"Why are you going by ship? Why did you not take a flight?"
"Flight?.. Are you kidding?" "No one knows about flights at this time."
"Yes, a few hot air balloons which people use to fly upwards and straight to about 8-10 kms."
"Journey overseas is performed by sea voyage and takes time."
"What more can you tell me about the purpose of your journey and about yourself?" The Doctor then asked.
"The year is 1867 and a few years ago, the Pushpawati Valley was discovered in India. The news had come that there were exotic and rare plants as well as flowering plants in abundance in this valley.
"I am going to India with the other in my group, to see this place and do a study on the flowers."
"My father is a Botanist and I have been studying under his guidance. He is heading this study."
"India is directly administered by the United Kingdom and is called British India or the British Raj, It includes areas ruled by indigenous rulers, but under British tutelage called princely states."
"This system of governance commenced in June 1858, after the first war of Indian Independence of 1857. The rule of the British East India Company was transferred to the Crown, i.e. Queen Victoria and lasted till 1947. The British Raj extended over almost all of present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, except for small holdings by other European nations such as Goa and Pondicherry.
This area is very diverse, containing the Himalayan mountains, fertile floodplains, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, a long coastline, tropical dry forests, arid uplands, and the Thar Desert."
"Can you describe to me the type of clothes you all are wearing?" The Doctor interrupted.
"Well, I am suppose to be wearing a Victorian type gown, but that cannot be worn while travelling. The skirts are flatter at the front and projected more outwardly at the back. The back portion of the gown has all sorts of decoration like puffs and strips covering the skirt and the whole gown has lace work all over. Embroidery in silver or gold is also in fashion. These dresses require gauze lining to stiffen it, as well as multiple starched petticoats. Even the clothes women need to ride horses, sitting sideways, have similar designs."
"When we go out for walks, then there is a walking costume consisting of a loose jacket and a matching skirt. The skirt is drawn up for easy walking and is slightly at ankle-length with underskirt or petticoat and hoops. There is a bowler-like hat wrapped in a scarf or veil to finish the attire."
"Men, on the other hand, wear an overcoat with very wide lapels, wide cuffs, a contrasting (probably velvet) collar, and braid trim over a frock coat, waistcoat, and trousers made of matching fabric, a large necktie loosely looped and secured with a stickpin, and then tucked into the waistcoat."
"OK, that means you are from the Victorian Era? The clothes that you described, identifies the era easily," said the Doctor."What else can you tell me," he inquired further.
"I have had my dresses modified. No stiffening or corsets in my clothes. The skirts are above ankle length so that I can walk and climb hills etc and even ride a horse as a man would, not sideways as women do in this time."
"I am about 5'5" tall. Quite slim, a red head, with blue eyes and a sunny disposition. I studied Botany in the UK."
"I am very happy to be going on this journey."
"I feel I belong to India though I am from England."
"What is your name and what is your age?" Dr Dimitrius asked.
"My name is Margret Smith and I am 24 years old."
"You are very quiet now, why?" He asked.
"A month ago we reached Bombay, and took the train to Delhi, and then from Delhi to Pragyaraj. The total distance we traveled was about of 2000 km."
"The trains, at that time were not so comfortable, like they are today. Upon reaching Pragyraj, after a week we rested, and then started the journey on horse drawn buggies to the nearest town called Chamoli. Thereafter, it was uphill journey. We commenced this journey on horseback and some of the team members walked. The valley is about 866 Km from Pragyraj.
"The Valley of Flowers, as this place is called now, is at an altitude of 3542 meters above sea level. The area occupies 87 square kilometres in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. The Valley of Flowers is set against the backdrop of the majestic Zanskar Ranges. This virtual paradise on earth has been unknown to the outside world till the great Mountaineer Frank S Smith officially discovered it in the year 1931."
"Of course many explorers and Botanists had visited this place earlier too, like us but there was no highlights about them in the news."
" This place unfolds its charisma and charm of nature as soon as the snow melts shedding its sleepy nature. When the monsoon clouds began to drizzle, the valley shows its flowery face and the entire region gets covered with a carpet of colourful flowers."
"Thank you for giving us a detailed account about the valley of flowers," said the Doctor again interrupting as he wanted to get back to the main incident and asked, "What happened next."
"Well...!" Replied Tania taking a deep breath. "We set camp and started to do our studies of the plants. Some were making sketches, some making drawing and colouring them, some of us took the plants and dried them in a particular way to make a harbarium."
"There was one student of father who was always trying to show me down on some pretext or the other."
"His name was Ian Brown. I think he did not like me. I do not know why, as I had never run into him before."
"One day he cornered me. I had, unfortunately ventured a bit further away from the camp. No one was in visible range or within earshot."
"He had followed me came to me with a frown on his face. I realized he was upset about something and maybe he considered me to be the cause of his misery."