The sunset had merged into a dark, unsettling night, and the moon barely tore through the canopies of buildings and trees. They had been driving for hours, and the lines of cityscapes gradually collapsed into towering trees, which befitted the rugged terrain of the Western Ghats.
The night had started taking its toll on the members, who had been continuously moving and working around a span of 3 days, with only 4-5 hours of sleep. In fact,
Venkatesh was the only one who seemed truly alive and awake. The number of people had been divided in both cars- Venkatesh, Ishar, Pratap and Aniket in one, Karan, Naren, Gargi and Anjani in another.
"How do you manage to travel this far to the borders every single day?" Aniket asked with a sleepy tone, eyes half-drooping.
Venkatesh said in a giddy tone, "We villagers have a special ability to complete our sleep in the mere hours between day and night. The sheer forest work and er-other stuff have trained us to manage well between sleep and task."
"Well, I don't think he has ever tried staying awake for 3 straight days," Pratap muttered sorrowfully beside Ishar. Ishar nodded quietly.
The car stopped with a thud. Ishar looked outside and saw the faint glow of warm lanterns brightening the wooden walls of small cottages. The dark forest rose like shadows behind them.
Venkatesh led them directly inside one particular hut, with little rooms inside it. The first thing their sleepy minds saw were the particularly comfortable beds.
The feeling of soft, white fabric massaging his body was the last thing Ishar registered before collapsing on his bed for a well deserved sleep.