unconcerned.
“I worried about you,” Kamala says lovingly, looking into his eyes.
Bahi begins to wake, slowly stretching up, pulling his knees to his chest, huddled in a sitting position and trying to contain his warmth. The sun has not yet risen, but light softly illumines the forest as Kamini makes her way to a fire-orange red marigold to feast upon its nectar.
“Today I will come back to the clan. I am showing Bahi the way to the trail that leads to the Baba,” Bandar explains to Kamala.
“Who is Bahi?” she asks.
“Who indeed?” Bahi says with a chuckle.
“I named him Bahi, my brother ,” Bandar explains proudly as Kamini softly alights upon his head.
“Hello,” she greets Kamala.
Kamala smiles back, “The path to the Baba is forbidden, Bandar,” Kamala whispers.
Bahi listens in concern.
“Kavi has assured us he will be fine,” Bandar says, noticing the concerned look on Bahi’s face.
“I will come with you. I can fly above and see any danger ahead,” Kamini offers. “and besides, I have heard much about this Baba, and I think he can help me.”
“Help you, with what?” Bandar asks.
“I lost my family, my brothers and sisters—all gone. One day I was eating breakfast, and when I was done they were nowhere to be seen. I haven’t seen them since. This was weeks ago,” Kamini explains sadly.
“Then so it is,” Bahi says, standing up to greet the first beam of warm light from over the hills. “Kamini and I will brave the forest path to the Baba.”
“We should get moving so you can get an early start. One does not want to be on that path at dark,” Bandar warns.
Gathering up, the four head out of the ancient forest, led by Bandar and Kamala. They pass great, rushing rivers and an array of beautiful foliage. They reach a large stone wall decorated with small, purple flowers that grow up its face.
“It’s just over this hill,” Bandar explains, pointing to a small path that fades into the incline of thick jungle.
Bahi begins to feel nervous, realizing that Bandar will soon leave him. They make their way up the narrow rocky trail, over a small hill. Reaching the summit, they come to another trail that descends into the darkness of the jungle. A wooden sign is posted on a tree. It points toward the trail. A large crow swoops down, its wide, black, silken wings lowering it to rest upon the sign.
“What does it say?” Bahi asks, noticing it’s written in Hindi.
Bandar is busy looking up in a tree for food to give Kamini and Bahi for their journey.
“It’s a warning,” the crow says, staring down with solid -black beady eyes.
Bahi looks up. “A warning for what?” he asks nervously.
The crow turns his head toward the trail then back at Bahi, and from his sharp, black beak he speaks, “Better men than you have traversed this path and were never seen again. If you are smart, you will turn back now.”
“I can’t. I must see the Baba,” Bahi says as Kamini floats higher to nervously look ahead on the trail.
“If the Baba wished to see you, he would come to you,” the crow squawks.
Just then Kamala and Bandar descend a tree with some bananas and bean pods. Kamini soars down, landing on Bahi’s shoulder.
“It doesn’t look so bad, just trail,” Kamini assures.
“Nothing is as it seems down there. Turn back now,” the crow warns again.
“Don’t listen to that old hag,” Bandar says, brushing him off.
“You risk certain death, fools. I have warned you. You will never survive. If you step on that path I will be feasting upon your dead carcass come nightfall!”
Bandar pounces upon the sign, showing his teeth as the crow makes haste flying off.
“Nothing is as it seems, fools, turn back!” he warns as he squawks away into the forest.
Bahi is uneasy. “Do you think I will be OK?”
“You’ll be fine. Just keep your wits about you,” Kamala says.
“Yeah, don’t worry about that old crow, he has nothing better to do than scare people,” Bandar
“I worried about you,” Kamala says lovingly, looking into his eyes.
Bahi begins to wake, slowly stretching up, pulling his knees to his chest, huddled in a sitting position and trying to contain his warmth. The sun has not yet risen, but light softly illumines the forest as Kamini makes her way to a fire-orange red marigold to feast upon its nectar.
“Today I will come back to the clan. I am showing Bahi the way to the trail that leads to the Baba,” Bandar explains to Kamala.
“Who is Bahi?” she asks.
“Who indeed?” Bahi says with a chuckle.
“I named him Bahi, my brother ,” Bandar explains proudly as Kamini softly alights upon his head.
“Hello,” she greets Kamala.
Kamala smiles back, “The path to the Baba is forbidden, Bandar,” Kamala whispers.
Bahi listens in concern.
“Kavi has assured us he will be fine,” Bandar says, noticing the concerned look on Bahi’s face.
“I will come with you. I can fly above and see any danger ahead,” Kamini offers. “and besides, I have heard much about this Baba, and I think he can help me.”
“Help you, with what?” Bandar asks.
“I lost my family, my brothers and sisters—all gone. One day I was eating breakfast, and when I was done they were nowhere to be seen. I haven’t seen them since. This was weeks ago,” Kamini explains sadly.
“Then so it is,” Bahi says, standing up to greet the first beam of warm light from over the hills. “Kamini and I will brave the forest path to the Baba.”
“We should get moving so you can get an early start. One does not want to be on that path at dark,” Bandar warns.
Gathering up, the four head out of the ancient forest, led by Bandar and Kamala. They pass great, rushing rivers and an array of beautiful foliage. They reach a large stone wall decorated with small, purple flowers that grow up its face.
“It’s just over this hill,” Bandar explains, pointing to a small path that fades into the incline of thick jungle.
Bahi begins to feel nervous, realizing that Bandar will soon leave him. They make their way up the narrow rocky trail, over a small hill. Reaching the summit, they come to another trail that descends into the darkness of the jungle. A wooden sign is posted on a tree. It points toward the trail. A large crow swoops down, its wide, black, silken wings lowering it to rest upon the sign.
“What does it say?” Bahi asks, noticing it’s written in Hindi.
Bandar is busy looking up in a tree for food to give Kamini and Bahi for their journey.
“It’s a warning,” the crow says, staring down with solid -black beady eyes.
Bahi looks up. “A warning for what?” he asks nervously.
The crow turns his head toward the trail then back at Bahi, and from his sharp, black beak he speaks, “Better men than you have traversed this path and were never seen again. If you are smart, you will turn back now.”
“I can’t. I must see the Baba,” Bahi says as Kamini floats higher to nervously look ahead on the trail.
“If the Baba wished to see you, he would come to you,” the crow squawks.
Just then Kamala and Bandar descend a tree with some bananas and bean pods. Kamini soars down, landing on Bahi’s shoulder.
“It doesn’t look so bad, just trail,” Kamini assures.
“Nothing is as it seems down there. Turn back now,” the crow warns again.
“Don’t listen to that old hag,” Bandar says, brushing him off.
“You risk certain death, fools. I have warned you. You will never survive. If you step on that path I will be feasting upon your dead carcass come nightfall!”
Bandar pounces upon the sign, showing his teeth as the crow makes haste flying off.
“Nothing is as it seems, fools, turn back!” he warns as he squawks away into the forest.
Bahi is uneasy. “Do you think I will be OK?”
“You’ll be fine. Just keep your wits about you,” Kamala says.
“Yeah, don’t worry about that old crow, he has nothing better to do than scare people,” Bandar
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