THE LONG DROP

Book excerpt: During a cave expedition in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India, the body of the Doloi(Chief of the Nongkhlieh elaka), who had gone missing, was found brutally murdered, at the bottom of a deep shaft. Thrang Kharwan, the organizer of the Expedition, was caught up in the web and intrigues of the coal and limestone miners, who felt threatened by the cry of 'save the caves' raised by the cavers. Thrang had filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Apex Court of the country against the destruction of the environment, especially of the caves and its unique cave eco-systems, by the indiscriminate and unscientific quarrying. Thrang survived the attempts on his life, including a heinous attempt to toss him into the deep dark shaft where the Daloi's body was earlier found murdered; ironically, a cave that had become his dream and fantasy - to finally achieve his goal of cave conservation. In this murderous raging attrition of deceit and power and against all odds, he finally came out triumphant, to find the meaning of life and love.