Up and up, round and round the hill we went, in the dark night, clouds kissing us, as we made our way back to our camp in the quiet village of Telbaila. A rickety bus honked from a distance and the driver, with his eyes popping out, shouted “There is a white tiger growling uphill. I saw the eyes and the strips. Run back if you want to live!”
We were a team of twenty friends visiting Telbaila for a spiritual retreat, but the news had already driven the calming effects of yoga and meditation out of our system. All the torch lights were put on and we started screaming (more out of shock) to keep the wild beast at bay.
It had started to rain by the time we reached our camp. Some distance away from my shack, I froze. Amidst the bushes, I saw something moving and making a queer sound. My heart thumped against my ribs. I wanted to run but curiosity got the better of me.
I parted the bushes much to my friends’ disapproval. A big wild cat, albino, was giving birth to its litter. Three out, one half-way through. As the new life was coming out, we breathed in life. I declared to my friends that I’ll name this kitten ‘Tiger’.
