Through the woods (part 1)

Hola, readers! Now I know what you guys are probably thinking- that I’m becoming increasingly irresponsible and lazy with two delayed posts twice in a row. But I was busy preparing for my Pre-mid term exam yesterday, so you might have more delayed posts. But I’ll sincerely try my best to schedule posts beforehand, so that even when I don’t have time on Sunday, you guys don’t miss out on it.

So, now I’m starting a long story that’ll be narrated in parts, and naturally, this is the first one. No, don’t worry, it’s not as long as a novel. But it’s lengthier than the ones you might find in fortnightly magazines. It’s inspired by my visit to Bannerghatta National Park in Bengaluru, which was the first time I ever saw lions and tigers, after a host of failed outings in wildlife sanctuaries and parks. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Ivaan was travelling through the Bannerghatta National Park in a jeep with barred windows, in that part of the forest where lions were found. He had his phone’s camera ready to capture the first lion that caught his eye. Civilians were not usually allowed at night outside in the forest, as it was the time for the lions’ hunt, but Ivaan’s dad was a forest ranger, so he was allowed the rare privilege.

He had been making the final preparations, turning the flash off and increasing the brightness, when without warning, something large and heavy shook the jeep violently.  And then, Ivaan saw what had done it- a lion, with his knife-sharp claws hooked onto the grille and his glinting white eyes staring straight at him. His jaws were open, displaying his abnormally long, pointy canines (even for a lion) and drool dripping down the side of his mouth. Ivaan was so stunned for a while that he couldn’t even remember to breathe, let alone click a picture. It was only when the forest ranger travelling with him gave a little whine that he cautiously picked up his phone and focused it at the visage of the beast. But before he could even touch the screen to click, a loud clang forced him to stop and lower his phone. Before him was a sight that might chill the most fearless to the bone. There stood the lion in his full glory, mane glinting in the light of the full moon, his slender body unmarred by the window’s grille.

Image Courtesy: Flickr