Embraced by the darkness,
Jason sat at the high window as the third day of the week crept to be the
fourth. His weight rested on the muddy wall. The mist kept on rolling,
indifferent to time. Jason mildly hoped to witness that pure moment when the
snow would begin to fill the enormous landscape in front of him on that moonless
night. Earlier in the evening, the heavens gave him some hope by shedding a few
flakes but then nothing more. The looming snowfall was tempting him with its
own sweet time. He was ready to wait.
The room was illuminated
by a single lantern resting near his study desk. Surrounded by a glass case,
the flame flickered steadily. On most nights, Jason admired the dim reflection
of objects in the room on the semi brick wall and tonight was one of those
nights. He lowered the flame further. Without the sliver of light, the window
only reflected what was beyond. He had a clear view of the night beyond the
panes. If only, he could see how his life was going to change, just as clearly
as he was able to see the valley beneath his shadow. If only.
In the Monastery of Phugtal
Ghompa, Jason was more a guest and less a monk. He had vast swathes of time at
his disposal but then time takes a lot of time to reveal its true intent. Jason
was waiting that how it would unravel for him.
The monastery overlooked
the Lingti Tsarap River and a massive canyon. A rope bridge swung at a distance
over the river. Jason thought of reaching out and walking on that bridge when
the snow would fall. But neither the snow arrived nor the perfect moment.
Situated on a sheer cliff
face in Ladakh, the monastery rested on a foundation of twigs and mud at a
height of over 3,800 meters. The honeycombed structure was home to some sixty
monks who stayed, prayed, read and served in those small composites.
That night the primeval
forests that wrapped the rising slopes were themselves cloaked in darkness.
From the third-floor window, Jason could see only part of the deep front yard
and the blacktop lane that cleaved it. Four small lantern posts converged light
in round pale pools.
Jason’s room was in the
northwest wing of the abbey. The ground floor featured prayer rooms. Monk rooms
occupied the higher and the highest floors. As he watched in anticipation of
the storm, a ray of white light drifted across the yard through the lantern
light.
The monastery had only
one creature that wasn’t a monk or a guest. An outsized cat. Larger than an
average homely one yet sharper for any walking piece of meat. A mannish feline.
Entirely white who moved with the grace of fog. Jason named him Don but never
called him aloud and never in front of anyone else.
The reason for this, he
gave to himself was something like staying as discreetly as one could and
because Don was his only permanent companion from childhood.
The real reason was that
Jason was the only one who could see Don.
Read Chapter 1 here.
Chapter 3 - Coming Soon
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