Chapter 1 - Road to Summer Camp - II

As the journey proceeds, Akshat seems to have his troubles piled up...

Vikram shook his head snobbishly ‘You and your baseless assumptions. Our destination is where I’ve spend summers since I came to senses. “N Square C” is like a second home to me. I’ve been receiving the prestigious “Best All- Round Achiever Award” from my age group since the very first year I became it’s part and that was when I was eight and even then I was...’ his patronizing gaze fell on his listeners, whom, much to his anger, he found indulge in sightseeing of little hills that had begun to emerge outside the window.

‘However, I don’t think this would matter much to weirdoes like you two.’ He said loudly to make them drag in talk again.

‘Yes, we got it, Vikram.’ Akshat said indifferently ‘It’s great you are returning again to your summer Alma matter.’

‘Well, right. I am supposed to be the one questioning your presence here. Got bored by reading, finally?’ Vikram folded his hands in authority.

‘Bored and me?’ Akshat could feel him getting on his nerves ‘I can never get fed up with reading.’ Akshat waved his book in front of his face.

‘Oh, then experience at camp is going to be disappointing for you. There is no scope for free time there. If I was you, the book would have already been out of the window.’ Vikram remarked in his usual superior way.

That was it! Pradeep swiftly grabbed Akshat’s hand, in order to prevent him from springing at Vikram. No one can mess with books while Akshat in front. His friend, already livid about the situation, grinded his teeth as he felt Pradeep pulling him down.

‘That’s unfortunate, Vikram. I had expected any institution encouraging development to emphasize on reading, especially in era where education importance is spreading to every corner of the earth.’ Akshat seethed through raised voice.

  ‘Where we are going, learning is through nature. As for your fiction and fantasy world of fairies, treasures and everything else that is far from real life, that’s what people need to study, to except things as they are.’ The lean boy chuckled.

‘Enough!’ Akshat stood up violently ‘fantasy and fiction are what opens gateways to realities. Telephone, tube light, aeroplanes �" they were fantasized first, ridiculed later and then were admired. Books, planting the seed of thought in minds, have reached everywhere, including your camp...’

‘Words, mere words...’ Vikram knew exactly what he was doing ‘alright, let’s have a bet. Let’s see if there is any library, any bookstore, even near the camp. What do you say?’

‘Done.’ Akshat was too ahead to say no now. He could not stand someone pointing finger at his source of spiritualism.

‘The looser admits ones opinion was wrong and ones inferiority to other.’ Vikram continued without delay.

‘what?’ Akshat paused as he detected where things were going.

‘Not so sure, are we?’

He was caught! ‘Yes, I’m sure.’ Akshat responded without showing his helplessness ‘done.’

Vikram, quiet satisfied with his performance moved away from his target. What kind library, bookstore or any commercial building can be standing in the hearts of mountains? His move was perfect.

Akshat, who knew he was going to be at the losing side, sat down with a jerk.

‘Hey! You got him! Great!’ Pradeep patted on his back. ‘So? What library is exactly situated there?’

‘I don’t know.’ Akshat said in a low voice.

‘You don’t?’ Pradeep gasped ‘Akshat, don’t you think that betting on an observatory would have been a better option? I mean, since it is a Mountainous region....’But he broke off his remark as Akshat gave him an anxious look. ‘NO, He got you.’ Finally he concluded.

Akshat’s nervous sight fell out of the window as he felt the cold gush of wind on his face which came through trees that had occasionally replaced the place of buildings now. They had entered the forest of the Western Ghats. The green roof of leaves now covered most of the May sky.

“Bump!” the whole bus skipped on the rough road made of pebbles, “Bump!” and another one.

‘Wow! That’s quite a bumpy ride!’ Pradeep exclaimed ‘Jackie! How are you doing?’

“BUMP!” This time the travelers were literally in the air for about a minute.

“Bump, Bump, Bump, Bump...” a whole series of skips shook them up. They could feel the bus move as it scudded along the right corners, prayers were spoken, loved ones were remembered and Vikram, as he was taught in accident survival class, covered his head with his arms. As the bus took another swaying turn, the shaking stopped.

Everyone peeked out of the windows of either side of the bus to see if destination was near, only to discover it wasn’t. Now they were on a road, somewhere in middle of mountains. Everyone’s eyes were glued on the window- pane as they watched the most extraordinary huts placed on high regions. People were working tirelessly; carrying wood, grazing sheep and some children wearing old, torn clothes waved them with a content smile. Indeed, the life there was hard, but it was beautiful, more beautiful than any city life could ever be with all its endless luxuries.

Among the viewers, Akshat looked the scenery with most observing sight trying to spot a bookstore, a book-vendor or even a book reader, but in vain. Nothing came in view. Exhausted, he looked up to find cloudless blue sky, bright with happy sunlight. He could see an arrow of birds fly over him when, all of a sudden...

“Swooooooooooooosh”

A bolt of lightning past through the sky and struck a mountain. It happened so fast, so very fast. It was maybe the fastest lighting he ever had seen.

‘Wait, Lighting? Out of clear sky?’ his mind repeated the information. Impossible! He looked even more closely where the bolt had fell. Then again at the sky, then again at the hill, then...

‘Akshat!’ Pradeep pulled him down by his shirt ‘what are you trying to do? You almost fell out of the bus. If that’s a plan to escape from camp, you’re ending in hospital!’

‘I thought...’ he said, his eyes fixed upon the passing hill, ‘lighting passed in the sky.’

‘Suicidal, already?’  Vikram could be heard passing his comment.

‘lighting? Akshat, the sky is clear!’ Pradeep pointed upwards ‘are you telling me you saw a real “Bolt from the Blue?” Jackie thinks you are tired.’

‘Yeah... maybe.’ Akshat stated doubtfully. He was sure he saw it, but that day he felt too down to be sure of anything.

‘Children!’ they heard the grating voice of the bus-conductor ‘we are near! As soon as we pass that hill, we’ll be at the camp.’

‘Great! ’ the children cheered in happiness and peeped out to look at the last obstacle. But the respite was short lived, as they saw in horror, the green titan they were reaching. It wasn't a hill, it wasn't a mountain; it was a mountain among mountains there. The children, remembering there experience some twenty minutes ago, gasped in fear, and clutched anything and everything that came in their hands. The cycle of prayers went all over again as they braced themselves for the ride.

“Bump! Bump! Bump! Swishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Bump! BUMP! Ba-Bump! Swooooooooooooosh! Bump! Swuuuuuuuuuuuuuush Bump! Bump! Bump! Bump...”

After an hour or so, the bus stilled. ‘We have reached the stop!’ The conductor announced. But no one seated in there actually was in a condition to hear anything.

‘Pradeep, if the camp is not worth visiting, I’m going to kill you.’ Akshat growled in shivering voice as he let go off the handle attached to the seat in front of him.

‘If this camp is not worth visiting, I’m going to kill myself.’ Pradeep quivered in fear, hugging his seat.

Vikram, who was sitting in front, removed his trembling palms from his face. ‘It’s over!’ he said in low voice and then jumped up in happiness, ‘It’s over! I made it out alive!’ screaming in joy he jumped out of the bus as Akshat and Pradeep saw him, thinking they were called weird by him!

With trembling feet, the duo descended from the bus and witnessed the most astonishing sight.  There stood an army of buses and more rolled in. They could see one from the pink city of Jaipur, from the heart of nation- Delhi, one was from Bangalore and right next to it stood one from Hyderabad, there was one even from Srinagar. Children from the whole length and breadth of the country had come to participate and were flooding down the vehicles. Akshat at once knew that he was now part of something huge.

Among the racket of gibbering youths, rolling wheels and poking horns, a husky voice flew in the environment “All the participants are requested to report at the counter to obtain their tent numbers. All the participants, pay attention! Report to...’

They could see endless spread of rooted tents of many colours. Hanging from the branches and trunks of trees, were banners saying “Welcome to N Square C, 2011”.

Both the lads gazed at the scene. ‘It’s going to be exciting’ Pradeep shot his fist in the air.

‘I think it’s going to be bad, very bad’ Akshat groaned as Pradeep dragged him on to find where the announced counter was.

But little did the boys know, that their time there was going to be beyond the words “Exciting” or “Bad”... 

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note

finally.. they reached...
would it be good or bad.... only time can tell...