Love at First Sight

My recent trip to the jungles of Bandhavgarh was fraught with mishaps - car breaking down amid the jungles at midnight, no electricity for one full day at our resort and a lot others. Add to that the growing frustration among the other members of our crew for not being able to see a tiger up-close. I, however, enjoy wilderness more than the animal sightings and hence was spared from the latter.

On the first day, we could only see a glimpse of two tiger cubs who were apparently very shy to come close to a million vehicles parked on their way to the pond. And their mother wasn't around, who could have taught them how to treat those vehicles and their inhabitants as lessers.

Our morning safari on the second day brought us close to a tigress lazying around near a water hole and we missed her by a paltry 5 minutes. We could see her going back to her den as the sun started to shine on her but she was as much farther as were the two cubs. The crew gave up hope, some even starting to believe that our trip on the whole was jinxed.

Our last safari, however, changed all that. For, we had the chance to watch the most beautiful tigress of the reserve up-close (according to our guide, Gupta). And this was the same tigress which we had missed by a whisker earlier that morning. And the moment I saw her, I fell in love with her. Her deep eyes, her splendid walk, her perfect proportions - everything about her was truly amazing. We watched her for a good 15-20 minitues, right from her descent from her den till she disappered in the grasses near the water hole.

She is 4 years old, and for some reason, is known by an insignificant name (chinchola-tigress or something like that, based on the area she inhabits). I feel she deserves a unique name and have named her Kajal, as a tribute to her ever inspiring eyes. If there is love at first sight, this was it. And that sight of hers will remain etched forever in my memories.