trip in a forest

I heard so many times my elders told like “every dog has its own day”. Yes, I also became hero in one day. That was really a memorable day for me.

I was in my final year graduation in university. I was doing my engineering. In the final year, we have to go for a project tour for at least 15 days. In that we have to visit some important projects in the nation and have to prepare the project report and submit the same to the university to get our graduation.

In my class we are 13 boys and almost 8 or 9 girls. I had forgotten how many girls are there in my class. We decided to go to the tour for at least 20 or 22 days, including the project tour, our plan was to visit some famous tourist places also. We also got the permeation from our dean to go 22 days tour. We selected 3 persons for organizing the thing in our class. Frankly speaking those 3 persons took the responsibility themselves.

Those organizers fixed one good bus for traveling purpose & fixed all schedules, when we have to travel, where we have to book the lodging etc everything. Organizer explained everything to our professors, after discussing with us, those who are coming with us.

Everything was ready for the tour. We were all waiting for that day. That day also came. I think for others we looked like soldiers with our big baggagies. But we were in our own world. Our bus started in a night with all pupils & two professors.

Now I will come to 8th & 9th day directly. In the 7th night we stayed in a place called Karwar, one of the beautiful city on seashore. When everybody slept in hotel room, 2 of my friends & I spend whole night in seashore, almost up to 3 in the morning, with lot of fun. To tell that night fun, it becomes one more story. So I am skipping that.

Our plan was to visit the place Kiga, where one nuclear power plant project is situated. According to our plan we have to visited the Kiga nuclear power project on the 8th day. That was really boring. Most of the people we met there are all thinking that their mind is Newton’s mind. They are the genius once. They were explained so many things. I myself don’t know how much I understood in that. I saw some of my friends face; even they were also in same condition as I am. Actually we were all waited for next day.

Our next day plan was to visit the place called Yana, which is near by to Kiga & Karwar. It is very famous & beautiful place. The place is situated in thick evergreen forest. It is very famous because only very few peoples can visit there. Because its access is so difficult. That is suitable place for the teenage guys like us, & adventure minded peoples.

Actually nothing is there in that place except some beautiful giant sized rocks. Those rocks are really beautiful. Nobody can explain the beauty of those rocks in words. Very very tall rocks. If we want to see the tip of the rock means we have to sleep on the ground keeping our eyes to sky. It looks like tip of the rocks penetrating in the sky.

But reaching that place is very difficult. There is no road to that place. We have to walk almost 8-9 kilometers in the thick dense forest. So that means we have to walk almost 18 kilometers totally.
None of us had seen that place before.

I like to tell you one thing about the western ghat. Unless until you people see this forest in the Weston ghat, you can’t imagine the beauty & cruelty of this forest. It was located in the south side of the India. This is evergreen forest, very cruel to. I born & brought up in a small city situated in this westron ghat. But still I did not see this place, Yana, even though it is near to me. The reason was my parents did not allowed me to go there. Even forest peoples afraid to go deep in the forest, because of its cruelty. It was such a horrible forest. Still today non-are predicted this forest completely.

In the 9th day morning we visited one hotel for breakfast. Eating the breakfast was became hell far us. So horrible taste. I did not eat anything; I just took 2-3 slides of bread & jam. From Karwar our vehicle ran towards the Yana forest.

The big mistake what we done was, 1. We did not take the breakfast full of our stomach.
2. We did not ask anybody, who knows about Yana. How to go there? . 3. We did not take anything for our lunch.
4. None of us not really prepared to go inside the forest. We just started as we are going to park

The strange for me was, I also just neglected to took the precautions & to tell my friends, at lest myself, even though I know something about the forest.
The big draw back in our side was, except me, no others having the experience in forest, even my professors.
I was the one & only one.

When we reached the forest it was almost 12 in the noon. There was no way further. From there we have to walk at least 9 km. We were all in so courage mood, because still something in our stomach. All 21-22 pupils started walking in forest. Initially the forest is not dense. I thought, our peoples say ‘it is lion by seeing rat’, like that by seeing this forest. Because in my childhood I played with the forest, which was much more denser & cruel forest then what I was seen initially.


But after 2- 2.5 km I understood I was wrong. We had done a big mistake. I really scared. We were getting tired slowly as the time progresses. Most of the girls were tired already. Our stomach started feeling hungry. In that one hour we did not seen a single human face except us. But still no one gave up; every body’s aim was to reach the Yana. That is all.

But I am already started dangerous smell. I strongly controlled myself to tell my friends to go back from here only. Because I know none were ready for that. That was not their fault; they really don’t know how horrible this forest was, because they were all metropolitan city peoples, even they cant imagine also. That was new forest for me also. If that was my native place forest means, I visited all the places, where all human can enter. Even some wild animals started treated me like one more animal like them, as I am so much frequent like them.

We were getting separated in small groups of 2-3 pupils, depends on the courage & stamina. 2-3 guys went so far. 2-3 guys are lagging behind. We were not getting path also in the forest. I was afraid. What if we were not in right path?

When we were going in & in, very very thick forest was welcoming us. I understood this is subtle forest. Out of 12 boys, 5 colts were started taking alcohol. I tried to stop them, but I failed. I was not in a position to explain the problem we have to face, because I myself don’t know what exactly the problem we were going to face in feature. And they do not understand my scare. I also don’t want to fill some scary feeling by telling the difficulties. It was already 4 in the evening. I started hearing some strange sounds from the insects. Most of the ladies started feeling hungry, by time. In the 4 only we started feeling like it was 5.30 or 6 o clock in the evening. I don’t know how much we covered, may be .. 5 km or 6? Still we have to walk.
In my native place, elders in the city are having a hobby to go for hunting in forest. Most of their aim is to hunt the pig. I heard they were telling forest pig is very tasty. But I never tasted that. I did not like that. I heard they were telling like, they heard tiger’s roaring. I heard their fathers and grand fathers even hunted tigers and lions in this forest. Even though I did not hear any roaring of tiger & lion, I can imagine that cruelty of that sound. According to elders story some peoples became faint by just hearing those roaring sound. I know that sound will freeze our blood.

Now in that very narrow path & dense forest, I left with one of my close friend Kiran and one girl Uma. No I could not control myself; I started searching for one pole.
“Hey what you are searching”? My friend asked.
“A pole, I want a pole of 3-4 feet long & 3 inches diameter thickness & strong one”. I told.
I just selected one suitable pole from one tree & I broken it. I broken its small small sub branches & I make that stick suitable for my purpose. This forest is such a dense forest, so, this is suitable and perfect forest to live some cruel animals like tiger & lion!!!!!!!!!!! My body started shuddered.

I think my friend understood me, he also took one pole. But Uma did not understood what exactly the use of this pole. She asked me, why this pole for?
I told, I am feeling tiered, I want to use this as walking stick, u know I am so hungry. I smiled.
She also smiled.
“You also want one? It is better it will come to use anytime;” by telling this I broke one more suitable branch from tree.
I didn’t want to tell her the actual use of this pole in the forest. I don’t want to scare her throughout her walk.

She gave some biscuits to Kiran & me from her bag. I started nibbling what she gave to me. That was our lunch at 5 in the evening.
We were just 3, we cant hear conversation from the people went forward & even those who were lag us.
We 3 of us started talking some nonsense’s & started walking forward. The way was very narrow. One side of the path is high earth try to touch the sky. Opposite side of the earth is down, touching the center of the earthcreast?
“Uma be careful if u put one wrong step, we loose you”. I just smiled. Told her like a joke. But actually I was serious.

At last we reached the place at around 5.30.

One more mistake we done was we just lost ourselves by looking the beauty of that place. We spend lot of time there, by taking photographs etc. We just linger there. I was also aghast by the art in front of my eyes. No question we lost ourselves.
Everybody got conscious when it was full dark. This is the situation I am really awe. Yes, I was the only person already prepared for this situation. We have to walk back almost 8-9 km in the night, in that thick forest. Until unless you experience it, it is very difficult to understand how much cruel the dark was, in the forest. That was really a baffling situation. Strange & mumble sound from the insects became denser & denser. Sounds of the cold breeze & tree shaking sound created a horror Hollywood movie effect. Already most of the girls & some boys started feeling panic. The cold breeze in the night in forest was horrible, just like a saw was running on our body. Everybody started shivering. I felt forest was mocking us.
2- 3 girls already started sobbing. 2 of my professors were in big confusion. 4-5 guys were completely boozed; they were not in the condition to understand the seriousness of the situation. I know all 22- 23 pupils & 2 professors were in the mouth of death. No one can predict in which way death will attack us & swallow us. I heard somebody telling, we make a fire here we spend the night here only.

I strongly opposed that. Non-will agrees for that those who know about the forest how cruelly it behaves in the night. I know few girls in our group will break their heart by hearing the some sounds may arise in the night from wild animals. I told, at any case we have to go back. My 3 friends, close friends, they know me, I have some knowledge in this, supported me. Luckily 2-3 other boys & few girls are also supported me. We were not prepared for spending night in that forest. We don’t have anything in our hand. How can we spend the night, whole night? Forget about the animals, it is horrible to tolerate the cold.

But the big question was how..? Even moonlight was also not falling on the earth surface. We just can’t see anything. But still no other go. We just started moving slowly. Everybody was so quite. It was a pin drop silence. I just couldn’t tolerate that silence. I told everybody to talk something. Shout something, sing something, or at least make some big sounds using our water bottles. That sound only saves us from some wild animals like snakes etc. some boys started clamor.

I absorbed one more problem in girls. They can’t walk. Again I told everybody to walk like military peoples do their march fast by lifting their thighs up. Some girls understood what exactly the problems they are facing, they corrected themselves & told to them who are not understand.

One more problem was, the pupils, those who are in inebriety. 2 guys taking care of them. I am leading the group by hitting the ground, from my pole, and I am going forward. Some girls are making some big sound.
I am started feeling little comfortable; by thinking wild animals will not fall on us themselves. I know lions & tigers feel shy to come in front of humans. But I don’t know nature of the wild animals living here. May be, some man eaters..? Some animals don’t tolerate, if some others enter in their tertiary. But I am also scaring about the other animals. Some animals are really cruel. If our presence creates irritation to some animals, they will defiantly become wild & may fall on us. I know that, animals are so sensitive, much more sensitive then humans.

It was almost 9- 9-30 in the night. Now everything becomes complete dark black. Even small extent moonlight, which is helping us until now, is also failed to help us. I understood, now we are in the very dense part of the forest. I recalled my left side of the earth having sudden fall; fall to the earth crest. I shouted everybody to stop. I know that was very narrow way. I recalled my memory, this was the place where I teased Uma. I told everybody to keep right. I started searching for some dry sticks. I told Kiran to bring some dry small sticks, and we badly needed fire now. With Kiran & me, 2-3 girls are also started picking small sticks fall on the pathway. Everybody understood the seriousness of situation now. I took matchbox from one person (smoker) & we tried to fire that. As the climate getting so worst, strong, very cold breeze was blowing we just failed to fire the stick. One more reason was why we could not fire the stick was due to the heavy mist, all sticks were wet. Everybody shivering literally from very cold breeze. Our mind stopped working. Particularly my mind completely stopped working. Am I really done a mistake? Is that the better situation, if we stayed in Yana? May be better option then this? I am become the reason for the death of some of us or may be everybody? The condition was so worst. Forest was so cruel.

Suddenly something entered in my mind. I asked anybody having whisky bottle? One inebriated boy gave me one whisky bottle, having little less then the half. Thank god he still did not drunk completely.
I poured some whisky on stick. Can I fire it now? I don’t want to take any risk. I took my handkerchief from my pant pocket. I poured some whisky on that to& clad the sticks. Now I fired, the cloth claded sticks.

Everybody shouted with a joy. But that joy was only for a single moment. One girl became faint by seeing the forest in dark. In a few minutes, 2 more girls followed her. Theses city girls .. ohh they cant tolerate anything. So sensitive. We almost took 15 minutes to control the situation, and those girls are started crying. I saw the watch .. That was 10 in the night. How much we walked? 2 kilometers? Or 3? Not more then 3. I know we were very slow. Everybody was hungry, all of us feeling fire in our stomach. But the young hot-blooded night was teasing us & laughing on us.

My cloth was burnt out, but stick was not firing.. One girl gave some cloth to me I just fired that, 2-3 guys are collecting the stick which they feel that was dry stick, atlast I succeeded to fire the sticks. I make my body to protect the fire from the wind& covered the fire by one of my fist. Some body shouted from the group, Hey man u looks like a Monalisa, everybody laughed, that laugh controls us too much, actually we are badly needed of that laugh.

I seen boys started falling. The firelight is just enough for me, none of the boys behind me can see the light & path. I faced towards the group, just like some light to fall in front of the group; I started walking backwards, slowly. Kiran also succeeded to fire some more sticks. He came beside me to give light to group. Some boys giving support to fainted girls by holding their shoulders to walk. Some is holding inebriated boys.

When I was walking backwards, my leg slipped, in a second I started sliding down, I heard one girl shouting my name Manjuuuuuuuuuu, everything happened in a fraction of second. I know I am sliding dowen..how much depth it was? 10 feet? 100 feet? 1000 feet.. I know even my dead body is also not available. I felt lot of pain when trees branches hitting my body. Suddenly I got something to my palm. I hold it tightly. I hold that branch from my both palms. I am hanging now. How many feet down I am now? Can anybody reach me? Can anybody pull me up? I heard some boys calling my name, some girls were crying & calling my name, Manju, Manju, where are you? How much down I am now? 10 feet? My engineering mind started calculating. What is the velocity of my fall? How much time I traveled down? What was the co-efficient of friction? In that situation also I laughed myself.

Now I started thinking the possibility of going up. As much I know & seen in the afternoon that place was steep, very steep area. I don’t know why I forgotten, in the afternoon I pointed out that place; here the fall from the pathway itself, actually the slide penetrates in the path. I just thought in the afternoon that was very dangerous place. What if any poisonous insects or snake bite me now..? What if a cobra come & open its mouth in front of my head. I started sweating.

From the sound, I heard from the top, I just calculated I am not more then 15 feet down. If my luck was good, I can go up. I searched some support to my feet. After few minutes searching from my foot I got something below my foot to stand on that, may be a tree branch. I relaxed myself for a moment. I tried to pull up myself but holding alternate tree branches. I am failed in that, as the landscaping was very steep.

Finally I decided to climb up the tree. But the one big disadvantage is trees are going away from the earth surface even in the vertical direction. If I go top along the tree, I am also away from the earth surface. In the dark climbing up the tree was inviting the death, as I could not select the strong branches.

But I have to try something, I have to start somewhere, otherwise I am not alive. I selected one tree nearby I started climbing that almost 5 feet, I can here the boys voice clearly now, calling my name, crying…
Hey I am here guys, Kiran, Antony, can u hear me, I am ok, here, enjoying my death ..
I heard everybody shouting like hurryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

When I came up 2 more feet, I felt earth surface is projected towards the tree I am climbing. I know I live until my 100 year. Tonight I will not die. Bit it is a small gap between tree stem & the earth surface may be around 1.5 feet. Is it safe to jump?

Hey I can see him. He is one the tree. I heard somebody shouting.
I tried to reach the one tree branch on the earth surface. After some struggle, I succeeded in that, holding that I just jumped on the earth surface. . Somewhat I managed my balance, without sliding down again.
Now it was hardly 4-5 feet. I can see boys on the narrow path. Still I could not go up. Still steep surface. After few minutes, I saw my friend’s throwing something towards me. ? Rope? How come? We don’t have rope with us. Something came near to me. I saw it, cloth? Oh I can see it. It is chain of 2-3 pants & shirts. I hold that rope made by my friends pant & shirts. They are all pulling me up, I myself pushing my body upwards. At last I joined my group.

I really don’t know how many girls & boys hugged me. But I felt soo comfortable when I felt some hot tears of my friends on my body. Again I took leading of my group with my friend Kiran. One girl came to me holding my shoulder & directing my backward walking, as I am seeing the group. I don’t know at what time we reached the road where we stopped our vehicle.

After reaching our bus, some boys & girls those who not took the leadership in this adventure, treated me in such a way, I don’t know how to explain that, even though I explained that, u people cant understand, because that is feeling, a person can feel it but cant understand it.


Note : If anybody interested I can send yana’s photographs.