Sleep has been more evasive these nights. It takes a lot of tossing and turning on the bed before sandman arrives. One such night in that twilight zone between wakefulness and sleep came an image. I wanted to splash more colors on to it and make it a bit more round about the edges. So here goes :
The moon had risen and all around me was awash with light that had a faint tinge of blue. I had started walking half an hour ago or thereabouts. It took some effort to slip away unseen from the camp but it definitely is rewarding. The forest at night is quite a marvelous sight with the orchestra of countless insects and birds to provide the backdrop to it. Tiny pinpricks of light, the little lanterns carried by fireflies fluttered all around me. I breathed in deep, the rains in the evening that brought the scent of fresh earth still lingered in the air. I kept walking. It is a dream come alive to walk in a forest at night. I have always found jungles to be enigmatic with their own sense of charm. While travelling through them, I happen to look deep in to the foliage as if asking What secrets do you hide ? This in essence was the first time I could experience the wilderness and that too alone, quite an effect ! I had reached a clearing of sorts beyond which lay a lake and an old dilapidated fortress far away on the other side of the lake. I sat down. I had no doubts on my ability to find my way back, after all we had come by this way a couple of times in the day.
It had been a good trip so far. To escape from the madness and frenzy of a bustling life, we take some time to cool our heels. This was one such trip and it had been a stroke of luck to cover this place during this escapade. Tigers have always been one of the most favored of animals for me and glad was I when the others in the group agreed to the place. What I have done here tonight could be a prime example of wanton adventurism but still nothing beats this sight before my eyes. I watch the night birds swoop down on the lake and witness logs floating in the water which are but the Indian crocodile. A breeze wafts across bearing with it a scent of astounding familiarity. One of those moments when you can almost put your finger on what is so familiar about it flits across my memory. There begins in me a sense of unease, one that knows no source.
In a second, there is a change in the environment around me. The birds fall silent, the cicadas stop their conversations and everything goes to mute. I glance warily around as I get up. There is this uncanny sense that tells you when you are being watched and that sense of mine was in overdrive now. A few hundred yards away in the tall elephant grass there is a flutter , out of it stretches a striped paw and the King steps into view. My insides turn to water and I have the most overwhelming feel that I will empty my bladder where I am standing. The tiger meanwhile has not fully emerged into the clearing. He/she is still keenly looking at me. Even when my mouth has gone bone dry and my legs shaking under me I can’t help but gaze with open wonder at this magnificent beast who could kill me with a swipe of its paw. The moonlight makes is look more eerie than it already is for the tiger appears blue with black stripes and the eyes intently looking at me. The breath of the animal comes out in plumes of smoke for the mist plays its games too.
This is it ! The end of the line and the travel of a thousand miles will end up in the King’s stomach are the thoughts along with cries of help that tumble into my mind like clothes from an unkempt closet. The animal bares its fangs at me and the shaking from my legs spreads all over me. It sniffs the air and grunts, a sound like rolling thunder and one that reverberates in my bones. In my state of extreme terror, I imagine I hear my name being called. Wait ! that is not imagination I did hear it. It is directly behind me somewhere in the forest, maybe they came looking for me from the camp. The animal’s ears are cocked too and it seems to glance in that direction. There is a crash somewhere close by as someone falls and a loud chain of swearing and laughter. It maybe that in the frightened mind of the prey-to-be this occured but the animal for a moment looked amused . It grunts again and in a sinuous motion without another glance vanishes into the underbrush where it came from. I can’t believe it, what the hell was that all about ? As the first of my rescuers tumble across the clearing and shouts my name mixed with a chain of obscenities, I collapse on the ground. And yes, my trousers indeed are wet. Need I tell them about the tiger ? Fat chance that they will believe it.
After a lot of admonishments from our guide and the forest officials we begin the trek back to camp. All faces are sullen but beneath that is the genuine relief of finding me alive. I being the last person to leave look back at that brush again. I imagine its eyes still following us out of its terrain, like burning embers those eyes might be looking at all of us and telling us ‘ Stay out of my territory’. The charm seems to be have been lost for I feel an overwhelming sense of tiredness and a craving for a bed and dreamless slumber.
The image was of a tiger at night in a clearing. The rest was more or less a flight of fantasy.
