Omen

It's a breezy evening. A Young "Yak" herder, Kesang is singing one of the popular bollywood songs, while laying on the branch of a big tree and staring at the sky. Every few minute Kesang wakes up and looks over to make sure his Yaks are within his seight. They are grazing on a fine green grass and enjoying cool breeze. The bells on thier neck ringing each time they move their jaws to chew those grass. Kesang whistle at them in a very melodious tone. It looks as though the Yaks understand Kesang and starts to move closer to him. It's time for Kesang to get the Yaks home before Tigers and other evil spirits come to attack.
Most of the guys (Kesang's age) have gone to India to work. Most of them work as a labor,constructing roads and doing whaterver jobs they can get in India.It was the new trend in the village.Going abroad. They all returned to the village once a year and usually around New Year time, to spend time with family and that's how Kesang got his taste of Bollywood. His friends who returned from India sang all the popular Bollywood songs.
Kesang has always been a firm believer of god. Every time he looks up in the sky, he feels as though he is looking at this guard, at someone who protects him from everything, someone who protects his yaks from the evil spirits and the Tigers. For Kesang, his belief and his Yaks were the most important belongings he had.
One morning, as usual Kesang went to Milk his Yak. As he was walking to his herd's hut, a black cat crossed his path. (A bad omen). Being a believer and a superstitious person, he didn't know if he should continue to walk or just go back to his house. He decided he should just spit three times (spitting three times somehow "dismissed" the bad omen) and move one and so thats what he did. When he got to the the hut, unfortunately he finds one of his Yak dead. He doesn't understand why that happened. The Yak was just fine the night before. It must have been the evil spirit (in disguise of a cat) who ate the Yak.
Kesang goes to the witch doctor in the village for the cure of his fear. He wants to make sure the evil spirit does not come back again. The witch doctor gives him a piece of red thread and directs Kesang to tie it around the Yak's neck.
That afternoon, Kesang does not feel like going in the woods but his Yaks needs to be fed so he sends his younger brother, Rigzen to look after the herd.
Rigzen does not usually go out in the woods and for some weird reason, he dislikes the land where Kesangs goes to graze the Yaks. Today he decides to take the Yaks across river. Rigzen guides the Yaks through the woods and across the bridge, that basically was a two large logs set across the river. Rigzen wants to go to India next session with his friends. He does not like being a herder. He lets the Yaks enjoy the grass while he lays on the grass, and plans what kind of cloths he would buy when he goes to India. Maybe the leather jacket that Temba wore last when he returned would look good on him. Or maybe the Green hoodie that Tenzing had would look better. Both seem comfortable and styalish. The sun is warm, and while planning he falls asleep.
When he wakes up, it's almost dusk. He looks around, the yaks are out of his seights. He hurries and starts to whistle the way Kesang does, soon enough he hears the sound of Yak's bell. The yaks walkes towards him and off they go home. Kesang had always told Rigzen to let the Yaks cross the river first but being a rebel in the family, Rigzen cares less who crosses the river first as long as all the Yaks and he gets home. Something bad happens that day.
Rigzen crosses the river first and while watching all the yaks to follow him, one of the Yaks slips over the log and falls in the river. Rigzen cannot swim and even if he did, it would not make any difference. The yak cries as the river carries it. Rigzen just watches until yak is out of his seight.
Kesang is devasted now. How can two of his Yaks die on the same day? What is this suppose to mean? What were his gods in the sky doing? How can this happen to him? . He is now worried the evil spirit is taking away each of his Yak one by one.
Kesang could not fall asleep. All sort of thoughts were touching his mind. He felt he needed to be with his Yak to protect them. So he took his blanket and went to sleep with this Yaks. The yak's hut was made from tree branches and hays. Kesang was cold. He lit a small fire to warm himself in the corner. He felt better being next to his Yaks. After a while, Kesang went back to his house to get some chang (liquor made from barley). He found a shoe turned upside down at the door. (again a bad omen) The same feeling rushed in his heart when he had seen the cat this morning. He tried to ignore the feeling and turned the slipper upside, spitted three times, went to get this chang.
When he came back, he could not believe his eyes. The yak's hut was on fire. He had left the fire burning. The blanket must have caught the fire and spread it.
He heard his Yak's cry. The fire got bigger and bigger. He ran inside his home and got bucket full of water. He did it again and again and each time he got back with more water... the fire was getting bigger.. until the hut just collapsed. He sat there shattered, watching part of him burn.
He sat there till the morning, trying to find answers for why this was happening? All of a sudden he realised, he was betrayed. Betrayed by his protector. He didn't know how to react or what to do... suddenly he got up, went to his home and came back with a gun. He pointed the gun at the sky and started to shoot. His faith was gone. He didn't know who he was shooting at but he felt someone up in the sky was responsible for his misfortune.