Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 T H I R D M O O N 06attacked us. It had happened just a few metres beyond the highest pointof the track, where it began to drop toward Jethian. He stood and lookedat the spot. I showed him where they had come out of the forest. Helooked hard at that too. Then, having also looked up and down the track,he solemnly pronounced with all the gravitas of an old detective movie,“This, then, is the scene of the crime.”He called the other officer and the forest worker over, and they starteda conversation in Hindi which involved pointing up and down the track.I interrupted. “Please, can we look for our bags. You said we would. Theyare here somewhere in the forest.” The sub-inspector looked vexed atbeing interrupted, half turned, and barked out something in Hindi overhis shoulder. Behind him the police constables got up and ambled intothe forest, each setting off in a different direction. I followed them. As Iwandered about looking for the bags myself, having given up any ideaof a systematic search, I came upon some of the constables. None weresearching: one was collecting firewood, two were chopping at a log, andanother was standing with the chaukidar at the edge of the cliff lookingat the view. I was too depressed by now to do anything about it. I justwandered about on my own, half-heartedly trying to find the bags.Then I heard the sub-inspector calling, “Mr. Scott, Mr. Scott, whereare you?”I came back out to find him standing there with a look of triumph onhis face and my hopes began to rise. “Yes?”“We have discovered that, in fact, the scene of the crime is not in Rajgirpolice district but in Atri police district.” “This,” he continued, pointingat the place we had parked, “is the boundary of Rajgir police district.Therefore your crime is not our responsibility. You must talk to Atripolice.” And with that he climbed into the jeep. “Now we are returning.”I had nothing left. What was the point of anything? I clambered inbeside him, and the jeep set off back down the track.2 5 2