Chapter 22 (Golden Stag 2): Fossil

In October 2029, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Bharat's grandmother, Vanita, was a remarkable old woman who had never attended school yet knew so much. To Bharat, she was like an all-knowing oracle; whenever he faced something he couldn't comprehend, he would turn to her first.

Since Erin had mentioned that a wealthy man needed a transfusion of his "original blood" due to a rejection reaction from stem cell treatment, Bharat found himself in a dilemma. He sought Vanita's guidance, believing she could help him make the right choice.

"Erin is our friend, and her friend is sick. He needs our help, which means he needs your blood. What’s there to be conflicted about?" Vanita said calmly, holding Bharat's right hand and gently rubbing his palm with her thumb.

"It would be good if my blood could help a sick friend, but if this leads to funding for my family tree project, I can't accept that kind of deal," Bharat replied, his dark cheeks flushing with frustration.

Although he had an answer in his heart, he felt unsettled because Erin had told him that she and her daughter, Mandy, would visit him today. Refusing them after they had traveled to this remote village felt so difficult.

Vanita, over eighty years old, had clouded eyes with brown irises mixed with faint white spots. Logically, her eyesight should be poor, yet somehow, she seemed to see everything.

In response to her grandson's turmoil, Vanita felt a hint of comfort. Not everything in this world could be bought with money.

Vanita began to tell Bharat stories about his grandfather, who had never gone to school and spent his childhood herding sheep and hunting in the local mountains and forests. Occasionally, he would guide travelers and archaeological teams.

Gradually, he developed a strong interest in archaeology and often ventured into the mountain valleys alone, tapping and searching for fossils in the rock layers.

His efforts paid off, as the various fossils he collected filled the backyard of their home. Relying on the knowledge he had gained from the archaeological teams, he filled thick notebooks with sketches and notes.

Among all the fossils, Vanita cherished one in particular: a flat grayish-white fossil with clearly defined and complete animal bones on its surface.

Having never seen such an animal, Vanita's husband told her it lived fifty to sixty million years ago and was now extinct or had evolved into other forms. He called this creature a little pig, but Vanita disliked that name, feeling it resembled a little deer more.

She reminded him of a poem from Tagore's "The Gardener," titled "The Golden Deer," suggesting that calling the fossil a little deer sounded much better than a pig.

The arrival of Erin and Mandy interrupted their reminiscence. Bharat welcomed the distant guests into the dimly lit room and introduced them to his grandmother.

Both Erin and Mandy were dressed as outdoor travelers, with Mandy carrying a heavy backpack and a camera hanging from her neck without its long lens.

From Bharat's slightly awkward expression, Erin seemed to sense his thoughts and said, "Bharat, I came here to apologize. Your blood is pure, just like your heart, and my previous proposal tainted it. I’m truly sorry."

Bharat was taken aback, feeling relieved, yet an inexplicable worry arose within him as he asked, "What about your friend's illness?"

Erin replied that the biological agent she was researching had made progress, and her friend, Prince Haruf, was one of the phase three clinical trial subjects. Miraculously, the rejection reaction had been eliminated, and this biological agent was made from small molecules extracted from the milk of female humpback whales.

"Even without this new drug, neither Prince Haruf nor I will ask you for a blood donation again. We all share the same bottom line," Erin said, recalling Martha's report with a wry smile. "Are the rich really that bad?"

Erin had come to this small village not just to tell Bharat that a blood donation was no longer needed but also, at Prince Haruf's request, to inquire if he would be willing to accept funding to promote the family tree project worldwide.

"The prince will donate to establish a special fund in my foundation for your family tree project," Mandy explained.

Bharat looked at his grandmother, encouraged by her loving and proud gaze. "Please convey my gratitude to the prince. I will certainly do my best to make the family tree project even better." He then asked Mandy, "What kind of charity work does your foundation primarily engage in?"

"Our foundation is called 'Fossils of Civilization,' and we mainly focus on protecting indigenous tribes," Mandy introduced. "We have branches in Egypt and Mexico, and this time in India, we plan to support your village."

Bharat found this intriguing, realizing that while his project was called "My Family Tree," Mandy's foundation was named "Fossils of Civilization," and their endeavors indeed matched well.

Mandy noticed the spread of cards laid out on the table before Vanita and curiously asked, "Are these cards for divination? I've heard that India's divination techniques are fascinating."

Vanita smiled kindly, flipping the cards so that each one faced down. After rubbing them gently, she gestured for Mandy to draw one.

The cards faced down were a mix of black and red, clearly two different decks. Mandy noticed that one card was particularly worn, with a unique design on the back resembling a yellowed, shell-like leaf.

She drew this card and turned it over; the front was deep gray with a few fine grayish-white lines, and the central design was inverted, showing only the number "0." Mandy realized the design on this card originated from a rubbing of an ancient stone tablet.

Holding the card, she awaited Vanita's interpretation of the divination, and the grandmother seemed to anticipate that Mandy would choose this special card. Instead of providing an explanation immediately, she continued telling stories about Bharat's grandfather.

Bharat's village lay deep in India's heart, with little connection to the outside world. For some unknown reason, news of Bharat's grandfather finding the little deer fossil spread, and merchants frequently arrived offering high prices to buy it. Bharat's grandfather always refused them outright.

After Bharat's grandfather passed away, Vanita cherished the little deer fossil.

One day, a representative from the world’s most famous museum came, offering $50,000 for the little deer fossil, but Vanita still promptly declined.

"Isn't it better to have it exhibited in the world’s most renowned museum so that more people can see it?" Bharat couldn't help but ask.

His grandmother replied, "Bharat, your grandfather instructed me that fossils have significant research value and should only be given to someone capable of studying them."

Mandy, too curious to stay silent, asked, "Did a worthy person ever come forward? Where is the little deer fossil now?"

Vanita smiled mysteriously, pointing to the "0" on the card in Mandy's hand and said, "It is with you. The worthy person is an archaeologist who found an ancient tablet inscribed with '0' in our ancient city. He gave me this rubbing of the tablet, and I believed he could understand the little deer fossil."

As everyone was filled with confusion, Bharat suddenly understood, exclaiming, "In my hometown, Gwalior, a stone tablet was unearthed, inscribed with the great inventions of ancient India, the number '0,' which eventually led to the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system and the entire modern natural sciences."

"Not only natural sciences; the invention of '0' is also a significant milestone in the history of human thought and philosophy," Mandy added.

"So you turned down the temptation of $50,000 and instead gave the little deer fossil to the archaeologist who discovered the tablet?" Erin said with newfound respect.

"Yes, I gave him the little deer fossil along with a collection of Tagore's poems, which Bharat's grandfather cherished most," Vanita said.

"I know the poem my grandfather loved best; he recited it to me when I was a child, and I still remember it today." Bharat said, and then recited aloud:

From Tagore's "The Gardener":

I chase that golden little deer,
Do not laugh at me, friends; I seek an unreachable home.
You can hurry to the market and return home,
No need to heed my laments.
Yet the homeless wind brings spells,
Gently touching my body, leaving me unaware,
What year is it tonight, and where am I?
Emptying my mind and body, disregarding all that belongs to me,
I traverse the valleys solely to pursue that golden little deer.