One thing I have noticed now is I am not in the gloomy state I was heading to before I got out of the house. I am alert and feeling energetic. I am focused on what lies ahead and in a state of anticipation. The darkness and the haunting silence demand this. I need to provide it too, otherwise, I should have just stayed back at home, brooding over what I can do and what I cant do. Currently, there isn’t much I can do. Whatever has to be done will be taken care of in the morning. The twelve hours of daylight is all I have to explore and find out more about this phenomenon.

There are a lot of sounds in the air as compared to the morning. The nocturnal creatures have become active and going about their business. Their sounds populate the surroundings. It somehow has an alternating eeriness to it.

Sometimes the eeriness goes up when there are no sounds. Compounded by the lack of light in any form in the surroundings, the stillness feels more daunting. It feels as if the stillness is a huge, dark monster that has its powerful hands on your throat. It is slowly delicately squeezing it. You can feel the pressure increasing bit by bit. There is nothing you can do about it cause there is nothing around you when you look. I think it can be best represented in the form of an anime - a dark figure shrouded in the darkest fabric that is constantly in a wave-like motion towering behind with its hands outstretched from the shroud. The hands are dark and bony yet strong and firm with long fingers and pointed nails. Not cold though. Two wispy piercing red eyes glow from the shroud. I will never see them but I can feel them. They stare at me and wait for me to succumb. It is enjoying the slow process of choking me in my own fear. It feeds on it. Today I am its prey.

When there are sounds - bats, owls, cats, dogs, crickets, the wind blowing on the trees and swaying them in their sleep - it feels more like a regular night. The lack of light somehow enhances the creepiness of the sounds. Still, it feels nothing like the previous case. I would prefer this over the other one.

I reach the intersection where the by-lane the dogs took begins. I light my torch into it. At the very end of the lane, two sets of eyes sparkle at the light. They stay still for a while after which they get into a low growl. I stomp my feet into the ground in a way of frightening them. They stop their low growl. I bend down to pick up a stone. Sensing my motion, they scamper away from the road. I shine the torch in that direction. A grassy outcrop covers the slope. They disappear into it. I turn off the torch and resume my walk.

Having adjusted to the lack of light, I am able to make out the road and its immediate surroundings. This is partly because of the open space in between the houses and the road. It allows some of the light to bleed in. It would have been much darker if there was a good green cover, like the plantation roads in my hometown. Or the Munnar tent stay we did two years ago.

The group I am talking about was formed at a small event in Trivandrum a few months prior to the trip. I can't explain how we came together. It just happened. We formed our WhatsApp group and started having discussions and the usual shenanigans of a social media group. All of us were feeling bored and wanted to escape the monotonous everyday life. A plan was hatched to have a small getaway before the monsoons hit us. This was happening the year before Covid. Things were simpler back then. We got together and planned for an offbeat trip to a camping place in Munnar. It required us to trek the hills for nearly an hour to reach the property. I was excited about the prospect of it. I was itching to do some hiking. They would provide only the basic necessities - a tented stay and simple meals thrice a day. There would be no electricity. Network range was only available with one particular network. Luckily we all had the same network. But we didn’t mind if there weren’t any. We wanted to just get lost for the two days we would be spending there.

We drove down from Kottayam and reached Munnar around two. We had our lunch and stocked up on snacks and savories. It was conveyed to us that once we reach the property it would be difficult to go and get any kind of supplies on an emergency basis. It was atop a hill and very much secluded. We hoped to last the two nights with the two bottles of alcohol we were carrying.

As said, it took us an hour to reach the property. We were hiking through cardamon plantations and thick hilly vegetation. We were surrounded by trees all around us. It felt very much like a forest. Our guide took us through it with ease, stopping in between at a small stream to freshen ourselves. The cold water shook away the weariness in some of us. While we were driving towards Munnar, one of our friends told us his two school friends were also traveling to Munnar. They had booked a place near the town. If they didn’t like it they wanted to join us. We were okay with it. It all depended on the availability of the property. We called them and asked if there was room for two more people, in case of an emergency. They agreed to arrange another tent for them. We conveyed the matter to his friends. They went ahead of us to check on their property. It turned out to be nothing as advertised on the website. They let it go and decided to join us. I was concerned about how our booze will be split now. My friend gave me the good news that they were carrying a bottle with them. We should be well off. I was relieved. I wanted to have at least one good glass of alcohol in the night in such a setting. Also, it was expected to become colder as the night progressed—nothing better to keep us warm than a good serving of whisky, neat.

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The property was along the slope of the hill. It had a small house, which was the last one on the hill. The house was very basic. Our tents were behind the house, in a small clearing. We were completely engulfed in the lap of nature. Tall trees surrounded us in all directions. We settled ourselves in our tents following which we were given hot black tea. It refreshed our weary souls. The trek was a bit difficult for one of our friends, but he managed to pull it off in the end. We didn’t know it would be so long and would have to climb uphill all the way. We took a rest and got to know the people inhabiting the house.

The property was bought by a young chap of our age. He had had enough of city life and wanted to stay in the countryside. Somehow the idea came up for having his own property away from the hustle and bustle of the main town. He found this property and bought it with all his savings. It belonged to an elderly couple who had come here as immigrants from the neighboring state to work in the plantations and hills. Their children were educated and left them to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Their initial plan was to sell off the property and leave to live with one of their children. But it didn’t materialize for some reason. The guy who bought the property was more than happy to have them stay back at the house. The couple in turn helped in the cooking and feeding aspect of the stay.

I was envious of the fact that the huge property was owned by this chap. I too have dreams of buying a home in the hills. It became compounded having witnessed this. There was no electricity. The limited charging was done with the power generated by a couple of solar panels. Water was flowing down from the hills. They collected it and used it for all their purposes, even for drinking. It tasted very much like the water we get at home. The couple had lived on it for their entire lifetime. They said they never ran out of it even in the harshest of all summers. The guide, another guy of our age, told us he would show us the source of it when he takes us there the next day. Today he would take us to a nearby viewpoint to watch the sunset.

He led us through some thick undergrowth, climbing up the hill once again before we reached a rocky outcrop. Climbing up onto one of these rocks, we could see the valley below us. We could not see the sunset as it was cloudy. We relaxed here for a while and enjoyed the cool breeze that was blowing constantly at us. It was really peaceful. We were in good company, enjoying the new friendship we had formed as we got to know each other all the while pulling each other's leg. The sky was getting darker as time passed by. Streaks of cerulean and purple could be seen between the clearing in the clouds. Our guide told us it was time to leave as the darkness would descend rapidly following which it would be difficult to traverse the terrain. We left our peaceful station.

Within a few minutes of getting back, darkness descended upon us. A couple of lights powered by batteries were lit. It was getting colder as the night advanced. We huddled around on the porch of the house and played with their dog. He was a young Rottweiler. He hadn’t completely developed his aggressive nature and was friendly to us. He would come and sit beside us and let us pat him. I was surprised to know they were amicable when they were young. They called him Alaska. I loved the name.

We killed an hour chatting and sharing traveling experiences amongst ourselves and with our host. They were eager to hear our stories and vice-versa. When we started to run out of stories, it was decided to open the bottle of booze and allow it to make us warm and cozy so as to churn out the remaining stories buried deep inside us. What followed was a really merry night. The host made us a small bonfire. The fire was welcomed with open arms. It dispelled the cold and kept it at bay. Along with the whisky going down our throats, we were feeling warm inside and outside.

The washroom was a makeshift one made a short distance from the front yard. I had the urge to pee after having gotten down two glasses of whisky plus some cold beers offered to us by the host. We appreciated him for his generosity and offered him our whisky in return. The cold beer felt amazing. I wish I had more of it. Anyways, when I got to the washroom with the help of my mobile flashlight, after I was done with my job and getting out, my flashlight went off. It was pitch black, the scary kind. The bonfire was not visible as the shed adjacent to the house was covering it entirely. In that instance, the wind blew through the air. It was a strong gust. I stood still and let it pass. As it blew, the sound it conjured was like a cloud bursting in the sky with the water rushing in the form of a huge wave toward us. It was really frightening. I went back to my group and asked if they had heard the wind. They concurred and expressed how it made them feel. Each had its own version of it. But they all had a common theme, of a disaster.

Compared to that Munnar night, tonight feels tame. Also, I have a powerful torch with me. I am having access to resources. I may be alone but I am not isolated. I am in a city. That itself is enough to make me feel safe. I know I have a chance to survive in case of an emergency. I want to live and see this through. I want to live so that I can solve this mystery and be done with it. I don't intend to give up. If it is a fight they want from me, they will get one.