the top. A small stream of water covered the floor. He bent down his head and moved forward. He could see the stalactites hanging like angry monsters watching his every move. As he went inside, the heavy sound of rain diminished.

After settling down, he first checked Sacchit’s condition. He tore his shirt and dressed the wound with broken point of the branch still pinned inside. He then rubbed Sacchit’s body with his hand.

Something moved!

A wild fox.

Bhrigu did not pay it any attention. He was strong enough to manage if something went wrong. Very gently, he moved Sacchit over a flat dry rock in the middle of the cave. Then he looked around.

The air was humid. Droplets of water seeped from the ceiling and walls. He had spotted a patch of spiderwebs hanging near the entrance. He remembered something. All the internet surfing was paying off. Spider silk is known for its coagulant properties and can help stem bleeding.

He quickly gathered the webs and pressed them gently into Sacchit’s wound. The bleeding began to slow down. Bhrigu then took a deep breath and remembered again. Herbs! They grow in dark, damp places, often found near cave mouths. It was a long shot, but worth a try. He hurried back to the entrance,

Crushing the herb between his fingers, he created a thick, medicinal paste and applied it to Sacchit’s wound. The herb's cool touch seemed to bring relief to his companion’s fevered body. The bleeding slowed further. He knew not to touch the branch or force it out.

There was a new problem. Water level in the cave was beginning to rise. Bhrigu had to go further inside. He picked up Sacchit. The walls caved in on the narrow pathway, sharp rocks protruded, wet streams flowed and made a strange deep noise. In some places it was too difficult to grip!

Suddenly he was forced to stop! The pathway was blocked by something big! Not one, three of them. Bears! Bhrigu has entered their lair!

Retracing their steps, Bhrigu found the front side of the cave to be almost like a river now! Sacchit was hardly breathing.

Bhrigu stepped out and entered the jungle. The sky was cracked open by lightening. Trees were uprooted and a heavy stream of water was flowing down. A flash flood! Bhrigu started running.

There was no way to know how long he ran or in which direction.

Then he heard a cry. A child!

Stranded and sucked in a small sinkhole was a little boy, crying painfully!

With Sacchit on one of his shoulders, Bhrigu ventured in, bent down and stretched out his hand. The boy held on with a vice-like grip. Bhrigu was almost pulled in himself. He managed to balance and also pulled up the boy.

The child could barely walk. He was still crying in pain. He was still incoherent from shock. The cacophony of the stormy night razed the trees and the mountains. The boy grabbed Bhrigu’s waist and fainted.

Bhrigu did not know what to do with the child. Where did he come from? Must be must be… there must be some habitat nearby. He dragged the boy and moved ahead. Was this a path? Or what used to be one? Bhrigu adjusted his pupils. Yes, the path was there! To their right.

Slowly the jungle became thinner, and cleared out into a flatland.

Bhrigu heard anxious voices all of a sudden. People! About a dozen of them. He took a step forward, emerging from the bushes. The onlookers saw his keen eyes, and ran towards him, shouting.

Bhrigu stood still, weighing his options. This one had the highest chance of survival.

A woman stopped just in front of Bhrigu. She had an anxious face with swollen eyes and crumpled cheeks. When she saw the child, she let out a whimper. She snatched the child and cuddled him, with tears visible even in this heavy rain.

“Messiah!” one of the crowd said.

The small hut shook with each bustling wind. Sacchit was lying senseless and bare with only two layers of loincloth wrapped around his body. A tribal man sat beside him, watching him closely, The little boy was also resting beside Sacchit. The woman was cooking. She poured out a cup of hot soup. The man took the cup, and poured a spoonfull in Sacchit’s mouth.

Throughout the night, nature danced on the tin roof. Bhrigu kept sitting with his eyes open. Out there somewhere he heard people’s cries. A hut had collapsed. The tribal man with his family remained on edge. Sacchit’s breathing was still very laboured. His temperature would not come down. Late in the night the forces of rain and wind weakened. By that time, everyone were tired and fell asleep.

Bhrigu came out. It was still drizzling, but the sky had a hint of brightness. He saw broken houses. Fallen walls. The village has been battered by the storm. Suddenly he heard a familiar sound and looked up.

It spoke in ‘Kashi’ language. Bhrigu could understand it. It was a rescue drone. It focussed on Bhrigu for a moment and drew nearer.

The villagers were gathering. There were very few of them remaining. They had called for help. And now the drones were here.

The survivors needed to rebuild. But first, they need to heal. Nature had taken away too much!

The drones directed the hurdled villagers as they walked through narrow trails, edges of cliffs, and past small stream. Bhrigu stooped on a bend. He saw a man waving. The drones stopped too. They moved forward. Slowly the valley appeared. Behind the man was a cap! A relief camp!

“Welcome,” said the Man.

Co-written with DC

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