The shrill sound of the ever flowing falls kept them awake for the entire part of the day. The hills were silent, calm but this was the only sound that they could hear all throughout the day. Although boring, they never complained about it.
Ilai and Dorji were the children of Dilban, the only residents of this valley. They had nowhere to go, nothing to buy. All they needed grew there in the gardens. Once in a month, they would go to the city to buy the groceries from the market in the town. That was the only time when they would actually go out of their beautiful valley into the disturbance of the world.
The day of the month in which they used to travel to the nearby marketplace was the most happening day for the kids. Dorji used to wear the most expensive clothes on that day. Ilai would make cool styles with hair. Dorji would often free himself from all the bags that his mother would ask him to carry in order to impress the young girls of the town. Ilai, on the other hand, would be very shy and would just follow her mother to the shops.
They would carry loads of vegetables with them in their cart and then sell them at the market. With the profit earned they would then buy a few things that they would need for the next month and then come back.
Misri, the valley, where Ilai and Dorji stayed with their mother was out of all connections of the world. It could be a good spot for the tourists. It had potential to attract many tourists. But somehow, the local authorities had never caught attention of the place because for them, the hills had become a place for staying and couldn't ever think that this place could actually be served on a platter and only by displaying it to the outer world, they could earn loads of money.
They were happy in their small means. They cultivated the vegetables and fruits that they needed. And they would sell the extra in the market. Even if they had very little resources to sell, they never felt dissatisfied. Dilban was the middle aged woman, who had given birth to her kids, and then lost her husband to some unknown disease, due to lack of medical facilities.
They were living quite peacefully. One fine morning, a visitor came to the place and knocked at their door. Ramesh was very happy to find a cottage in the remotest valley of Misri. He had a backpack packed with loads of things. As Dorji opened the door, he was amazed because he expected that his mother had come. Ramesh candidly asked him for some water. Dorji invited him in and brought him a glass of water. Dilban and Ilai returned from the garden. They were surprised to see a stranger talking so candidly to Dorji. Dorji had already became friends with Ramesh.
Dilban interrogated Ramesh for his intrusion. He was made clear that he wasn't expected in their house and that the minimal resources that the three needed for surviving were so meagre and inadequate that they would not be able to cater to the needs of a visitor at any cost. Ramesh, however, had expected that he would receive such an opposition and understood that he needed to handle the situation with composure.
Ramesh made them understand that their lives would change after few days. He had gone there for a motive. He had to make a documentary film on the solitary lives of the people of the mountain. For this project, he had to stay there amongst them. He tried convincing Dilban that he would pay for the food and lodging that they would provide them.
Dilban, after brooding over, thought to herself, that maybe they could earn some money if they housed this stranger. But the darkest corners of her mind kept thinking otherwise. Even, Dorji had become very friendly with the stranger. And he also kept coaxing his mother to accept this offer. Ramesh also promised that if his film got acclaimed, he would take Dorji to the western world and introduce him to the girls of the west.
After thinking a lot, Dilban gave her consent to the offer. Ilai, in the meantime, had started liking the stranger because this was the first time she ever saw a man from the western world. His tall built and his moustache, his dark eyes, black curly hair caught her attention. She had never before seen a man like Ramesh.
In the next few months, Ilai had stealthily looked at Ramesh when he changed his clothes or when he came out of the toilet, just wrapped up in a towel. However, Ramesh had never followed what was going on behind him. Dorji had started experimenting with Ramesh's clothes. They used to hang from his limbs making him look like a clown because the man was really very tall and strong.
During their daily chores, Ramesh would take random videos. Sometimes, he would shoot Dilban while she cooked or when she would be in the garden. Dorji would often spoil the spontaneity by starting to pose and smile in front of the camera. Ilai would often be intimidated by the presence of the man whom she secretly admired.
At the end of the third month, the content Ramesh was filled with so many beautiful videos that he realised that his project would be selected by the television channel owners. He started packing his bags. Then he met Ilai for the last time and he was gradually descending the steps. He smiled at her and said goodbye. He met Dilban and Dorji out in the field and gave them some money. The amount of money overwhelmed both Dorji and Dilban.
After going back to his home, Ramesh edited the video and sent it out for the post production. Back at Misri, Ilai, Dorji and Dilban had started missing Ramesh for their respective reasons. In about two months, his documentary was released. The documentary got rave reviews and was acclaimed by all who had seen it. Ramesh was awarded various achievements.
Dorji, Ilai and their mother continued the life they were used to. Slowly, they forgot the stranger and went on with their life in the never ending sound of the waterfalls in their forgotten valley.
Ilai and Dorji were the children of Dilban, the only residents of this valley. They had nowhere to go, nothing to buy. All they needed grew there in the gardens. Once in a month, they would go to the city to buy the groceries from the market in the town. That was the only time when they would actually go out of their beautiful valley into the disturbance of the world.
The day of the month in which they used to travel to the nearby marketplace was the most happening day for the kids. Dorji used to wear the most expensive clothes on that day. Ilai would make cool styles with hair. Dorji would often free himself from all the bags that his mother would ask him to carry in order to impress the young girls of the town. Ilai, on the other hand, would be very shy and would just follow her mother to the shops.
They would carry loads of vegetables with them in their cart and then sell them at the market. With the profit earned they would then buy a few things that they would need for the next month and then come back.
Misri, the valley, where Ilai and Dorji stayed with their mother was out of all connections of the world. It could be a good spot for the tourists. It had potential to attract many tourists. But somehow, the local authorities had never caught attention of the place because for them, the hills had become a place for staying and couldn't ever think that this place could actually be served on a platter and only by displaying it to the outer world, they could earn loads of money.
They were happy in their small means. They cultivated the vegetables and fruits that they needed. And they would sell the extra in the market. Even if they had very little resources to sell, they never felt dissatisfied. Dilban was the middle aged woman, who had given birth to her kids, and then lost her husband to some unknown disease, due to lack of medical facilities.
They were living quite peacefully. One fine morning, a visitor came to the place and knocked at their door. Ramesh was very happy to find a cottage in the remotest valley of Misri. He had a backpack packed with loads of things. As Dorji opened the door, he was amazed because he expected that his mother had come. Ramesh candidly asked him for some water. Dorji invited him in and brought him a glass of water. Dilban and Ilai returned from the garden. They were surprised to see a stranger talking so candidly to Dorji. Dorji had already became friends with Ramesh.
Dilban interrogated Ramesh for his intrusion. He was made clear that he wasn't expected in their house and that the minimal resources that the three needed for surviving were so meagre and inadequate that they would not be able to cater to the needs of a visitor at any cost. Ramesh, however, had expected that he would receive such an opposition and understood that he needed to handle the situation with composure.
Ramesh made them understand that their lives would change after few days. He had gone there for a motive. He had to make a documentary film on the solitary lives of the people of the mountain. For this project, he had to stay there amongst them. He tried convincing Dilban that he would pay for the food and lodging that they would provide them.
Dilban, after brooding over, thought to herself, that maybe they could earn some money if they housed this stranger. But the darkest corners of her mind kept thinking otherwise. Even, Dorji had become very friendly with the stranger. And he also kept coaxing his mother to accept this offer. Ramesh also promised that if his film got acclaimed, he would take Dorji to the western world and introduce him to the girls of the west.
After thinking a lot, Dilban gave her consent to the offer. Ilai, in the meantime, had started liking the stranger because this was the first time she ever saw a man from the western world. His tall built and his moustache, his dark eyes, black curly hair caught her attention. She had never before seen a man like Ramesh.
In the next few months, Ilai had stealthily looked at Ramesh when he changed his clothes or when he came out of the toilet, just wrapped up in a towel. However, Ramesh had never followed what was going on behind him. Dorji had started experimenting with Ramesh's clothes. They used to hang from his limbs making him look like a clown because the man was really very tall and strong.
During their daily chores, Ramesh would take random videos. Sometimes, he would shoot Dilban while she cooked or when she would be in the garden. Dorji would often spoil the spontaneity by starting to pose and smile in front of the camera. Ilai would often be intimidated by the presence of the man whom she secretly admired.
At the end of the third month, the content Ramesh was filled with so many beautiful videos that he realised that his project would be selected by the television channel owners. He started packing his bags. Then he met Ilai for the last time and he was gradually descending the steps. He smiled at her and said goodbye. He met Dilban and Dorji out in the field and gave them some money. The amount of money overwhelmed both Dorji and Dilban.
After going back to his home, Ramesh edited the video and sent it out for the post production. Back at Misri, Ilai, Dorji and Dilban had started missing Ramesh for their respective reasons. In about two months, his documentary was released. The documentary got rave reviews and was acclaimed by all who had seen it. Ramesh was awarded various achievements.
Dorji, Ilai and their mother continued the life they were used to. Slowly, they forgot the stranger and went on with their life in the never ending sound of the waterfalls in their forgotten valley.
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