"One more had voted for negative" Sourav said.
His phone displaying the dejected vote chart of six positive and seventeen negatives. Five of us had gathered in the middle of the Hamdoi fields to conduct a quick bird count. But what was bugging the boys, was the cancellation of the trekking cum bird watching trip to Nefani, which has been pending for nearly a week.
The sky was covered by pale black clouds that had showered their load last night. And the orange rays of the rising sun tried to creep out from the drifting mass of clouds. The sky was coloured with strokes of diffusing orange among the dull greys. The soil was damp but not soggy. The dried-out paddy stems that have been drenched by the night's fall held witness to it. Tiny drops cling to the stem as transparent sap. They stood as fleshless arms poking out of an unceremonious grave.
Five figures stood at the middle of that desolate field. Sourav was standing and contacting others people who hadn't voted till now to hear their decision. Abhi stood by his right, holding an empty binocular case around his neck. While the binocular was in the hands of Niyor who was crouching on the ground; the bino's strapped dangling in the air, barely touching the ground underneath. Pari who was unconcerned with all this chitter chatter gaze at her phone, scrolling the list of birds that she had just downloaded. Her glasses gave the faint reflection of all those feathery critters. While I stood blankly, holding my bag's strap and anticipating that by some miracle more people will join.
Sourav was a senior to all of us by one year. And the management of the trip had fallen upon him. He was very well educated in avian biology and had an adventurous spirit. He was eager to go bird watching there but the situation said otherwise. Surely, he too was hoping for something extraordinary to occur.
"Whatever happens please don't cancel the trip" I said, giving a witness to my own desperation.
Sourav gave no reply but clench his lip and slightly nodded. Three pipits flew and Niyor quickly trailed them with his bino's, before they disappeared once again under the cover of the dead stems.
"Why not you join us too?" Sourav asked Abhi, who was also scanning the fields.
"I have stuff to do. And going for two days ••• I don't think I can" he said with his iconic smile.
The situation seems to be going down the drain. Afar three figures were coming toward us. Niyor positioned the binocular and looked at the closing figures.
"Um, Prakriti, Gayatri and ••• is that Rajeev sir!" he said in slight amazement. On hearing those names, Pari turned her gaze upwards.
"Sir has come to take picture of a Painted Snipe" Sourav informed us.
I looked at my phone, it was 7:25 A.M. and I must get home by 8:00 A.M. I had to reach college by 9. And if the trip was confirmed, then to pack a bagful of clothes and medicine. I was about to leave when Sourav said something unexpected.
"What I say! why don't you girls also join us" Sourav said looking at Pari. I was flabbergasted and so was Pari. She looked with widen eyes at Sourav.
"Can we?" she asked still confuse and puzzle at this sudden invitation.
"Well, I think you can, but you must look after yourself ••• who else shall go with us?" he asked.
"Well let me asked them" Pari said and ran towards the girls. Skipping over the earthen pavement she flew as a butterfly would.
"I will be taking my leave" I said and waved them bye.
I followed behind Pari. She grabbed Prakriti by her arm and pull her towards herself. Gayatri stood at a distance from them. I passed by them giving a slight smirk. After a few steps, a high pitch cry of ecstasy was heard behind me. I turned around and saw the girls giggling in pure joy.