BOOK 1 -THE LAB STORY ( under editing)

Chapter 26 (the great himalayan tribes)

ANMISHA POV :

When monk told us to wait i understood that he is doing that wantedly for testing our patience. I am pissed off  but this project is very important for me. So, i started counting number's in my brain. Advaith was ok with that cause i always ask him to wait when he is in hurry and make him calm. So, something that i have done for irritating him is now helping him. After some more hours he gave us a map and told that we can get that genetic material . Which is preserved in a earthen pot which is embedded with honey and resin covering. A group of tribes who live there prays for that body thinking it has divine powers as that human who was alive 200years ago have different qualities in him. He was one among those tribes. If anyone tries to touch that body, people will attack them . But I don't know how we are going to convince them.

As it is dark we hesitated to travel further after sensing it the monk told we can stay in that cave. He served us some fruits which I didn't ate before except apricots. We accepted them as we are starving . Then the next day the monk gave me a rosary and told us to show it. So, that they won't harm us and recognise us as someone related to the monk. As we walked and walked atlast we reached our destination. This  place is located in teh first range of himalaya's but deep inside. This whole place is not covered with snow but the place where that fossil was preserved is covered with snow. As we walked further a bunch of people came towards a little doubtfully as i showed the rosary they stopped and signalled us to come. They took us along with them to a person who seems to be there head.

He looked at us and after i showed the rosary , he asked us to sit. After we sat he looked at us from top to bottom and then said namasthey! Thank god he knows hindhi. Then we told him everything and he told they can't give that to me. I explained him about the advantages. I told him about how we can improve a human like him with genetic technology. People find it too advanced but, we can technically do that. Even though he is not understanding completely he got my point. He told we can get that only if we prove we are worthy because the one who came before us that is someone who came 50 years back failed to prove his worth and went away empty handed. i.e. that old bioarcheologist who came to get it for a german company but was unable to do that.

I told we will prove ourselves and we are ready for any test. Then they took our blood by pricking  on finger and dropped them in a liquid which seems to be taken from some plant pulp. Then they brought an old woman by holding her in their hands  who is blind and unable to walk . They brought her towards us and she kept her right thumb  between our eyebrows and pressed it. Then she blinked her eyes as if she understood something and then she did the same with advaith. She have a reaction which is not negative but a neutral one. 

Then she spoke " this girl is the one. She is the one who can do that for maa kaali in turn for that we should give her whatever she wants." Told the old woman in their tribal language. Then she told advaith is of no harm. Then they showed is a hut and asked us to get inside. Advaith was taken away by them he felt scared but maintained himself.

They gave me a saree and some jewellery. They told something in their local language but I didn't understood anything then  a girl of my age walked in . 

That girl : namasthey ! My name is bhitti . I am the headman's daughter . 

Me : namasthey ! 

Bhitti : actually we have a strong belief on godess kali and the one whom grandmother chooses that girl will perform pooja for the godess. For doing that pooja we should get into the cave which is located there. She said you have to do that now. If you wasn't there then we wouldn't have done that even this year. 

She pointed to a cave which is present in the mid cliff of to mountain slopes. 

Me : why can't you do that. Why me ?

Bhitti : because She should get that divine aura from that person when she touches their focus point. 

Me : when you did that pooja for the last time ?

Bhitti : that's before my birth. It was done by a woman called jagadeeshwari who died while going to her place after pooja. 

Me: ok! 

Bhittu : please get ready . We should go.

Me : yeah i will come in few minutes.

Then i got ready quickly and i went along with them . Only woman are coming along with me . Men are not allowed into that temple. I glanced at advaith who don't want  me to go but he is unable to oppose me. I walked along with them and we  reached the temple. Then we entered into the cave and all woman started cleaning the cave as it is full of moss and some litter. I sat at one place and observed the surroundings. Then the stone which is kept at the goddesses' feet caught my eyes. It is a big red sapphire. It is very lustrous. I thought of touching it but i stopped realising it may cause some problems. Then bhitti came to me and told that it is called as jwalamani . Then we prayed to the godess and they made me to apply vermillion on the godess .

After that we came back. As the old woman accepted. He told they have no objection if i collect the genetic material from that mummified body. 

Then me , advaith, bhitti and bhitti's father ( head man) along with few other's went to that place. I felt that it is like a natural freezer which have perfect temperature for preserving a body. As we went inside i got  some strong herbal smell. May be they applied it for preventing decomposition and for preventing the smell. They prayed to that mommy .

Then he told i can do whatever I want. I wore a mask and gloves and took the sample box , then i asked them to remove the cloth near the head and i collected hair. Then i asked them to open someplace on the body and collected the tissue. As per science a human's genetic material last's for thousands of years if it is presented in suitable conditions. Then i told them that i am done. They once again prayed and this time even i joined my hands then we left from there.

At the evening i sat along with bhitti near her house. I suddenly got a curiosity to know about my that person whom they are treating as god. I asked bhitti about that , her father started telling,

Around 200 years ago ..