I was slipping… The soles of my branded trekking boots looked incapable of gripping the loose pebbles strewn all over the path downhill.To be honest, it was quite an easy trail, but all my mental faculties seemed to have deserted me.

Suddenly,there was a sound behind me & within a few moments, a group of tribal women rushed downhill on their bare feet, with huge wood loads on their heads …..i couldn't help but feel that they suppressed giggles , looking at my plight!

Despite my embarrassment, I realised this was a ray of Hope, that the tribal village of Jhilingsering was nearby. it was the only inhabited place within an area of 60sq Km of my campsite, from where I had ensued this fateful trek of mine, the previous day.

I slid & staggered downhill & at last came upon the small hamlet which looked like about 30huts at a glance . a few villagers gathered suspiciously around me. One person was called , who,  I made out, was their leader.

Nobody understood my language, nor did their dialect make sense to me .i gestured to that i wanted to sleep for the night & my efforts were rewarded when i was escorted towards a hut with an arrangement for bedding .

Darkness descended quickly— the huts were illuminated by lanterns, their flickering flames resembling fireflies in the dark. As I ventured out,beating of drums startled me. A campfire was about to be started. Muscular men hammered away at huge drums , while  women were getting ready for dancing. The leader looked pleased seeing me.

As the performance started , all my apprehensions and anxieties took a backseat and i started enjoying . The fire lit up the place, warming the cold december evening , while the music and the percussion complemented the dance steps of the women. I didn't really understand a single word of the songs but as the saying goes , the music really transcended the barriers of language . Every note of the music reflected the inner joy of the villagers and i forgot all my worries . I felt rejuvenated.

The feast following the campfire was delicious and the leader took special care to see that i was well looked after!

Next morning ,as i bade goodbye to the people , there were mixed emotions in me . I felt happy as i would be getting back to my people. but there was also a sense of loss, because the people of Jhilingsering no longer seemed uncivilised tribals to me, but were part of my extended family. . . These people didn't have the things considered mandatory for our daily activities. But they had the heart to care for a person in distress , a complete stranger, belonging to a world that looked down upon them.

I started walking back…