The voice of the night

The knoll...

It was a steep knoll just off the highway. We were scattered around our Professor, who stood on a huge rock which gave it a stage like feel. His fingers were laced together and his neck length hair were pulled in a short ponytail. All that was missing were those characteristic black robes and I could imagine him making a grand entrance like Prof Snape while proclaiming, "There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class." Alas! I was not at Hogwarts and this was no potions class.

I pulled my cap down to shield away from the direct sun while sarcastically remembering that January was actually meant to be a winter month in some parts of India.

"Very well then, I see that you have all gathered. Now let me make this very clear- this is an educational trip and not an excursion! There will be no fun activity, no joking around, no nothing!" His voice rose to such a decibel that I flinched. Starting again at a lower note he said, " Now behind me is a knoll, we will find dolomite there. I want you all to be ready with your hammer and hand lens to observe the mineral Dolomite. On seeing a dolomite rock you have break it using your Hammer," I had a vision of Thor wielding his hammer and shivered a bit considering that I had never used one in my entire existence, "and then examine it with your hand lens. Am I clear?"

A chorus of "yes sir" sounded from everyone. Of course we were all excited. This was our first geological experience.

"Wonderful! Now climb up!"Our Prof. who-looked-so-much-like-Snape proclaimed.

There was pause. Finally someone mustered the courage to ask, "I am sorry, sir, but are you asking us to climb this knoll?"

I looked up at the steep knoll with large boulders sticking out at precarious angles and resisted a shiver. I had never even climbed up a tree as a kid but to climb a steep elevation, well as the Prof says!

"Of course I am."

"Well, where are the ropes then ?" Vir asked him and the icy glare he got in return was enough for everyone to gather their courage and start their climb without another word.

Professor lead our troop to the top. At many points Vir had the advantage of his long legs when he had to just hop from one rock to another while I was stuck with nowhere to go. Then he would just offer me his hand and pull me up. This was a proof of how physically weak I was being a girl, a proof I did not like a bit.

After everyone had made their way to the destination, the Professor took attendance again as if to make sure that no one had fallen down to their untimely demise. After that he showed us how to break a rock. Just put it on the ground and no, do not keep holding on to it with your fingers while hitting it (like we are that dumb) and then strike. Poof! the rock broke into 2 fragments like it was meant to but with no thunder or lightning which happened when Thor's Hammer struck.

"Get to work!" He shouted, making me nearly deaf.

I found a nice big rock to sit on and found a Dolomite to break.

BANG!

My hammer contacted the hard surface.  The rock broke and I pulled back my hammer with a large smile on  my face only to realize that what I held in my hand was only a wooden handle while the iron hammer head which should be attached to it was on an upward journey to heaven.

"What the .." I shouted and ran after the iron head which was making a physics-problem worth parabola in the air. I mean whose first instinct is to run after a heavy iron head willing it to land straight on your hand rather than to shield yourself from it? Everyone's, right? See I knew you would agree with me.

So here I was running after it with my hand outstretched like any normal person's,  when it decided to betray my eager awaiting fingers and land straight on Ved's head. Here I operate under the assumption that everything, living or otherwise, is attracted to his over-smart head. Pulling tiny swirls in the air it made a descent to his cranial area, when at the last moment as if sensing the trouble he pushed away from the spot he had previously stood on. Alas! The Hammer head missed him by inches just like every fangirl had, who decided to flung her overeager-self on him.