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An encounter with Jai

 An Encounter with Jai- an illusion of safety 


We were in Ranthambore, Zone 6 of the National Park. Our guide, Pooja, told us there were four tigers in this zone—Jai, Badal, Noor, and Lakshmi—two males and two females. Hearing their names itself made the forest feel inhabited, almost intimate. But nothing prepared me for what followed.


We encountered Jai resting right on the road.


It was unbelievable—a very different kind of experience. There we were: gypsies, canters, humans everywhere. I suddenly became acutely aware that every time we enter a national park, we are risking our lives. Yet the irony struck me—we assume the danger is ours, when in reality, it is their space we intrude upon.


Jai lay there, asleep. He opened his eyes lazily, noticing one gypsy, then another, then two canters—nearly fifty to sixty people in total. There was even a toddler crying, completely unaware that he was sitting just a few feet away from a tiger. I was zapped—caught between fear and wonder.


Yes, there was fear. After all, this was a wild animal. Anything could happen. But strangely, terror took a back seat. Awe dominated. I was mesmerised by his beauty and grace.


Jai closed his eyes again, then slowly opened them and looked straight at us—a steady, unflinching gaze that felt almost like a silent acknowledgement. He rose, lifted his head, and walked into the bushes with effortless elegance. He strolled, sat, posed—as if aware of the audience—then returned, passing calmly between two gypsies, glancing around like someone crossing a familiar road.


That moment is etched in my memory. It will remain there, untouched.


We saw deer, peacocks, crocodiles—life everywhere. And I kept thinking of wildlife in its entirety: snakes, birds, unseen creatures, all coexisting in a balance so intricate that it feels divine. God’s creation is astonishing in how seamlessly it holds itself together.


And then there’s us—humans—interfering. Entering their homes daily, on scheduled safaris. We assume they are “used to us.” But are they? Or are they tolerating us? What if one day they don’t? How safe is it really to sit in open gypsies and canters, munching snacks?


The thought made me smile—and then pause.


We had popcorns. Popcorns. As if we were watching a movie.


But this was no movie.


It was life—raw, unpredictable, majestic.


An experience of a lifetime.


Comments

  1. Gengi1 January 2026 at 03:42

    Beautifully written, it was as if I was in that open gypsy too, experiencing the jungle safari. ☆ Though it's heartbreaking to see what is happening to our wildlife.

    ReplyDelete

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