It's rightly said 'Where there's will there's a Way' . 'Journey by Night' by Norah Burke is an illuminating tale of the triumph of human courage. The desire to succeed is echoed by the protagonist Sher Singh. The author also highlights the trials and tribulations faced by hill women.
Sher Singh could see 'death in his brother Kunwar's eyes' who was suffering from an acute stomach ache. His mother was rather stoic therefore she neither weeped nor smiled as she'd lived through the deaths of many of her children who had succumbed to injuries or disease like influenza. The hot compress placed on the child's belly was of no avail. Kunwar had to be hospitalized at Kalaghat, fifty …show more content…
The mother was a hill woman and she knew how to carry hefty material therefore she took one of her two sarees and made a sling for Sher Singh to put around him and down his back for carrying Kunwar in it.
Although the mother said that Kunwar was too big for him, yet Sher Singh set off silently since he'd to save every ounce of his energy for the 'Journey By Night'. Some intuition warned him of certain danger ahead. The first impediment that Sher Singh encountered was the cobra that moved on the path and rose with a hiss thereby spreading its hood. Sher Singh stood frozen and meticulously retreated till the snake receded and slid off in the grass. Mentally geared, Sher Singh moved on.
The endeavour of life and vegetation continued in the forest. The perils that spread around included the long bamboo poles, the spiny plants, large trees and dense undergrowth of scrubs and grass. There were menacing animals like tigers and bears besides the monkeys and …show more content…
He scrambled down the river bed of the first of the two rivers that he had to cross. Slowly and scrupulously he waded through the icy cold water which was much deeper in the middle than he'd anticipated.'His spirit strove faster than his body' meaning his soul was willing but his flesh was weak.
On reaching the second river Sher Singh's hopes were shattered since the bridge had been submerged due to the melting of a large mass of snow the day before. The river foamed. He made a rope using the blades of grass and tied it around himself and Kunwar so that they remained together. Barely able to breathe, he edged into the powerful whirlpool, held the things available including the smooth ends of bamboo poles. Sher Singh kept the child's head above the water and reached the other bank of the river with sheer dint of perseverance and determination. The flood water deafened him and timber struck and contused him.
Weary and exhausted Sher Singh encountered some philanthropists on the main road to help him reach the hospital first in a bullock-cart then in a rickety truck. Next day, Sher Singh had to work lifting / loading coal in the rail-yard to earn a pittance to keep body and soul