Indu cherished the time spent with everyone, relishing the chief's wife's cooking and the tranquil and soothing environment. However, the time came for Indu to return to her school.
Indu was awakened by the squealing of a piglet that had wandered into the main room where they were sleeping. Though it was still dark, she was already alert as it was the day she would be returning to her college. The nearly two-month winter vacation had seemed to pass by swiftly, and she felt a slight unease at the thought of transitioning back to a different environment. Indu vividly remembered every detail of the journey undertaken by her predecessor, which had brought her from the plains of Assam to her village in the Naga Hills.
After traveling from her school to the town of Jatkhor, Indu had spent the night in the loft of a kind shopkeeper. In the morning, she observed the women in the group preparing rice and curry, enough for two meals—one to be consumed before they embarked on their journey, and another to be eaten at noon when they reached the halfway point. Each member contributed rice for cooking, as it was customary for villagers to carry sufficient provisions to sustain them during the journey. One member carried a large pot, capable of cooking for the entire group, and each person would add a cup of rice from their own supply whenever a meal needed to be prepared.
After a cold and restless night, Indu felt hunger pangs and ate eagerly. She wondered if Jitu, her maternal uncle's son, had also brought provisions or if he had made alternative arrangements with a distant friend who was part of the same group. The firewood needed for cooking meals had been collected at the foothills before their departure. Following the morning meal, the party set off at a brisk pace, walking in single file with each member carrying a basket laden with items such as salt, dried fish, soap, bottles of hair oil, and even kerosene oil for lamps. These items had been purchased with the money earned from selling oranges, ginger, yam, and occasionally special sticky rice. Such journeys were feasible only during the winter months, as the numerous hill streams and rivers that intersected the terrain could only be crossed when the water level was low enough—typically knee-deep at certain points. The villagers would form groups, holding each other's hands, to ensure they didn't get swept away by the swift currents.
Jitu had joined one of these groups when he came to accompany Indu from her college to the village. The early departure ensured that the travelers would reach home before sunset. Indu recalled how Jitu, walking behind her, would encourage her to walk faster, cautioning, "Faster, faster! Tigers roam these jungles in the evenings." Despite the underlying fear, Indu struggled to keep up with the others due to her low stamina. When they reached the halfway point on the banks of the Disoi River, the others were waiting impatiently for their arrival.