So, Martha was convinced that young Sterling was no less accomplished than Kipling or Rowling. Yet, it was miles to go. Miles to go, before Martha could see a hot-seller of him.
That was the beginning of Juan Sterling with a meagre penny to his credit. Whenever he got a chance, he visited them, for they were his besties ever. He lived with them and they trusted him, as he to them, more than himself, or, maybe more than he to his mom, Martha. Peter Sterling dwelled in a separate compartment, a bit far at the rear, as he didn't wish to live with a zoo in his house. But, they did love him greatly, too. Waited for him and didn't stop crackling, until Martha and Juan mildly rebuked them, asking them to go off to sleep. Sometimes, Peter took on them hard. Martha called Peter bad names and it was as if a daily routine with the Sterlings. Juan, now 20, dedicated himself whole-heartedly to them in the dense flora and fauna of the Himachal.
Jalori Pass, in the Kullu district, had been a native to the Anglo-Indian Indian-settlers, then, since independence. Martha was still with her mother then. Now she is 77. Juan had been adopted by the Sterlings, after a dreadful accident by a visitor couple with their five-year-old child. Martha and Peter rescued the collapsing boy and since then Juan had found a home. They were pulling on well until it was Juan's unimaginable love for them, which was much to an extent in’ undergrowth was what constituted the area, with a meagre populace as the area was frequently vulnerable to leopard attacks. Reports of very young children getting leopard attacks were very common there. However, the dreadful act was, even more horrifying to the endangered species falling victim in the hands of the poachers. Juan was bent upon getting the mass to know the story through his article, ‘The Jungle Residents of Jalori’.
Juan, an ardent follower of Bond, travelled every year from Jalori to Kasauli on every 19th of May. This incident occurred since a fortnight ago when the duo met at Shimla. Bond had been on a visit there to attend a public speech, and Juan had casually planned a visit there with a few of his friends. On his return, he witnessed his entire world topsy-turvy. Juan had no more time to his leisure. He had his stories, his real stories to make the world familiar with. Lisa, the leopard, Buck the doe, and her two fawns Emile and Elise were the characters of his article. And, yes, there was the ever remembered of character Vishwathama, the antagonist.
Lisa, a female leopard of six was a very attacking one, and she had almost injured as many as 15 adults and 25 children. But, quite unlikely, even after starving for days together she never ever tasted human flesh, despite, that being her easy prey. One could spot leopards, buck deer, pandas, wild boars, Himalayan eagles and shepherd dogs at the dense undergrowth of the Jalori area. The fauna world blossomed with indigenous rhododendrons in abundance. Juan Sterling became very much one with them. He could even follow their sounds and interpret them to his brethren. Now, this was quite unbelievable, but, yes, that did happen. So, in his article, he decided to give them voices of their own, for it was their democracy, too.
His article was fast progressing. One day, the stuff fell into Peter Sterling's hands and the few pages of the article transformed him forever. It went like this:
Buck: Emile, Elise, What have you been doing on earth at Lisa's abode?
The Fawns: Mamna, she was badly injured. We just went to see her. She lay on the tree top.
Buck: Who asked you to be there? Just because your pa is out on a shift, do you think, you are allowed at everything?
(Papa deer, Pat, had been shifted by the Forest Authorities to the Shimla Zoo, since a few months. He had developed some health issues and was vulnerable to easy poaching)
The Fawns: Sorry Mamma. Would you let us visit her had we told you?
Buck (in anger): Certainly not. Have you done away with the last winter?
The Fawns: No, Mamna. (shakily)
The previous winter, Jalori dwellers experienced the worst of its kind. Lisa attacked five adults and seven children at random. She was so adamant that she didn't even spare the Panda cubs. Mom and Papa Panda were out on a venture. As they returned, they found the two cubs missing. Buck, who was very sensitive, herself being a mother of two babies then, couldn't just forget the incident. However, this time the story was altogether a different one. Lisa had been very badly injured. Juan's version had it that she had been lamed and somehow she succeeded in climbing herself to the tree top. She lay there, without prey. Now if that continued, she would starve to death. Juan was worried. That was the very reason of his visit to Shimla to find a way for Lisa. And, of course, to meet papa deer, Pat over there.
Peter Sterling fell to tears. This was his real Juan. From that very moment, Peter, felt himself, being the proudest father, ever on earth. However, he didn't exhibit any gesture to Juan, lest he should know of the reality. Peter's clandestine visit to Lisa increased, and Emile and Esile were witness to the fact.
The Fawns: Mom, (gaining a bit of courage) papa Peter also visits.
Buck: .....oh, really? (astonished)
The Fawns: Alone.
Now, Buck was out of her wits. What if, Lisa pretended to be ill? She is not to be believed. Little did Buck know, Lisa was actually throwing hints at her.
On a full moon night, during Budh Purnima, something weird happened. Buck had been missing for a week. Mom Martha, bro Juan, and pop Peter were just head over heels spotting her out. The fawns badly missed their mamma. No one could blame Lisa then, for she was lamed. She was wearing out due to starvation. When questioned, the nearby dwellers replied, " A strange sound that of a grave fear of something was heard. But that died down very soon." Juan questioned to himself.
Am I sensing right?
Oh, what a poor soul!
The entire forestry was convinced that Buck, the female buck deer was killed for poaching. The fawns left parentless, were brought home by the Sterlings. The fawns shared their sorrow with each other:
"Where has mamma disappeared?"
Juan only replied to them: “Grow up fast”.
Vishwathama, the antagonist had made himself a name as an animal poacher. He was a dreadful person, whom Juan in his description had him in similarity with a demon. When the cops got him he came out clean of the 2 incidents. One that of Lisa's, the other of Buck's. The second, a horrifying one. Lisa on trying to resist the attack was hit hard on her hind limbs, by the bonnet of the gun which Vishwathama used to keep as his companion. Buck, was brutally blinded with two arrows and poached when she was fumbling with severe pain. The A.F.O, Jalori Reserve just commented, "I haven't seen a living demon in my life ever. Well, he is the first of the kind!" On questioning why had he chosen such an occupation, Vishwathama's reply, this only brought tears to the eyes of the A.F.O.
My parents were torn to pieces by a female leopard. She was the very own of Lisa. Her mother. I and my little brother along with my parents went to fetch logs for fuel, when she badly attacked my mother first. Finding no other way of rescue my father hit her hard with a log on her back, and she eventually turned and attacked him, too. Both succumbed after a few strategic fumbles.
I took an oath to finish them off!" The A F.O . was again vocal. (Sighing)
"...but, what harm did the doe do to you?"
"Well, that is my living." Vishwathama produced a ready response.
A.F.O: Sorry, come out clean??? Quote me about your whereabouts. Fast. You are going to be dealt with hard.
"What if the same had happened to you? Would you have soared, at the cost of two and a half lives?" Vishwathama was protesting.
A.F.O: I didn’t catch that. Two and a half means???
"My younger brother is autistic. My mother had been his only support. The jungle which killed me in me, so I began killing them." Vishwathama was in sobs.
Juan Sterling, had his plots clicked in his brain, for it was as if his own, long lost story. For a second, he thought to himself... Who is the protagonist, and who is the opposite? And he looked up into the sky. The star-studded sky.