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the house of the strong wind.
scattered bits of soot hanging loosely all.
that could not be shut properly.
a few dry leaves from the nearby.
tree intruding into the room through the broken ventilator.
panes the powerful bulb gradually losing its brightness.
to become like a piece of ember and give.
credence to the impending danger inside the room.
all these happenings terrified me.
making a clear impact on both my.
mental and physical faculties.
yet i did not look around me.
for help and scream like a terrified child.
for the last hopes of survival.
because besides me there was no one else.
in the lonely guest house at that hour of the night.
there was no chance that bhabaprasad who stayed.
in the small house at the other end of the compound.
could hear me in the rainstorm.
maybe he was not at home.
could be that he would have some.
cheap booze at the paan shop at the crossing.
about a furlong or so away and spend the night there.
i knew during our first meeting itself.
from the way he walked.
his physical appearance.
his way of talking that he.
had the habit of drinking.
no one had to tell me about it.
bhabaprasads drinking habit however did not affect his.
behaviour and hospitality.
he received me like a very close.
yet devoted flower.
taking the small suitcase from my hand.
and placing it gently on the stool.
clearing the dusty layer that had formed.
on the previously cleaned few articles of furniture.
with his gamocha removing the lid from the glass of.
water and saying to me the dust on the road.
must have troubled you a lot.
as i removed patches of dust with an.
old towel and wanted to say something.
bhabaprasad said the road has not been.
gravelled for a long time.
about ten or fifteen years ago i.
had raised the matter with an officer during his.
visit here a few days later two truckloads of.
tone chips were sent here one truckload was utilised.
by the ranger at his bungalow and the remaining.
ships were scattered here and there.
now there are no traces of those.
stone ships left i knew that bhabaprasad wanted to let me.
know about his connections with important people.
that was natural because unless.
something very important cropped up.
there was no chance of any officer visiting this.
isolated place and even if anyone came.
there was no option for him but.
to put up with the round the clock hospitality and company.
of bhabaprasad which i had by now understood.
how often do officers and VIPs come here.
they hardly come.
for quite sometime now no one has.
visited this place.
why should anyone leave the comforts of.
city life and come to this jungle apart from.
the poor condition of the roads there is also.
no human habitation upto a distance of three to.
four furlongs from this bungalow.
the village people must be engaged in agriculture.
i asked the question like a researcher in social.
science not that i had any intention of.
acquiring a thorough knowledge of the lifestyle of the.
village folk because that information would be of no.
help in the official work for which i had.
come here and i didnt think it would help.
at least in expanding my knowledge my real intention.
was to keep bhabaprasad busy in the room for.
some more time because if he left there would.
be no one to talk to.
no reply came from bhabaprasad.
maybe he was a bit hard of.
hearing he concentrated on opening the two windows.
the mouth eaten certains hung distortedly no visitor.
must have noticed them for a long time.
or even if the tattered curtains had.
attracted attention.
no thought must have been given to.
get them replaced.
you have nothing to fear about the monkeys.
they have become like domestic animals.
bhabaprasad said disinterestedly.
do they cause any harm or disturbance fear.
of animals had always troubled me.
although i didnt show much anxiety while.
asking the question.
i knew that i had an unfounded.
fear of monkeys.
to overcome that fear.
they wont do anything if left alone.
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