Sangai woke up with a start at the makeshift hidden home they had found near the edge of the jungle. He must have slept crying yesterday night. He still couldn’t believe their bad luck. He had warned his Dad that he did not like those new burly men who had come to the village. He could tell by their stares and jibes that they had some mal intention for his beautiful mother but they both had dismissed his talks and said that they are harmless.

His father had said, “they just talk like that and wouldn’t dare anything while I am here. And everyone in the village talks about your mom’s beauty. She is the most beautiful.” Sangai had calmed down and smiled noting his father’s pride.

“Oh Little Sangai you have woken up,” said his mother coming back to their makeshift home. She had gathered and brought some fruits for him. “Have these berries, they are very good for your health and make you as strong as your father was.”

“Thanks, Maa. How long do we have to be here? When can we go back to our home?”

“You know that we can’t go till those evil men are in the village. No one dares to speak against them.”

Sangai recalled how some people tried to stop them but were afraid of their big guns. His dad could have taken any of them one on one but those rascals didn’t fight fair. They came from the back and before his Dad could react they shot him in his back. Cowards! His father however still charged for the rascals and shouted Sangai and his mother to run! He hit one of them but the other one fired too at his father’s head killing him on the spot.

He wanted to go there but his mother stopped him and they ran into the jungle to escape them. Their father had given those few precious moments for them to escape. Sangai was never allowed to enter into the jungle with all those dangerous wild animals there but they had no choice. The villains followed them for almost half a day but ultimately withdrew when they couldn’t find them.

“But Maa we can’t live like this forever. It is not safe in the jungle. You only told us so. Why don’t we go and check? It has been almost one moon cycle. Maybe they have gone back to the big village that they came from.”

“Ok Sangai, but be very careful. We will just watch from the woods. Make sure no one from the village sees us. We don’t know who all are with them.”

“Ok mother”

“Let us see if those evil men have gone or not.”

It took them almost three hours to reach back near the village. They watched apprehensively for almost an hour but there seemed to be no movement. Not even the occasional carts or cars. It was almost as if the village was deserted. They waited another few hours but all they could see was some very limited movement. The guesthouse where those murderers stayed seemed empty.

“Maa, where are the villagers. Have those men murdered them too.”

“I don’t think so but, oddly, there is no movement in the village”

“So shall we go and check out. I want to go back home.”

“It seems they have gone but I can’t risk going near the village till we know for sure. I don’t feel safe now that your dad is not here.”

“Maa, I believe we can take help of the Watchman dada. He is very nice. He is my friend and has always been kind. He also has a gun. Maybe he can protect us.”

“Yes, he is a nice man. Let us go to him.”

Instead of taking the direct route they circled the lake and reached the watchman’s cabin. They could see him sitting near the gate.

The moment the watchman saw him he called for Sangai who approached cautiously. The tear in his eye showed him the compassion was still there as he said.

“Oh my Little Sangai, how scared you must be to see those evil hunters shoot down your father in their drunken stupor. He was the most handsome deer in this national reserve and with the biggest antlers. I informed the authority and they arrested them but we were so afraid that you would have got scared and run into the jungle. Thank God you both are safe. Those hunters did not just harm you but also have infected the whole village with the evil virus. That is why it is so deserted with many going to the nearby villages or in quarantine. But don’t worry you and your mother are safe again!”

The boards above read “Sangai National Reserve, Manipur: Home of the Brow Antlered Deer”