It had been close to two hours that we were traversing across the forest. With each passing moment the anticipation was becoming more fervent. We could find pug marks of all sizes but success still eluded us. The vast jungle held unseen beauty amidst its folds. The flora and fauna of Tadoba were mesmerising but my eyes were searching for something else and my mind was tuning itself for an exhilarating experience. The jeep suddenly came to a screeching halt. "Sir, see the footmarks here" all our eyes were expectantly focussed on the muddy path and we could see a big footprint. We felt adrenaline rush in our bodies as we felt victorious. But was it victory or was it just another false alarm. The guide looked at the mark from all sides and said "it seems P2 is somewhere near".
P2 ??? I looked around amazed..... Is there a toastmasters club here too??
You must be wondering what I am talking about. Last month when we were embarking on the journey to Nagpur, I was not so excited to attend a 5 day Outdoor training programme. Little did I know how exciting it was going to be in the end.
After a two hour car drive we arrived at Bamboo Forest Safari Resort near Tadoba Tiger Reserve. I was mesmerised at the artistic depiction of each and every item. We could feel the presence of tiger in each and every article. Be it tiger head shaped door knob or the wash basin embedded in tiger body. As the darkness set in, the eerie silence was frightening. Tigers were the only thoughts I had and was trying to imagine how majestic they would look when we could see them.
Next morning I woke up with dreams of taking selfies with the Royal King. I stepped outside my room to a slight chill in the air. The freshness smelt as if it had been infused with extra oxygen. Sun had just begun it's journey and it's bright and clear orange reflection in the lake ahead made the day double sunny and vibrant. The beauty of the dew drops on the leaves were breathtaking. I was admiring the statue of a lady holding a half tilted pot, pouring water in the fountain, lost in my own thoughts, when someone shouted hey P1 has been sighted today. P1 ? Toastmasters club again? I was perplexed. "Yes, Choti Tara was seen near the lake" It was then that the guide cleared my doubts and explained that here P1 is Choti Tara, P2 is Maya and P3 is Mohan. What a co-incidence with Toastmasters. I was wondering if they also have ACB, ACS and ACGs like us?
The first two days of the training passed in a whirlwind. With each exercise we were told to accomplish, all I could think of was P1, P2 and P3. Finally, on the 3rd day, the moment arrived when a forest safari was planned for us. With a single track aspiration of sighting the beast, we clambered on. Will it be P1 or P2 or P3 which will make us lucky? My heart sank when our guide told us that more than 50% of the tourists were not able to sight the majestic animal even after multiple attempts. I was pondering over this information and analysing the chances of success when suddenly, the jeep came to a screeching halt. There was some movement in the bushes. Everyone was waiting with bated breath when a sloth bear emerged. Unmindful of guests it continued its heavy walk.
We had practically searched every possible nook and corner of the area where Tigers were expected to be but luck evaded us. We came back to our rooms, tired and disappointed.
Next day, we again hit the road early in the morning, and as we were entering the forest, few enthusiastic Monkeys greeted us. A herd of spotted dears was seen rushing near the lake. They stopped and turned their heads anxiously in one direction and suddenly everything went silent. I was smiling at a small baby dear when I noticed the stunning silence. Everyone was looking in the other direction with their jaws dropped, awestruck with magnificent sight ahead. Yes, it was P1, Choti Tara some distance away behind the big blades of grass near the lake. Majestically moving away from the lake towards the trees, her slow but steady strides exuded confidence. In a few moments, she vanished behind the trees and we were left wanting more of her. It felt like a dream as I pinched myself for a reality check. Did I really see her? Or was it my imagination playing tricks? My plans of capturing the moment in my camera were dashed. Though I was happy to have caught a glimpse of Tara, I not satiated, in fact I wanted some more of her presence, to observe and to appreciate the beauty.....
Reliving the discovery channel that we used to see from the luxury of our bedrooms, we resumed our quest with a firm resolve of a better experience. With the passing of time, our energy levels were diminishing as we were loosing hope of sighting the Tiger again. A thick layer of dust had settled on my forehead after 3 and a half hours of traversing across the length and breadth of the forest area. It was time to bid Good Bye to the beautiful civilisation and return to uncivilised cities. We wanted to exit on a happy note. Each one of us was wildly clapping "If you are happy clap your hands, clap, clap,clap" The jeep moved rapidly from the centre of the jungle towards the Kolara Gate. The chanting continued "If you are happy clap your hands, clap, clap,clap" Screeeeecch...... The Jeep came to a grinding halt once again. Maya was walking majestically on the road. She was hardly ten metres away. The vision was Super High definition. Each step she was taking portrayed Power. She was sheer strength. Then she stopped suddenly and turned to stare at us. I could feel her looking straight into my eyes. Her jaws moved as if in slow motion and she let out a blood curdling roar. It was frightening and we were unsettled. Before we could react to the series of events, she suddenly turned towards us, increased her pace and leapt high. Even as we started screaming, our hearts thumping against our rib cage, she ran past us into the the dense jungle and disappeared. Forever for us.....
Good Bye Maya.
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