Xossip Ultimate Story Contest 2015

[Expert]

In search of peace.

Pinuram

The weather in these rugged snow clad mountainous region is very much unpredictable. The sun went down behind those snow peaked mountains on the western horizon long ago. The sky was clear in the evening but once the daylight faded, the weather started to change. Chill winds started to howl. Clouds gathered overhead, rumbling and jostling with each other. Shortly afterwards, blizzard started and the path was lost.

Partho shouted at Soumitra on top of his voice, “What the hell is this. Now we are totally lost in this deadly wilderness.”
Soumitra couldn’t hear anything as the winds howled around them. Devesh was ahead of the pack, trying to cut way through the blizzard, treading slowly in knee deep snow towards the perched rock that looked like a cave. Slowly and steadily all three friends reached the perched stone to take shelter for that night. On reaching the cave, they quickly lit the kerosene stove to keep themselves warm in that stormy wintery night. In meantime Partho prepared some food for all three. After having the food, they packed themselves in their sleeping bags to take rest and to plan as how to get to the nearest locality.

All these three friends were avid adventure lover. They went for adventure in remote highlands of northern high mountains. They were to return to the small hamlet named Ghuye by evening, but they were lost as the sudden blizzard caught them unaware.
Partho shouted at Soumitra, “How did you lost your bag and the compass?”
Soumitra answered, “As I picked the long tubular shaped bone like stone, my purse fell in that gorge.”
Partho asked, “What was so special about that stone?”
Soumitra answered, “I don’t know but the shape of that stone was very unique, very much special. As if it begged me to pick it up.”
Partho cursed him, “And now we are lost.”

All three laughed as the howling sounds of the wind grew stronger with each passing moment. All three friends joked and laughed about their adventure as how they started from Vanako, walking and trekking throughout snowy rugged tough wilderness of the mighty mountains and challenging it mighty heights.
Suddenly they heard a coughing sound nearby. All of them were taken aback. All three pairs of inquisitive eyes searched for the source of that sound but failed to see anything in that blizzard. As the coughing sound approached them, they saw frail figure of a young lady with a long stick in her hand standing at the entrance of the cave. In that glaring light of the stove, the eyes of the lady gleamed like fire. Her face was pale white and she was heavily clothed. The strange lady limped forward towards the stove with the help of the stick.

A chill shiver ran down the spine of all three friends as they looked at each other. They were unable to believe their eyes and unable to come to terms that a lonely young lady treading in the midst of turbulent blizzard.
Soumitra gathered some courage and queried, “Who are you?”
The lady silently kept the stick on the ground and slowly sat beside the fire. They then noticed that the right leg of the lady was missing. She then took out her pale skinny hands out of her rugged coat to savour the warmth of the fire. All three friends looked at her with batted breath. The fire was unable to keep them warm anymore.
Soumitra again asked the lady about herself. The cold gaze of the stranger pierced their soul as she gave a grieving look deep in their eyes. She coughed and shivered a little. Devesh offered his water bottle to the lady. The lady opened the cap and emptied the whole bottle down her throat. While gulping the water, they noticed dark cut stretch marks on the neck and upper bosom of the lady.

The lady wiped her face with the back of her hand and spoke at last, “What are you doing in this part of the country?” There was an uncanny shrill in her voice which rattled their bones to the core. The lady looked into those frightened eyes and answered, “Don’t be afraid, these mountains are my home. I lived in a small village across those mountains.” She paused a little as she was tired battling the storm. She took a deep breath looked at them and asked, “But tell me one thing, what are you all doing in this place in such stormy night?”
Devesh looked at others. He was skeptical about revealing their details, but he thought as what could happen in that stormy night and also when the stranger is a lady. He gathered up to answer, “Actually we are adventure lovers. We were trekking these highlands for fun and we got lost in this tough snow clad wilderness. Would you help us? Do you know where the nearest locality is?”
The lady cleared her throat, “I can show you the path.” She looked outside and said to them, “The storm will last for few more hours before settling down.”

Partho asked her, “What are you doing in these mountains in such stormy night?”
She gave a painful smile at them and said, “Searching for…” she was lost somewhere. She paused a little, “Do you want to hear a story while the storm subsides? After that I will show you the path to the nearest locality. Don’t worry about the darkness. You all will be safe.”
All three friends were eager to hear the story. By that time she felt like an angel. They knew that these mountains myths and tales are very interesting.
The lady looked up hazy night sky. She took a deep breath and started, “Across those mountains lies a rugged terrain of highlands where raindrops seldom touches the earth. The place is covered in snow for all most of the year. A tiny brook cuts the terrain that supply water to those lands. On the bank of that tiny brook there is a tiny hamlet, Ghushu, where lived a young girl named Rinzen.”
She paused a little and then continued, “Rinzen’s hut was situated at the end of the village. The vegetation is scarce and her family had some ten yaks. They used to weave clothes out of those yaks wools and then bartered with others for food. Her father and uncle used to toil on a small piece of land by the side of the brook. She had two younger brothers. Her younger uncle and aunt also stayed with them. Her aunt, Pema was a beautiful lady. She was pregnant with her first child. All of Rinzen’s family was very happy as a new member was going to come in their small home. During the night, her mother used to apply warm oil on aunts feet as all of them huddled together under thick woolen blankets.”
The lady stealthily wiped the corner of her eyes and continued, “There was a monastery and a college in that village. Children from nearby villages used to come there for studying. Rinzen also studied in that village college. Boys used to study in the morning and evening time was for girls. She wanted to goto Vilasha for higher studies. Although her family was very poor but the teachers of that college were very much helpful. In the evening when she and her mother and aunt used weave clothes or basket her brothers played along with other children in the field across their house. There were no modern equipments in their house. There was no electricity in that village. In general, the people of that village were not used to the noise of machines. People used to walk to the nearby town or in cart pulled by yaks. After night fall either her father or uncle used to tell them tales from mythology. There were few people who used to quarry rock salt and sell those to nearby town. Every person was helpful to one another. They were totally unaware of the world that lies beyond those mountains and kept their life style as simple as possible, unscathed and unperturbed from the foreign materials.”
The lady looked outside the cave. Although the storm had died still there was snowfall. She looked at them and continued, “At times Rinzen overheard her father and uncle’s conversation, that there was some invasion going on in the eastern part of that country. Since Ghushu was situated in a very remote place so her mother persuaded them that they were safe.”
Devesh, Partho and Soumitra waited with batted breath as they were totally immersed in the mesmerizing tale of that strange lady.
She continued, “Then one fine morning few trucks full of uniformed men rolled into that village. The rumbling of the machines was very painful and shattered the sanity. Her father and uncle were in the field at that time along with some other male members. That day Rinzen’s mother was sick so she was resting inside, while her aunt was busy preparing her brothers for college. As she heard the rumbling mechanical sound, she ran towards the door to peep outside. The sight of the huge trucks and machine guns took everyone aback. Everyone was frightened and curious and was lined up on both side of the road. A uniformed person came out of the truck and shouted something in very high pitched voice. Rinzen could not understand the language of those uniformed men as what were they trying to say. Those men went to the college building and tore down the flag and hoisted a red flag in that place. It was then the college teacher came out to protest. On seeing him to protest, others people also joined him. Suddenly Rinzen heard a gunshot. One of those uniformed men shot down the college teacher on his chest. He died instantly. His corpse lay on the earth in a pool of blood. The peaceful morning was shattered by several gunshots. Those uniformed men then lined up all the male folks. They were helpless infront of that fire-breathing nozzle. She stood helpless, looking at the line where her father and her uncle were also lined up. Then those uniformed men grouped themselves in six or seven people. They started dragging people asking them to show their house. People who denied were hit by the gun. Gradually the graveled path was drenched in blood.”
The lady shivered in utter pain and cold. “Rinzen was about to scream by the sight of the blood, but somehow she looked into her father’s eyes. He stealthily signaled her to go inside and lock the door. She tiptoed inside and saw that her brothers clasped her aunt with all their might. Pema looked pale in sheer fright. Rinzen did not know as what to do. She took all of them to the barn and hid them behind the pile of woods. Pema was unable to sit properly but Rinzen insisted her to hide. She covered them behind the pile of woods that was stored for the winter. Her sick mother lay in the other room. Rinzen ran there and put rags and other clothes over her and hid her like a bundle of old rags in one corner of the room. She was able to fathom that evil was upon them. Soon she could hear gunshots, people screaming and female cries reverberating the calm morning.”
“After sometime, the front door of their house was kicked open. They all sat huddled inside the barn with batted breath. Pema was shivering in fear and was sweating profusely. Rinzen’s brothers clasped her arms. She somehow peeped and saw that a group of uniformed men pushed her uncle’s lifeless body inside the courtyard. Her father was covered with blood as he held his brothers arms with all his might. Pema was in the brink of collapsing but Rinzen had to shut her up somehow. They all were very much terrified. Those people constantly asked Rinzen’s father about his family members but her father kept quiet. Then suddenly three of those men kicked the other room where her mother was hidden. They started to fire here and there and hit her mother. She screamed in pain. Rinzen does not know as what happened in that other room, but she was able to hear the painful scream of her mother. Rinzen’s mother begged those uniformed men to leave her alone but they paid no heed. She was able to fathom that those filthy animals were physically torturing her mother. They repeatedly ravaged her mother’s body and soul till she was unable take more. The whole house drowned in the painful scream. After sometime Rinzen heard few gun shots that silenced her beloved mother forever. Her father tried to fight back but he was also silenced immediately. She closed her eyes bit her lips to strengthen herself. Pema was crying profusely so was Rinzen’s brothers. They clasped Rinzen’s arm with all their strength. She prayed and prayed but alas, there was no one to hear Rinzen’s plea.”
A solitary drop of tear rolled down the lady’s glaring eyes. Blood already gorged to the head of Soumitra, Devesh and Partho’s head after hearing that grotesque tale. The cold winter blizzard felt like smoldering current to them. They asked themselves as what type of savages does this type of inhuman atrocity in this world. But there was more waiting for them to unfurl. That stranger lady clinched her jaws. Her glare was enough to say that she was in very much pain while uttering the story.
She took a deep breath and started again, “There was a small window behind the barn. Somehow Rinzen and her brothers were able to pull out the rods. At first older brother peeped outside and informed that the backyard was clear. He went out and then helped her aunt. Then Rinzen along with her younger brother somehow crawled out of the window. The sun was overhead and noon was approaching. The air was filled with screams of dying tortured people. All of them started to run towards the mountain that stood behind the village. Alas they came to notice of those savage uniformed men. They started to fire at Rinzen and started running towards them. Pema was unable to run and she collapsed on the ground. Rinzen tried to pull her up. But she insisted that Rinzen along with her brothers should leave her and save their lives. Rinzen was not willing to part from her pregnant aunt as she knew that she would be ravaged brutally by those animals. She requested her brothers to flee but they stood ground. Rinzen and Pema pleaded to them and persuaded them to leave. While her brothers fled the place with teary eyes, those uniformed men caught Rinzen and her aunt. They started to hit them with the butt of the gun. Instantly Pema fainted on the ground. Those people dragged Rinzen and Pema by hair towards the truck. They constantly hit Rinzen on abdomen and between her legs. After taking some beating she too collapsed on the earth.”
“They were loaded like animals in a truck. She clasped her senseless aunt in her lap with all her might. The truck was laden with several women and children. Probably most of the males were killed while protesting. As the truck rolled out of the village, they saw dead bodies strewn on the fields. Dogs and vultures scrammed over their corpses. Those uniformed men laughed hysterically and passed lewd remarks at those women. Some men asked the women to show their breasts, some groped their breast mauled like dough. Few of those men put the nozzle of their gun inside their skirts ordered them to hike their clothes to display their private parts. They were helpless bunch of inanimate object, whose future was unknown. They were not given any food or drink for the whole journey.”
“After a long time Pema opened her eyes and found herself in Rinzen’s lap. She was very thirsty, but Rinzen had no water. She gathered all her saliva and pressed her lips on her lips so that her aunt might get some liquid to survive. On seeing them locking their lips, those uniformed men became insane in lust. They started to laugh out loud. One of them pointed at the protruding belly of pregnant Pema. Two of them came near and sat beside her. Both of those men started to grope her maliciously. Rinzen tried to fight back but before she could fend her aunt, she was blacked out with a heavy blow behind her head.”
“When Rinzen opened her eyes, she found herself in a tiny room with no window and a single door with no light or ventilation. The air was stale, smelled filthy like dung. There were six more women crammed in that tiny room. As her vision got accustomed to the dark, she asked others about her beloved aunt. They all showed a motionless female body that lay in one corner. She somehow crawled to that lady. Her clothes were torn apart. There were bite marks as well marks of lashes all over her body. Those animals ravaged her beautiful aunt till she was senseless and threw her here. There was thick stream of blood oozing out of her private parts. She was hit on her abdomen. Rinzen was able to fathom that the sapling was no more in her womb. She cried out in the top of her voice but there was none to hear that. Pema lost her breath that night in Rinzen’s arms.”
“Darker days waited for them. All the women were paraded nude infront of those uniformed men. They used to put nails, give electric shocks on women’s breasts and private parts. They used to tie their pubic hairs and hanged weight on them. Some even collapsed and succumbed to those grotesque tortures. Those men used to fill the courtyard with mud and asked naked women wriggle in that. They used unleash dogs on those naked women covered in mud which was an amusing sport for them. Those dogs used to bite those naked women as they placed wages as whose private part or whose breast the dog would maul. It was like living hell for all of them. Some of those girls were taken to work with pigs. Starved and famished women tried to eat those pigs food. Some of them died there while few survived. Since Rinzen was young and beautiful so those men ravaged her body physically every night. Sometime there were four, sometime there were six people at a time taking part in those malicious acts. She was kept naked most of the time. Seldom was she allowed to sleep. She was dragged and ravaged even in the middle of the night when all others were almost in dead sleep. All the women were fed with two dumplings, once in the morning and once in the evening. As days went by, more and more women were brought in that living hell. Gradually Rinzen came to know about that place. It was Dravachi, a notorious prison.”
“Then one day those people were disposing the dead bodies of mutilated women. Somehow Rinzen snuggled among those corpses and covered herself with their blood. The stench of the rotten corpses was too much nauseating for her but that was the only chance for her to flee from that hell. Rinzen along with those corpses were piled up in a truck and was taken to some highlands for jhator, an old sky burial ritual, where the dead bodies are fed to vultures. To ensure that all of those women were dead, those men fired bullets at those corpses. Rinzen somehow managed to hide herself under the pile of corpses. The vultures came down as well as the dogs and jackals started to tear flesh apart from those corpses. Rinzen waited till those men went away and then came out.”
The lady looked out of the cave. The storm died long ago and there was an uncanny silence in that cave as all of them were totally merged in the painful tale of that unknown lady. They sat motionless in their sleeping bags, looking at the lady in disbelief.
The lady pointed out to the sky, “The storm has subsided, we should start now else you won’t be able to reach the village by morning.”
All of them shook like a twig as if they were in a trance all the time. Devesh looked outside, although the blizzard has subsided but it was still dark outside. They were skeptical to go out with that lady in that dark but they had no other choice. Devesh pulled up all his courage and asked, “Are you sure that we should start at this time?”
The lady stood up with the help of her stick. She asked them to pack their bags and said, “Don’t be afraid, everything will be allright. I have to return somewhere but before that I want to show you the path to the nearby town.”
They all packed their bags, doused the stove and started walking behind the lady. Devesh handed a torch to her and she walked ahead of them showing the path in that chilled dark night.
Partho was very inquisitive to know the real identity of that lady, so he asked, “Did Rinzen survived? What is your name, how do you know all these?”
The lady looked at them over her shoulder and gave a painful smile as she limped. “Rinzen fled from there and started to walk south across these mighty mountains. On the way she found few deserted village. She took some clothes and a big knife along with her, but there was no sign of any food or any living being. She was all alone in that vast wilderness of that cold desert region. Then one day she found a lynx and killed that animal. There was no fire so she ate the raw meat to sustain. She knew that those uniformed men would come again so kept walking in the southern direction for several days. On her way down she had frost bite on her right leg. She knew that if she did not cutoff her leg then she will die. So one night she amputed her leg and then kept limping forward.”
Twilight was about to peek in the eastern horizon. The lady stood at a ridge and pointed downhill. There they saw a tiny hamlet in the midst of woods. All three friends were relieved to see locality after such stormy night.
The lady smiled at them and said, “You are safe now. But you have something that I need.” She pointed towards Soumitra and said, “He has something that I was searching for long time. A long elongated stone, I need that.”
All three friends looked at eachother face. How does she know that they have that stone? That lady smiled painfully as she requested them to give that stone to her. Soumitra took out the tubular shaped stone and handed over to the lady.
“Thank you for finding my right leg.” The lady fitted the elongated stone shaped bone under her right knee. She then stood upright and smiled at them, “I am Rinzen Tsagnpo, the lady that lost everything and died in that cave where you took shelter. The world would have been a better place if we could cherish the warmth of our own home rather than invading others.”
The mere warmth of their blood was taken away as Rinzen slowly vanished in the twilight of the soft morning sun rays.