And that was where it stopped for some time. The court would wait for the report from the ministry of forests. Jadob thanked the lawyers who had fought so hard on behalf of his people. He also thanked his friends, packed his small bag and left Delhi. He would have to return to the Supreme Court when the ministry’s report was filed. He missed home, and was happy to return as quickly as possible.

But he was disappointed. He knew how each part of the government worked, so he knew what a report by a ministry would mean. He had never seen one branch of the government criticise another, so there was no reason the environment ministry would step in to save the Gonds. A report would be filed at the court, of course, but the Gonds could not expect any sympathy. Then the court would read the report and tell the Gonds: sorry, but the mine has to come up.

Jadob felt very, very tired at the end of his journey.

13

JANUARY

Korok ran to the mahji’s house on being told Jadob had returned. The villagers had celebrated, in a small way, when news of the court’s order had come. At least the highest court of the country had listened to the Gonds, they said. Who would have ever imagined that? They were sure the court would rule in their favour. No judge, said some of the headmen, and certainly no judge in Balangir, had ever listened so patiently to a Gond in a court before. If this was not good news, what was? All that remained was for the people to wait for the ministry’s report, and the judges would at least allow them to vote. And, they were sure, no Gond would vote for the government’s plan.

So Korok ran, happy, to the mahji’s house, and reached much before the other headmen arrived. Jadob was sitting in the backyard with the mahji, drinking sweet and very milky tea, wearing a new sweater which Jadob’s friends in Delhi must have gifted to him.

But Jadob was not smiling, and Korok’s heart sank when he saw the man’s face.

‘Korok,’ said Jadob, ‘how is your garden?’

Korok looked at him but did not say anything. The mahji was silent, too.

‘I am sorry, Korok. I am really sorry. We have lost.’

‘But …’

‘I know. The mahji told me everyone here thinks we will win. But we won’t. I sat there in the Supreme Court listening to the lawyers, and I came back. I will have to go to Delhi again after the report is filed, but it doesn’t matter. We will not win.’

The mahji swatted an invisible fly on his arm. The sound was loud in the silence.