March 31, 2018

It was past midnight when a loud roar awoke us suddenly. The dogs started barking furiously,clearly agitated. The roar was heard again, loud and clear, rattling us from the inside. We ran outside despite the teachers' protests, gathering in the small clearing in front of our cottages. Confused out of our minds, we pestered Sujit Sir and Shambhu Sir with questions.

Amit Sir was grim. When asked what it was, he grimly replied, and I quote
"That, is the roar of a Royal Bengal Tiger."

Naturally,we were scared, but finally the teachers managed to get us inside, promising that the beast won't be coming near us since it was on the other side of the river. Although we went inside, there was no trace of sleep in our eyes and we spent the time chatting.

As soon as daylight broke through, we rushed outside. Amit Sir informed that the tiger was a man-eater, on the other side of the river, having roared due to the taste of blood. Although he assured we were safe, none of us went down to the ghat, without dragging Shambhu Sir with us.

Breakfast consisted of pasta. By now, the mood had lightened, owing to Jhonta and the other dogs.

After breakfast we went down a different road this time, walking past villages to the far end of the island. It was a long walk, but a very satisfying one.

By the time we returned to the resort, it was nearly 10:30. Freshening up,we finished our packing. Having some time to kill, we listened to some Ed Sheeran songs. We also bought some red honey, pure from the hive, at a very nominal rate. It started like pure bliss!

Lunch was at 11, earlier because we were checking out today. Today was our last day at the Sunderbans. I already miss that place. I hope we can go there again some time.

After lunch, which consisted of rice, daal and mashed potatoes, we brought out our bags and luggage and dumped them on the clearing as per Tanushmita Ma'am's instructions. Quite a few group photos were taken, some by Amit Sir and some by Sujit Sir. The banner "EDUCATIONAL TRIP OF SOUTH POINT HIGH SCHOOL 2018"  flew majestically in the air.

Reaching the ghat, we were in for a surprise when we saw two van-rickshaws pulled up on the road. Amit Sir explained that we were going to board that (one for the girls and ma'am and the other for us boys and sirs). We placed our luggage on the roof, though I kept my medicine with myself.

Mitesh was teary-eyed as we were leaving. I felt pretty sad myself,as the last few days had been the best of my life, the time I'd enjoyed the most. However Mitesh was also sad for leaving the dogs and Jhonta behind, with whom he'd developed a bond. My heart broke on seeing Jhonta running behind our van, barking to cease, until he ultimately stopped ,our of breath. Wiping the lone tear that threatened to fall, I tried to focus on the scenic surroundings.

Both vans were locked in a sort of race,(which the girls won at the end hen we reached the far side of the island to another ghat) but we refused to acknowledge that. Apparently, we are the ones who decided to let the girls win.

This time, we were surprised to see not a ferry, but a large fishing boat hooked up with a motor, waiting for us. The girls squeaked with joy and ran to the deck, already choosing sides to sit. I, Rimil and Rohit choose the end.

To say it was a new yet awesome experience would be an understatement. Since it was practically on the water level, of have us the impression of drowning, especially when the boat lurched. A scream of joy and adventure escaped our lips as we neared Gosaba.

Sayari, while trying to take a selfie, failed to hold onto the phone properly. When the boat lurched, it slipped from her fingers and splashed in the cold water. She screamed and tried to recover it, but to no avail. She got a good scolding from the teachers, yet I don't think she paid attention to it at all. After all, in today's world, losing one's phone is like losing one's life force. Isn't it?

Anyways, the school bus and arrived for us. Buying a few snacks, we boarded it. It started.

We spent the time playing Killer, while Sudarshana, Chandrani and Shreyashi fell asleep. Arunima and Pragya soon joined the club as well.

I spent the time talking with Mitesh and Rimil. Mitesh had sobered up, and me and Rimil bore into an interesting discussion over Sachin Tendulkar.

We reached Kolkata at nearly 5 pm. The bus deposited us right in front of our school, where our parents had come to pick us up. We all made farewells to the others, but promised to stay in touch, having exchanged phone numbers already. With a heavy heart, and a spirit of happiness and contentment, I came back home.

Pretty much a short chapter. All the events are here in a nutshell. Hope you liked it!
I bet most of you have been on school-trips like these before. Isn't it exciting?
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