First of all, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Dipankar Roy and being a news reporter, I have come across many unthinkable incidents and peoples that you can't even thought of and that took me a long time to express what I saw there.. without wasting any more time, let's get to that event that drastically changed my view about my life. Recently a question aroused in my mind that who loves me the most? Is it my family or my girlfriend or my well wishers or my cute pet puppy momo? I am that kind of a person if something popped up in my mind I can't stay normal until I get the answer.. That's why I started researching about it, asked many people and scholars, read books on this topic but neither of them could satisfy me.I was really frustrated about this and almost thought to give up. Some of my friends knew about my nature so they were trying also but in vain.One of my friends, Akash is from Assam, he told me Dip, cheer up buddy, come to my hometown,The soothing rainforests and it's diversity will definitely make your mood better. I was also in need of a break form my preoccupied thoughts so I agreed. He was from dibrugarh, the 'tea city' of india if you can recall. Anyway, I went there and it was a beautiful place indeed.. Dehing patkai national park was just barely half an hour from his house. It is specially known for the elephant reserve and the beauty of the rainforests.Here, I met with an ethologist named Arun bora(name is changed) who was working with the forest officers in the national park.His age was almost 60. he was a very down to earth person whom I ever met.I never heard any terms like ethology and that ignited my inner reporter.I asked him what is the meaning of it then he explained me that they chose certain animals and try to understand their behavioral pattern and impacts on nature. Hearing, I am a reporter he requested me to write about the lack of inciatives and supports for their projects that might help them.I assured him, I certainly will write a feature about it after I went back to kolkata. While talking about certain things, my friend Akash casually asked him, uncle is there any chance to know if animals also have feelings like us and if their emotions are strong like us? Like my friend has a doubt that who loves him the most? although he still isn't able to find the answer and laughed but Arun uncle took it seriously. With a surprise to both of us, he told me that he can give me the answer I was searching all along! But I have to promise him that I won't write anything about this anywhere.I was like whatever, I could do anything back then to get the freaking answer!He told us to meet him tomorrow morning at his office.I almost didn't sleep at that night..In the morning, me and Akash went to meet him as soon as we could.He was waiting for us there.He said that I am taking you two to our research lab under the supervision of central forest ministry. You can't take any picture and write anything about it but you will get your answer I believe.We all then took a forest ranger's car and left from there.We were blindfolded due to security reasons but when we reach I can feel we are in somewhere inside the national park seeing the surrounding of the place. The whole area was protected by electrified fence and armed-guards. Before entering, he asked me do you guys have any idea from where we evolved and who is our closest ancestor? I said yes, Darwin said that we evolved from monkeys. He smiled and said yes but you will me amazed to know that we share 96% of our dna with gorillas. While talking, we entered the enclosure and saw a group of gorillas are roaming there! I was like how on the earth there are gorillas in Assam? He seemed to understand my thoughts and said it's a conservation project of gorillas to prevent them from extinction.It is kept under radar to prevent poaching and unwanted attentions.Now, come with me. With a shudder, I saw a family of gorillas inside of a tank! They are eating bananas lying in front of them. Everything was fine, but suddenly I saw, water was pouring slowly inside the tank! I screamed sir, why the water was being poured in the tank?He said nothing and just indicated me to watch.I became furious and tried to stop him but two guards caught me and held me straight.I was watching them helplessly!At first, with the touch of water, they became anxious.The male gorilla said something to the female than the female picked up the baby gorilla and stood up.With the rise of water, the female gorilla stood on the shoulder of the male. They seemed so much afraid.Time passed, when the water level reached the nose of the male gorilla, he dropped the female! And then tried to swim upwards.The female still had the baby on her shoulders and she was also trying to swim up.I pleaded him to stop this but he didn't!I was watching with a shudder, when the water almost filled the tank up and it reached to the nose level of female gorilla, she threw her child too!And tried to stay alive. ThenI saw the baby gorilla was trying to get up, in his eyes, I could see, the desperate need to say alive!I couldn't watch more, that's the last thing I watch before getting senseless.I woke up in a bed with a heavy head and saw Arun uncle to lean over me.I broke down into tears saying why did you kill them? What they have done to you?, He said calmly, hold your nerves Dip, I am not a killer.I thought reporters have strong nerves, so I let you see the demonstration.I was like what demonstration to kill a freaking family??He shut me up and took me outside, and I saw the family was alive and they were with other gorillas!I didn't understand, I said but..Then he explained me, here is your answer Dip.I was still blank then he said you just see what that a father tried to protect his family the very last till he possibly could but, he had to save his life too so he tried to save himself at the last very moment! The mother couldn't leave her baby, she did her best to save him, even when she was about to die, cause it's the eternal relation between her and her baby but again, she had to save her too, so she had to throw away the baby! Now the baby, he is very young still when it comes about his life, he unknowingly tried to save himself by trying to swim even though he can't swim cause the feeling of drowning activated his survival mechanism that he already subconsciously knew while he was floating inside his mother's womb! That's the answer my boy, noone loves you more than yourself! Your family, friends all love you its certainly true but at the end of the day, it's you man, who loves you the most..I was spellbound and He continued to speak that it's their duty to know the patterns properly, the behaviour and everything to understand the animals and their needs! I left the place, I was confused, I should be happy about finding the answer or it would be better to not know about it. Akash has same feelings like mine.I came back to kolkata the day after. I wrote an article about the park and their needs excluding that incident and I tried to forget about the incident.Then a few months later, Arun uncle sent me a letter, adressing his gratitude for writing about their work and He also added that I might think of their work ruthless and unethical but he is hopeful one day I will definitely understand the need of the tests and research purpose.They are shifted to a new area now and he couldn't tell about that due to security reasons.He also gave me the permission to write about the demonstration just keeping the name and place hidden to let everyone know themselves a bit better So, I wrote about the incident in my paper.It's been a hell of a incident for me. Although, I definitely agree that I am more clear about my life now...
congratulations, if you made this so far..It took me months to think, create and edit this story..let me know your thoughts.. kindly leave your perspective in the comments.. share this piece to them who will understand this..If you find anything worthy about this, it will be phenomenal.. #realwriting #Lifechangingcontest
© Soumyadip