Into the Wild

It was sometime in early October of 1993, a man sitting on the window seat of Rajdhani Express Chair Car compartment was busy with a set of simple felt pens and scribbling and drawing something on what looked like a drawing book you would find in any stationery store. While the other passengers were busy chatting and enjoying the food that was getting served at intervals, the man seemed to be in a world of his own, looking out of the window, putting the pen to his head and tapping and smiling as he carried on with his work, filling up the pages. After getting off at New Delhi Station, he headed home to meet his parents and the very next day he was off to work. In between work, he stepped out to go to the main post office at Parliament Street where he handed the drawing book which was neatly wrapped in a brown envelope to the window where registered posts were being accepted. This was the first of the three handmade story books the man made in a period of two months for his little daughter who loved listening to his unending tales and was still at Kolkata while the father had been posted to his home town in Delhi. No prizes for guessing the father and the daughter duo but today, after almost twenty eight years, when I find that the reverse has happened….she has flown away to a new and beautiful world  across the oceans and the continents ….here I am sharing a freshly baked kiddo story for her….with the hope that she likes it.

They were the best of friends

Poopie, Shubham, Piyu and Archish

Always to be found together

Seemed friends forever.

Off they went on an excursion

To explore the forests and the wild

Landed in the Tigerland of Ranthambhore

With school friends, teachers and more.

 

Met by a friendly forest guide

Who promised to always be on their side

He said his name was Salman

Promised to show the kids tigers and bison.

 

The kids sat in a mini bus

That drove them round the forest as in a circus

In search of wild animals

But found none and saddened were the pals.

 

Determined to see the real wildlife

With little munchies in backpacks, torches and water

The foursome slipped out of the lodge at night

Out went the brave hearts into the moonlight.

 

Holding hands they moved ahead

Saw some animals in the forest bed

The elephant herd lay quietly on the ground

Clicking pictures without a sound.

 

So many animals they saw that night

But the tiger was nowhere in sight

Wanting to see the King of Ranthambhore

Deeper into the forest went the fearless four.

 

Suddenly they heard a blood curling howl

Surely the pack of hyenas were on the prowl

The kids for once showed fear on their face

And ran faster than in an Olympic race.

 

They found the entrance to a cave

Entered the place that looked so safe

As they heard the howling hyenas at the gate

Soon to enter and mayhem they would create.

 

With nowhere to run and hide

And no guns and sticks on their side

The end at the hands of hyenas seemed imminent

When they got from behind a whiff of a dirty scent.

 

Turned around to see His Majesty

The big stripped tiger, high and mighty

Looking at the frozen to death children

Walked towards the front of his den.

 

The hyenas saw the entrance blocked

By the biggest tiger who roared

They were ten and the tiger was alone

But still they fled as the tiger’s eyes shone.

 

The tiger sat at the entrance in guard

As the kids now waited to be devoured

They heard strange noises as if the tiger was in pain

Noises subsided as the sun came.

 

The kids with their heads turned down

Suddenly felt some soft furry brown

Opened their eyes to see before

Tiger cubs one two three and four.

 

They looked so cute and loving

Kids could not hold back their patting

The cubs started loving and licking

The fear of the night gave way to gentle giggling.

 

Then they saw the tiger…nay the tigress… come their way

The cubs left the kids, went Mama’s way

The tigress lay down flat

The cubs sucked milk from Mama cat.

 

By now Salman reached the cave

Saw the sight and was amazed

He knew Rani the tigress well

He too fearless entered her dwell.

 

The cubs and the kids played again awhile

They gave the cubs names before bidding bye

The chubby was named Cheeku

The toothless one was called Tootsie

The lazy was named Sloppy

And the fastest was called Footsie.

The friends returned home happy and safe

With endless stories of their adventures

Salman Bhai kept in constant touch

Sharing pictures of Rani and her cubs

 

When one day he mailed

Tootsie had gone missing

Rani was out searching

Failing to find her cub

She would just sit and sob

She was becoming sick

Ignoring the other three who were growing big

Salmaan’s last mail said

I want the Famous Four

To return to Ranthambhore

And help me search Tootsie

The loving brother to Cheeku, Sloppy and Footsie.

Will the Awesome Foursome go?

Darling Poopie, I cannot draw on the machine, so have added pictures. So finally, I must say, no matter how many years you add to your age, no matter how many degrees you add to your right and left, your Daddy will still remain your story teller Number One….kal bhi..aaj bhi…kal bhi.

 

SS