Saturday, February 18, 2012

38. Face To Face With a Tiger



Thousand Moon: Nana Sovani

Date: February, 2012

Contributed by: Bapu Kelkar

Nana Sovani lives in Someshwar near Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India. My father Bapu, a Thousand Moon himself, comes from the same village and spoke with Nana Sovani during his last visit to Someshwar. The account was narrated to me and I have tried to capture it in words.

Nana Sovani now retired for many years, was a teacher by profession. He would get posted in villages close to Devrukh, a town in the Ratnagiri District. He would get paid every two months when he would go to Devrukh on foot and collect his paycheck. On one such trip during a late summer afternoon, Nana was walking on a deserted road towards Devrukh when to his shock and horror he came face to face with a tiger, a real live tiger! He was petrified for a moment and then the fight-or-flight instinct took over and Nana turned around and ran for his dear life and did not look back till he reached home. Although he was devoid of any energy and was thoroughly exhausted yet was overjoyed and overcome with relief for being alive and well.  Nana remembers the incidence vividly even today!

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