Mount Kaaf

Vladimir Anatoly was a famous Russian mountaineer. He was the first person to have scaled all top ten summits in the world. He was now looking to do something different and more challenging. Anatoly arranged his 30^th birthday party in his penthouse, which was in a posh locality near Red Square. He invited all his friends and few celebrities of Moscow to the party. Before cutting the cake, Anatoly made an announcement that hushed everyone. People knew that Anatoly is a stubborn person and that he would not listen to anyone so few of his friends appreciated him and the others felt sorry for him. Most women in the party were stunned with Anatoli’s plan. Next morning, headline in every newspaper in Russia read as:

“Vladimir Anatoly plans to scale Mount Kaaf in search of mythical creature - fairy.”

Some newspapers called it a crazy idea and some termed it as the last journey of Anatoly.

Mount Kaaf is located in the northwestern part of Russia closer to the border of Finland. It is part of northern hemisphere and remains covered in snow throughout the year. For three months of the year, Sun does not rise in this area and temperature plunges to minus thirty degree Celsius. For remaining nine months, Sun comes up a little bit and then moves along the horizon for few hours of the day and then sets. This area is thus non-inhabitable. Due to its difficult terrain and adverse temperature, there are various fairy tales attributed to this area.  

Anatoly’s mother belonged to a small town Murmansk, which is about 50 kilometers from the base of Mount Kaaf. Anatoly’s father Boris Primakov was a legendary mountain climber who was better known as the Cliff Hanger. About three decades ago, he had gone on a similar mission to Mount Kaaf but instead of finding any fairy, he returned with a bride Anastasia from Murmansk. Anastasia was a gorgeous woman and she was nonetheless bestowed with the fairy status by Russian media. A movie was also made on her life, which was admired all around the world. When Anatoly was a child, he asked her mother:

“Mom, do the fairies really live in Kaaf?”

Before Anastasia could reply, Boris picked him up in his arms and said:

“Can’t you see son, your mother is a real fairy. But hey, don’t tell it to anyone. It’s our family secret.”

Anatoly promised his parents not to reveal this secret to anyone. Next day, his told everyone in his class that he is son of a fairy. His class fellows laughed at him and called him a liar. Anatoly then stood on the table in his class and declared loudly that just like his father, he will also go to Kaaf and bring back a fairy.

Twenty five years later, before proceeding on his journey to Mount Kaaf, Anatoly went to see his parents who were now living in the outskirts of Moscow, away from all the commotions of the metropolis. Anatoly sat down with his parents and had a quiet dinner. Before leaving, he asked for their opinion on his reckless and insane mission, as the media called it. His mother Anastasia hugged his son, kissed him on the forehead and then prayed for his success. His father held him tight for a while and then said:

“Son, I do not know whether fairies really exists or do they live in Mount Kaaf or not because I did not go there. I found my fairy in Murmansk and I returned home with her. My advice to you is to follow your heart. Do not get discouraged by what people say or think. You should do what you think is right and believe in yourself.”

After meeting his parents, Anatoly returned to Moscow with more determination and with boosted morale. If he had any doubt about his absurd journey, it was cleared by his parents. Now he was more focused and ready than ever before. However, he knew in his heart that it would be a strenuous and grueling journey therefore he made an appointment with his attorney and sorted out various details. He then booked a room for three months in the only hotel of Murmansk and got his seat reserved in the last flight to Murmansk. He had no problem in getting the room booked or getting a seat in the flight because no one usually travels to Murmansk during this period. Weather of Murmansk gets very rough in next three months. People of the area migrate to south and the towns around Kaaf get deserted. It is a common belief that this is the actual time when fairies descend from Mount Kaaf.

Flight to Murmansk was of a small airplane. It was a link flight and had one stop before proceeding to its final destination. It took off from Moscow at 8 am with 65 passengers onboard. Its midway stop was St. Petersburg where it landed after about two hours of smooth flight. The airplane resumed its journey towards north after refueling with only one passenger onboard and it was Anatoly. After a continuous 4 hours of bumpy ride, it finally landed in Murmansk at 3 pm. Anatoly was amazed to notice that the flight back to St. Petersburg was fully booked. All the passengers present at the small airport boarded the plane in a hurry. The plane was refueled and took off while Anatoly was still at Murmansk airport getting his baggage cleared which contained his personal clothing, mountaineering gear and many technical gadgets. The airport had very limited staff and their top priority was sending the flight back. Anatoly was hence, asked to wait. The flight took off exactly after one hour of its arrival and then Anatoly was given all the attention which he so carved since his landing. He was soon cleared but the airport staff was curious of his arrival to such a place during this time of the year. When Anatoly told them about his intent to scale Mount Kaaf, they were flustered.

Anatoly got out the airport and found the parking lot empty. There was no cab or any vehicle in site, which could take him to the town. He left his baggage in the parking area and went inside to ask for help. He had seen a pickup truck near the tarmac. He went inside and requested for help. The airport in charge at that time was Alexander who initially showed little reluctance but then seeing no other option agreed to give Anatoly a ride to the town.

Murmansk was only 20-minute drive from the airport. Alexander dropped Anatoly in front of the hotel and went back to the airport without wasting any time. Anatoly collected his stuff and looked around. He was standing in middle of the main road in front of his hotel and the area all around him presented a look of a ghost town. Yellow light of the Sun was creating a hallucination of a dream world but there was nobody here to appreciate it. The temperature was very low but Anatoly was dressed appropriately. The only building lit in the town was his hotel. He walked inside dragging his baggage with him. An old man appeared from a door behind the reception desk and recognizing his only customer and shook hands with him delightedly. The old man walked Anatoly to his room and helped him with his baggage. He then left Anatoly in his room and returned after ten minutes with a hot cup of coffee, which Anatoly desperately needed. Anatoly then slept like a baby till he was shaken awake by the old man in the morning. Anatoly was surprised when the old man handed him keys of the hotel and left in the last bus leaving from town early that morning. Anatoly then went to the kitchen and found all sort of rations, which he could need in next three months. He cooked himself a breakfast and then went outside to have a look around.

In next three days, Anatoly had completed his survey of the town. It consisted of about one hundred houses, 15 shops, one bus stop, one powerhouse and one hotel with one small airport. The airport served as a major traveling hub for various other small towns around this area. Anatoly also discovered that there were only five living people in the town at that time including him. There were two people at the airport, Andre was at the powerhouse and then there was one Victor who had come to Murmansk half a century ago looking for fairies just like him but never left. People say that Victor did meet one fairy who spent one night with him. She went before morning promising him to come back but she never returned. Victor is still waiting for her. His obsession had turned him insane. People also say that Victor had actually met some local girl who took advantage of him when he was totally drunk. She took all his money and left the town. Victor’s story was told to Anatoly by Andre, who also advised Anatoly to leave the town as soon as possible.

In third week of December, Anatoly packed his gear, loaded it on a sledge and marched off to Mount Kaaf. He had a GPS and a satellite phone with him. Sun had set two weeks ago and would not rise till late February. Temperature was already touching minus twenty degree Celsius. Anatoly had a strong light in his helmet with sufficient batteries to last for one month. He was in constant communication with his friend and manager Eddy who would also send him weather report of Mount Kaaf every eight hours. Passage to the base camp of Mount Kaaf was not very difficult. An experienced climber like Anatoly took just four days to reach there. He settled down at base camp, pitched his tent and then separated his heavy and light gear. He was to take bare minimum things for climbing up the mountain and leave his heavy stuff at the base camp. He thought of taking some rest before the tough task ahead and went to sleep.

Anatoly woke up with the sound of loud thunder. Lightening had struck some nearby location. He also felt strong wind blowing outside. Weather report sent by Eddy did not show any activity in this area. The wind was however getting faster and just within half an hour, it turned into a storm. His tent was now fluttering outrageously and Anatoly started changing into full gear to face the worsening situation. His satellite phone was not working due to adverse weather condition. Storm continued for next eight hours and there was nothing that Anatoly could do during this time period. He sat tight in his small tent waiting for the storm to end. He was a little worried about his luggage, which was placed outside. As the storm stopped, he got out of his tent. He had to crawl his way up as the storm was accompanied with heavy snow, which had buried half of his tent. He switched on his helmet light and looked around but could not find his sledge or his luggage. He dug the place where he had tied his sledge and found it but all his stuff was gone. He still had his full gear with him but the most important things like oxygen tank and the bag containing batteries was nowhere to be found. His satellite phone was still not functioning. Its battery had also turned weak and there was no spare battery now available.

Anatoly was a brave man but going ahead without oxygen and light was suicidal. Therefore, he decided to go back to Murmansk, get his gear replenished from his spare baggage and then return after few days. His GPS was still working so he was satisfied that despite the after effects of snowstorm, he would be able to navigate his way back. Anatoly gathered all his leftover things, tied them on the sledge and started his journey back. Only few hours into his journey, he spotted a small snow dump ahead of him. Sky was now clear. His helmet light had faded considerable but he was able to see ahead hazily in star light. While detouring around the snow dump, he saw something move a bit. He froze immediately as it may be a white bear. After a short while, when no further movement occurred, Anatoly took a step forward when he heard a faint human moan. Suddenly, Anatoly’s heart started racing and all his senses got heightened. A sharp cold wave travelled down his spine. A thought came to his mind that the sound he heard might have been produced by the wounded animal under the snow. He wanted to move forward yet his curiosity stopped him and forced him to inquire. Slowly and carefully, he walked towards the snow dump. As he reached closer to it, he took out a small torch from his pocket and switched it on. His heart stopped breathing. Despite freezing cold, sweat appeared on his forehead. He could not believe his eyes and his luck. It was a creature for which he had ventured out to this place. He could only see part of it as most of it was covered under the snow but the exposed portion was good enough to figure out that it was a fairy.

Anatoly cautiously removed all the snow with a small shovel from the dump, and there it was a marvelous piece of flesh and white wings lying helplessly in front of him. He checked her pulse and she was still alive. She was probably caught in the storm and might have fallen down and got unconscious. Anatoly picked her up, put her on his sledge and tied her with a rope so that she does not fall over. He was aware that the weather had no effect on this creature but some physical injury might hurt her. He therefore started his journey with speed and reached back Murmansk in two days without stopping much for sleep or rest.

The storm had badly affected the town as well. Electric system was in disarray and Murmansk was masked in pitch darkness. Anatoly dragged his sledge to his room and then went in the hotel kitchen to get the oil lamp. He lit the lamp and found a stash of firewood in the store adjacent to the kitchen. He returned to his room and shifted the fairy to his bed. He lit the wood in fireplace and changed himself in some comfortable clothes. He then inspected the entire body of fairy looking for any injury. He was a trained nurse and had all necessary medicines with him. Anatoly did not find any wound or injury except for a damaged wing which he fixed, applied the bandage and gave her necessary medicines through injections. He was not sure whether these medicines would work on her. She pretty well looked like human with wings. Anatoly changed her dressing after every 12 hours for two days in a row. His adrenaline was keeping him awake for last so many days but he had reached a limit. He finally slept while sitting in front of her on a chair. After few moments, he woke up with a jerk. He felt like falling from a cliff. When he looked at his bed, he jumped in air and started looking around frantically. His bed was empty. He ran outside the hotel. Curtains of his room window were slid part and the light was scattering on the road. He saw the old Victor sitting on other side of the road. Anatoly walked up to him but said nothing. Victor looked up in the sky and said, “She is not going to come back.” Anatoly was heartbroken. He did not get a chance to talk to her. All his electronic gadgets were out of power so he could not even take a picture of her. He was dejected and deeply disappointed. He dragged himself back to his room and fell on his bed.

Anatoly woke after two days. He was burning with fever. Initially he could not recollect as to where he was or what had happened to him. He looked around in his room. It was freezing cold and it was dark. Slowly and gradually, he started remembering everything. He recalled his nonstop journey back from the base camp of Mount Kaaf, his discovery of the injured fairy and then her disappearance. He also remembered the old Victor telling him about the fairy flying away. His energy seemed drained out and he felt sick and weak. He however managed to get up from his bed, lit the lamp and ignited the wood in fireplace. He went to kitchen and made some food for himself. All the time, he was thinking whether he saw a dream or was it a reality. He returned to his room with a cup of coffee and sat down in front of fire. He was a realistic person and could not sit around like the crazy Victor. He was still confused as there was no physical evidence of the fairy with him. He finished his coffee and was looking around in his room anxiously when he noticed a white broken feather, placed neatly on his bedside table. He picked it up and kept looking at it for a long time. He then placed it in his baggage and started thinking of going back on the first flight out of Murmansk. There were still two months remaining in the sunrise. All he had to do was to go to powerhouse and help Andre in restoring the power. He could also search for a generator in the town to get his batteries recharged and resume his mission to Kaaf. He had to make a decision soon.

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Anatoly stayed on bed for another two days. He took the necessary medicines and was well and full of energy again. His pessimism was gone and he was refreshed to go for yet another attempt to scale Mount Kaaf. He now had a broken feather too which he discovered from his bedside table although he was not very sure that it belonged to a fairy. Weather in the town was extremely cold. Temperature was touching minus twenty Celsius. Blizzard had passed and the wind flow was normal again. Sun was down for almost four weeks now, and the electric system disturbed by the storm had not yet been restored by Andre. Anatoly had enough wood to burn and sufficient gas in lamps to use for next two months but he needed electricity to charge the batteries. His bag of batteries lost in the storm also contained the spare batteries of his Satellite phone. He was out of communication with rest of the world and needed to get in touch with Eddy before he gets panicky and takes some drastic measures.

Anatoly first thought of going to the airport as he was sure that there would be an active communication system there and he would be able to talk to Eddy. Moreover, he would also be able to use the generator system of airport to recharge his remaining batteries. The airport was about 2 hours walk from his place. He had another option of going to powerhouse and get help from Andre. The powerhouse of Murmansk was only 20 minute walk so he decided to go there. He packed his bag of batteries and satellite phone, wore his snowshoes and got out with his last remaining light. Anatoly did not wear his full gear or took anything else as the powerhouse was just nearby. It was 10 am but it was pitch dark outside. There were clouds on sky which prevented the star light from reaching the town. As he got out, he switched on his light and spotted old Victor passing in front of his hotel. Victor was wearing full mountain gear otherwise he could not survive such extreme cold weather. Andre had told Anatoly that some mountaineer with the name of Boris had given this gear to Victor and this brought a huge smile on Anatoly’s face. He used to wonder where his father had abandoned his mountain gear. He got his answer here as old Victor was wearing it.

Anatoly reached the powerhouse and found it to be in complete darkness. He knew the Andre’s room, which was towards the backside of the generator room. He had to maneuver around the powerhouse as the route to generator room was blocked with a fallen tree and power cables were scattered all around. He could only see up to limited distance with his last fading light but he was able to see from the distance that the Andre’s cabin was smashed under electric pole and heavy snow. He circled around the generator room and managed to reach the Andre’s cabin. He was not much worried about the cables as the generator was silent and there was no electricity being produced. With some effort, Anatoly entered in the room of Andre and found him frozen to death. His leg was stuck under the beam which had fallen from the roof. He must have tried his level best but was unable to get his leg free and ultimately he froze to death. Anatoly also tried to lift the beam but it was too heavy. He did not try to pull Andre out as it may detach his leg or shatter it into pieces. Anatoly left Andre as he was and returned to his hotel. He started preparing for his march on snowy road to the airport. Next morning was a little better as the sky was clear and stars were shining. There was sufficient light present all around to guide Anatoly to the airport. He wore his full gear and started his journey. Old Victor was nowhere to be seen.

Anatoly reached the airport building much earlier than he had anticipated. He took a sigh of relief when he saw light emanating from couple of windows. Main entrance to airport was locked. Anatoly made loud noises to attract attention of the two guys in the airport building but in vain. He then went to the fence and started finding some place to cross into the airport premises. After about one hour of hectic search, he did find one place where the fence was broken. He carefully went through it. His helmet light had faded completely and the star light had turned hazy. However, since he was following the fence hence there was no chance of getting lost. He returned to the airport building from inside of the premises and found the tarmac door locked as well. He was now frustrated and he was running out of options. He looked around and saw the pickup truck which was parked near the tarmac door. It was the same truck in which Alexander had dropped him to the hotel when he had arrived to Murmansk. Anatoly walked up to the truck and just to try his luck he pulled the driver side door and it got opened easily. He was so relieved. He knew the horn can blow even without switching on the ignition so he put his hand on the steering wheel and pressed the horn and kept on blowing it till Alexander appeared in the tarmac door. He clearly looked puzzled. Without saying a word, Alexander took Anatoly inside, made him a cup of coffee and then inquired about his venture to airport. Anatoly told him his complete story and his trip to the powerhouse. The other person at the airport was Jack who also woke up with the commotion and joined in with Alexander and Anatoly. Anatoly then inserted the batteries for charging. He also talked to Eddy using the Satellite phone of Alexander. Anatoly spent his next two days there and then Alexander dropped him again at the hotel.

Anatoly was now ready to resume his journey to Kaaf. He had the latest weather report, which did not show any significant weather activity in the area. He was much familiar with the area till base camp. In his second trip, he reached there in three days. While passing from the place where he had found the fairy, he did not see any suspected thing. He thought that fresh snow must have covered the signs of snow dump and his digging in the area. He reached the base camp of Mount Kaaf at 4 pm. It was quiet and dark. Wind was not blowing at all. He pitched his tent at the same old place. He was also surprised to find his lost bag of batteries from a little distance away from the tent. He decided to take rest of six hours before climbing up the mountain. This time he secured the bag of batteries and oxygen tank inside the tent before going to sleep.                       

He woke up at 10 pm and started preparing for his journey to the fairyland. He tied the heavy luggage on sledge and left it in the base camp. He had a complete map of the Mount Kaaf and had chalked out his route and was now moving to his check point one which was on the first cliff at about 2100 meters from his starting point. He had worked out his climb time to be around 3 to 4 hours. The weather this time was very friendly and Anatoly was concerned about the total lack of any worthwhile weather activity. He thought it to be a silence before storm. The path was all covered in snow. Anatoly took less than 3 hours to reach his first destination. He sat down there and took rest for half an hour before proceeding to check point number 2 which was on a spur below the top of the mountain. It was roughly 2200 meters of steep climb and Anatoly had worked out the time required to reach there as 4 hours. It was tougher than his expectation. The wind had started blowing. Sky got covered with the clouds and stars disappeared. He had a flash light in his helmet which was good enough to show him the route ahead. He had carried sufficient stock of batteries to last for two weeks. He was also carrying enough rope to leave at check points for his return journey downwards which is always difficult than climbing up the cliffs. After some detouring and slips, Anatoly reached his second destination after 5 hours of rigorous climb. He then pitched his tent on the spur and went to sleep without even removing his protective gear.

Weather was normal again and his satellite phone was working perfectly. He was in constant touch with Eddy who was keeping the Russian media informed about Anatoly’s progress. Media was giving it the front page coverage. His first attempt was also covered by media and everyone was worried when he got out of communication. Expecting the worse, Eddy had planned a rescue mission but soon thereafter Anatoly had contacted Eddy from airport. Press was accordingly informed that Anatoly is all right and that his mission was aborted due to bad weather. Anatoly intentionally did not mention his encounter with the injured fairy as he himself was not sure about it. He needed something more than a broken feather to prove his claim. This time he was fully equipped and determined to back his story with concrete evidence.

Anatoly woke up after another six hours of sleep which was good enough to refresh him. He took few sips of energy drink and ate a chocolate bar. He then packed his small bag and started his climb for check point number 3, which was on top of the Mount Kaaf. It was only 700 meters from his present position but was more challenging climb than the first two check points. Anatoly left his tent and other stuff at check point 2 since his plan was to return to this point after reaching the top. The route to top was full of crevices. He had to strictly follow the markings on the GPS and lay a rope line from point 2 to point 1 for his safe return journey.

Anatoly started his final climb at 4 pm. Weather was still very good. Temperature was minus 32 Celsius. There was light breeze blowing and the sky was crystal clear.  The distance to top of the mountain was not much yet Anatoly had to traverse around a bit to avoid crevices. It took him more than 2 hours to finally reach to the horizon which he had been watching from the base camp. He plugged one long nail hard on top and hung the sling down. He stood up and was amazed to find the continuous line of mountains till he could see in the star light. Finland lied to his north and northwest, and this mountain range went deep into that country. Stars were shining bright and he could see the northern lights dancing vividly in the northern hemisphere towards the Finnish border. It was a breath taking scene and Anatoly was mesmerized with beauty of the night. He had climbed many mountain tops and scaled many peaks but he never did so in the darkness. It was an astounding experience for him. Anatoly had simply forgotten the purpose of his mission which was to find the fairies. He sat there for one hour, took pictures, made videos and sent these to Eddy through his satellite phone. He laughed at himself for even have thought of the existence of fairies. He packed everything and started his journey back. He went to the place where he had tied his rope but could not find anything. He replaced battery of his helmet light and again searched the complete area. The rope was nowhere to be found. He had to descend Mount Kaaf without any support.

“Couldn’t find my rope. Going down without it.”

This was the last message Eddy received from Anatoly and then there was complete silence for next seven days.

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“I am alive and well.”

That was the first message Eddy received from Anatoly after seven days. By this time, Anatoly had already prepared a rescue party and reached Murmansk through a chartered flight. The sun was still set and the temperature in town was minus 25 degrees Celsius. Anatoly had paid a hefty amount to hire a jet and couple of mountaineers. He did not let the press know about the missing Anatoly otherwise his rescue mission would have got into jeopardy. He quietly managed everything with the money Anatoly had left with him. The pilot was a dare devil and an old war veteran. They reached St. Petersburg on the third day of the last message of Anatoly. The weather ahead was stormy and unfit for air travel. They were forced to stay in St. Petersburg for another two days. It was on sixth day of the start of their mission that the pilot found a good weather-break and flew his jet to Murmansk. The airport at Murmansk was not ready to receive them due to snow covered runway and lack of adequate light system for night landing. Eddy was though very persuasive. He offered an amount which Alexander could not refuse. Alexander and his partner spent next eight hours in clearing a lane of runway and then they lighted it up. The pilot was a thorough professional. They landed smoothly but the jet started skidding just when the pilot applied the air breaks. They were very lucky as it stopped before hitting anything astride the runway. Eddy left the pilot at the airport, hired the Alexander’s truck and took the rescue party with him to the hotel. They entered the ghost town at 10 pm and were able to locate the hotel and then the empty room of Anatoly. They ignited the fire and then decided to take rest before starting their rescue mission on next day.

They slept for about eight hours and got up at 7 am. They started preparing for the hike to the Kaaf and were ready to move in two hours. Eddy insisted on going with the team but the rescue mountaineers refused to take him along as Eddy had no training or experience of mountain climbing. He would have been a load instead of providing some help. The rescue team left at 9 am and Eddy sat behind in the Anatoly’s room with very little hope of Anatoly’s survival. It was 5 pm when Eddy was just playing with his satellite phone that he received the first message from Anatoly after seven days of his disappearance:

“I am alive and well.”

Eddy took a sigh of relief. It brought a deep smile on his face. He then contacted and informed the rescue team who decided to continue the hike and meet Anatoly in the midway. Anatoly was also informed about this plan by Eddy. Anatoly started the return journey and eventually met the rescue team in midway as per the plan. Two days later, they all reached back in Murmansk safe and sound. Eddy had prepared hot food for them, which they consumed, took rest for next few hours and then reached the airport where their jet was parked. On insistence of Anatoly they had also taken along old Victor with them. Victor did not resist much. He was still wearing the snow suit of Anatoly’s father. By this time, the jet had been pulled to the right place. It was refueled and ready to depart on half hour notice.

Eddy tried couple of times to ask Anatoly as to what had happened to him but Anatoly did not talk much. After reaching the airport, they waited for the weather to improve and then they flew straight to Moscow. It was a nonstop five hours flight and Anatoly did not utter a single word throughout the flight. Eddy was too curious to inquire from Anatoly about his missing seven days but remained quiet. He wanted to give some space to Anatoly and knew that Anatoly will talk himself when he felt the time is right.

It was their third day in Moscow, when Eddy knocked on the door of Anatoly’s apartment. After few knocks, the door was opened and Eddy followed Anatoly into the Kitchen. They both sat on the stools and drank coffee. Eddy was now frustrated with the quietness of his friend so he tried to cheer him up. He narrated couple of old vodka jokes but Anatoly did not budge.

The press and media also got the lead and were calling Anatoly round the clock. His cellphone was off and he did not open door for anyone except when Eddy came on third day. Anatoly knew that nobody will believe him. He had returned from an unreal world. He would be called a liar and a cheat and he did not want to destroy his own reputation. But what to do? He had spent seven days of his life in a world full of mysteries and fantasies. He had met creatures which had never imagined could even exist. He met and fell in love with a fairy and that was not the end of it. He wanted to tell his story but will the world believe him or call him a swindler. His story would have been totally different if Eva had come with him. She had promised him to come to his world but she never turned up at the given place at the given time. He had waited for her till the last second of the closing of portal. She did not come. After reaching his base camp he started wondering that did this world really exist? It did exist for him as he had no other explanation for his last seven days. So he thought it better to remain quiet and let the reality dawn on him at its own pace. He decided to wait for the Eva to come to his world or remain quiet forever.    

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Eva was packing her stuff. She was in a hurry as just few minutes were left before the portal gets closed and love of his life departs. She must make it in time as this portal appears once in every ten years for one moon cycle only. She did not want to miss this opportunity. She had promised Anatoly that she will come. She was now getting panicky. She looked at the clock and picked up the small bag which she had packed. Her wings had been taken away as she had won her case in the King’s court to go to the human world. She ran to the door. The portal was located in the back garden of the palace and she knew she will make it there in time. She came out of her room and started running down the stairs. She did not notice the loose carpet piece on the third stair. As she stepped on it, she went tumbling down the next 15 stairs. Before she closed her eyes, she saw Jacqueline standing behind the far pillar with a mean smile on her face.

Eva was the youngest and prettiest daughter of the King Louis of the Fairy Land. She was the King’s favorite too as King never refused anything she had ever asked. All her other sisters were jealous of her. Jacqueline was the eldest and meanest of all the sisters. Eva never paid much attention to her. She lived in her own dream world and always talked of going onto the human land whenever the portal would open and it was to open very soon. Twenty years ago, her aunt Eva went across into the human world and had never returned back. She was named after her aunt and now she wanted to go across too.

The portal had opened in the back garden of the King’s palace. It would remain open for a full moon cycle and only male fairies were permitted to go across and fetch Synomi plant which was found in the human world. This plant grew on top of the frozen mountains and was considered as a basic medicine in the fairy land. It was used in the treatment of all kinds of their illnesses. Male fairies would go across the portal and then fly to the mountain tops. They would collect this mushroom like plant and store it for their use in next ten years. In the beginning of the fourth quarter of moon cycle, a small group of fairies led by Hector came out of the portal which was hidden in the center of a large crevice on Mount Kaaf. As they were about to fly out, they noticed a human body lying behind a stone. Hector approached him very carefully and found Anatoly who had slipped into the crevice and was now unconscious. Hector was the only son of King Louis and was known for his bravery and kindness. He could not leave Anatoly there unattended. He made another fairy in charge of the group and sent them up the crevice to fetch the mushrooms. He then picked up Anatoly on his shoulders and walked back into the portal.

Anatoly opened up his eyes and found himself lying on a very big and comfortable bed. It seemed like a palace room as it was decorated heavily and gave a very elegant look. He tried to get up but was unable to move due to a broken hip bone. He felt a sting in his spine and a sheer pain in his legs. From the corner of his eyes he saw a beautiful creature looking towards him. She was hiding behind a curtain with only her face appearing from a side. She looked familiar to Anatoly. As he turned his head towards her, she disappeared completely behind the curtain.

After sometime, another person entered in the room and walked up to Anatoly. He was now fully awake but helpless as he could not move. He again tried to get up but was signaled by the incoming creature to remain still. This creature looked just like humans but with a big stature and 4 wings popping out of the back. He was Hector who had carried Anatoly from the crevice into the fairy world and brought him to the palace. The King was not happy nor were the other elders. An immediate council meeting was called upon and it was proposed to throw the man back in the crevice before he comes to his senses and sees anything in the Fairy Land. Eva was against it. She stood up and defended the full recovery of Anatoly before sending him back.

Thimoksi, head of the warrior fairies asked her:

“Why should we treat a human whose kind has hunted us in the past and brought us near to extinction till three thousand years ago, the great Priest saved us and hid the Fairy Land under the Mount Kaaf?”

Everyone was quiet till Eva spoke: “Because this man had saved my life.”

There was a sudden uproar in the hall. Everyone was talking. Someone shouted:

“She is a liar.”

Hector got up from his seat. The hall fell silent. King Louis watched anxiously at his only son. Hector looked around with grace, walked slowly to his sister and placed his hand on her shoulder. He then said:

“She is telling the truth.”

There was a loud mumbling. The King raised his hand and the hall got quiet. He then asked:

“Hector, you know female fairies cannot go out of the portal. The spell would not allow them to leave till we remove their wings. Your sister still has her wings.”

Hector looked towards the king and with sadness in his voice said:

“I know father, I had carried her on my back.”

King watched his only son in disbelief. Hector spoke again:

“My beloved sister wanted to see the Kaaf. It was the only thing she had ever asked from me and I could not refuse it. I knew about one loophole in the portal spell. On the very first day when the portal opened, I took her to the portal garden. I had already managed to get my trusted fairies as portal guards. I picked her on my shoulders and we passed through the portal. We flew up the crevice and reached to top of the mountain.”

Everyone held their breath as Hector continued with his confession:

“As we were flying around, strong wind started blowing which very quickly got converted into a blizzard. Before I could tell her to move back to portal, she disappeared into the snow storm. I descended into the crevice and waited for the storm to subside. It was only after eight hours that the blizzard ended and I got out of the crevice and went up the mountain. I looked for her everywhere in next two days and was finally able to find a trail near the base of Kaaf. I followed the trail and reached in the town of Murmansk where I discovered her lying injured in a room. This man who is now on our mercy was her savior. I waited outside for another two days to find an opportunity to get her out of there. I did not want the man to see me. This man looked after my sister very well. He fixed her wing and provided her with every necessary medication. He did not even sleep for two days and when he did, I sneaked into the room and picked my sister and flew back here.”

Everyone was listening with interest as Hector turned to the king, bowed his head and said his final words:

“It’s my fault, my king. It was me who violated the rules and took Eva out of the fairy world and then brought back a human into our world. It is me who should be punished. My sister and this human are innocent.”

There was a huge uproar in the hall again. Everyone was speaking. There were many voices demanding Hector’s head. They were calling him traitor. The king rose from his throne and there was suddenly a pin drop silence. The king spoke with a firm voice:

“Hector be arrested till a final decision is reached. In the meantime, Eva will look after this human in the same way he looked after her. All necessary medication be provided to the human and he should be treated well.”

There were still five days before rising of the new moon which will close the portal. Eva spent that time looking after Anatoly. His broken bones were fixed. The mushroom medicine had a magical healing effect. Anatoly was walking on his feet on the last day. He was not permitted to go out of the room. He was provided with everything he required in the room which was heavily guarded. Eva stayed in the room all those days and nights. She knew him to be her hero and fell in love with the simplicity of this human. Anatoly told her the story of his father and mother. He told her everything about himself and the purpose of his adventure to Mount Kaaf. Anatoly was already in love with her from the moment he had seen her lying on the snow near the base camp during his first trip. He knew it was not dream then and he knew it is not a dream now. He was in a real mystical world. They both had decided to go together across the portal. She knew her wings will be cut off but she was ready for it. All her sisters were opposed to her decision but she had already told that to the king and to the elders in the council meeting.

Today was the decision day. Anatoly was waiting in his room desperately. The portal was to close down in few hours. Guards were told to take him to portal before its closing and force him to go out whether Eva comes or not.

Everyone had gathered in the hall. Hector had confessed his crime and a decision was to be taken about his punishment. Eva wanted to go with the human to the outside world. The portal closing time was coming very fast. A decision was to be taken soon. All the elders could not agree on the same verdict so it was decided to take a vote. To everyone’s surprise there were equal votes for and against letting the Eva go. The final vote rested with the King. He looked at his both beloved son and daughter, and then spoke with a drained voice:

“I have taken thousands of decisions in my life but I have never been burdened so much. My heart aches and my brain is numb. I am asked to choose the type of a death for my only son. And I am asked to decide to cut the wings of my sweet daughter and let her go out of my sight, out of this world forever or force her to stay here and break her heart.”

The king paused for a while, looked around helplessly and spoke again:

“It makes me sad. I wish I had my queen by my side who could have consoled me and advised me to the right decision. I am unable to decide for myself.”

The king then looked up and with a forceful voice declared:

“With the power vested in me by the god, I renounce my kingship and pass on my right of rule to my only son. It is time to meet my queen again.”

With this announcement, the king removed his crown and stepped down from the throne. The hall was stunned. They knew that the kingship could only be transferred with death of the present king. Everybody saw in disbelief as the king took out his knife and inserted it in his heart.

Hector was chained yet he ran to his father, dragging the guards with him. Eva was already there holding the king’s hand and was crying out loud in pain. The dying king handed over the crown to Hector and told him to rule with kindness and then closed his eyes. Hector held the dead king’s head in his hands when the Priest walked up to him. He took the crown from Hector’s hand, looked at the mesmerized hall and placed the crown on Hector’s head. The guards removed the chains from Hector’s hands and feet. Hector slowly placed his father’s head on ground and stood up. He then walked up to the throne and looked at his sister who was still holding his father’s hand and sobbing with pain. Hector then spoke in a somber voice:

“Decision about my crimes as prince will be decided later. Now as your King my first responsibility is to decide the fate of my sister Eva. I vote for her to go with the human.”

There was a little hush and murmurs in the crowd. Hector spoke again:

“Her wings should be taken off immediately and she be allowed to go.”

Portal closing time was approaching fast. Eva’s wings had been removed. She ran to her room to take some things as she was going away for good. She then ran down the stairs and stumbled from the loose carpet. Anatoly was forced out of the portal without Eva.

------------------------

She woke up after few hours and tried to remember as to what had happened. As she recalled the events, she got up from the bed and looked at the clock. Her sister Beth was with her who told her that he is gone. They forced him out. She now has to wait for next ten years to go to his world. She has no wings and no life. But every time passes. It passed for Eva too. Ten years seemed like a life time. Once again she was standing in front of the portal. She had to take a step forward. She had to go and look for Anatoly in Murmansk from where she may get his address of Moscow where he lived. Would he still be alive, would he still be waiting for me? She thought for a while. Ten years is a long time and humans are different. She was a fairy locked in the world of her dreams. He was a human, free, unpredictable and changeable. But she had to know it for sure. She looked back at his brother King Hector who nodded his head as asking her to take a step forward. She closed her eyes and hesitantly leaped into the portal. She emerged on the other side in the crevice. Her eyes were closed but she smelled a familiar scent. She opened her eyes in an instant and found Anatoly sitting on his knee with a broad smile on his face and with a ring in his hand. As their eyes met, he got up and took Eva in his arms. King Hector came out of the portal and flew them to Murmansk. Road to St. Petersburg was clear and defined.

Written By: Nadeem Alam

Published in The Weekly Mag (Oct-Nov 2018)
Part-1
Part-2
Part-3
Part-4

Other Stories by same author: (Click on the following links)

Tere Dar Per Sanam - Urdu Afsana
My Million Little Pieces
The Better You
Devil
Twenty Four Seven