Right from his young days, the cub showed no fear. He pretended not to. He was perennially trying hard to be every part his tribe. The first time he saw his folks gorging on deer meat; he cried. His mother grabbed him and made sure he tasted some of the finest meat in the jungle. However, he couldn’t stand the sight of an oscillating heart in the dead. As for the meat, he never took taste of it. Gradually, the signs of rejection vanished. With a dead face, he ate a paltry share of the meat and helped his mother save the remains for drought stricken times.
Eight years have made a fine animal out of him. Agile and with a keen eye, he is the best hunter in his clan. In fact exceptionally and abnormally good for a male. He has consciously worked for it and has pushed himself to enjoy it. Now, he considers it to be a part of his instincts. His catches have been the talk of town – a wild boar as big as an elephant, an antelope with tree trunks as horns. Each time, he marches back with a swagger; prey firmly clinched to his teeth. He throws them down and releases a sigh of relief and more apparently, an effervescent smile signaling nobility and control. His parents are proud of him. They are aware of the fact that he was a late bloomer. That’s what they think at least.
It is just another day for him. Till dawn, there has been no luck. His buddies aren’t too concerned anyway. They want to laze around on the young green grass. That they do. He is worn out too and decides to follow suite. A long session of friendly banter follows. The sun is on its way up and it is time to retreat. As they get up to leave, they hear a hustle in the leaves. There is a pause for confirmation. Led by him, the group moves cautiously to its direction. With his paws, he pushes the bushes aside. It is no gentle push but a sling. His body isn’t used to gentleness.
What he sees are the most expressive doe shaped eyes he has ever come across in his life. They wink and out come crystals. A gaze though them and you will foresee pain and defeat. But till as far as time could spread, there is no fear. Cuts and scratches are aplenty. But they couldn’t hide the radiant gold on its skin. The lion can’t take his eyes of it. He feels a strong urge to nurse it, caress it and hold it in his arms. He tries to hold himself back. Nevertheless, his friends are delighted with this effortless catch of theirs. A couple of them take a grip with their teeth and start dragging it to their den. The deer looks helplessly towards the lion. He feels a strong urge to stop it. But he doesn’t and follows his group meekly.
The journey throws a lot of unsettling questions for the young lion. Can he ever stand up to his beliefs? He also wants to be sure his beliefs are right and not a naïve misadventure of a youthful being. He looks at the deer and still feels the same way for it. He has fallen for it. He wants to take care of it. On contemplation, this urge is stronger than being a part of his pride! He decides to openly declare his love for the wounded.
When the deer is brought home & placed in centre of the settlement, all eyes are on the beautiful animal. Everyone wants to have a piece of it. The lion can’t stand it any longer. With a roar in his voice, he declares his love for the animal. He warns everyone present against making the slightest move towards it.
A majority burst into a laughter of disbelief. They feel the loose talk would pass and they would get onto business. But the lion doesn’t budge. His folks wrestle him; trying in vain to quiten him. But he doesn’t budge. Finally, the eldest one is called to resolve the issue. It is decided that on the dawn of the third day, a solution would be declared. Meanwhile, the other families don’t even care to exchange pleasantries with his parents. Lionesses feel ashamed that sometime in the past, they had fed & mothered this very kid.
All this time, the lion eats nothing. However, he never misses a day feeding the deer. It has shed its inhibitions and tries its best to cuddle unto him with its tied limbs.
The day finally arrives. Everyone gathers at the common ground. The eldest one has already arrived and waits for the sunrise. He rubs his beard to the tree trunk and breaks his silence. “Fellows, we have among us a young one who has defied the laws of the pride; one who has shown scant respect for the ‘muruwah’; and not to mention, succumbed to kinky temptations. There is no place for such unabashed show of ignorance for laws of the land. I proclaim that he and his ‘lady love’ (sniggers all around) leave the land for good”.
Strangely, the lion is excited at the prospect of getting his way. He is ready to live with the fact of leaving his folks and pride. He has the love of his life with him. He could start afresh. Placing the deer on his back, he leaves home. Thoughts of a new, isolated and self sufficient home are prevalent. He turns back to see his mother stonefaced & majestic; with a tear in her eyes. He marches ahead, only slower & cautious than his previous strides. The swagger is nowhere to be seen.
In a couple of days, the deer is fit on its feet. Its graceful quick movements delight the lion. In his daily chores of building a home for them, he pauses to appreciate. That’s entire boost he needs to get back to work with gusto.
It is a full moon night and finally, their abode is done. The lion is content and resting on the rock. His wandering eyes fall on wet skin. The deer is glowing in the blue waters of the lake. It looks up and notices the desperation in his eyes. The lion climbs down. He caresses the deer. It moves closer, as if pleading for more. The lion pushes the deer to ground. He pauses and looks around. Instincts take over. He wants every bit of it. The deer can’t stop moaning. The lion mistakes it for pleasure.
The day whizzes through. It is time for sunset. He is in no mood to hunt. He leaves a yawn and gets up to leave. As commonly heard, he didn’t sense the volcanoes erupt. Instead, he could feel the sweet smell of an incense stick. He gets himself a quick dip in the lake. He wants to kiss his lady good bye. It is this kind of family thing he has always dreamt of. He pushes the thick grass aside. His paws get deeper and deeper. There is no sign of movement. Finally he gets a sight of the deer. With his enlarged eyes and raised paws, he stands motionless.
There she is, my dear, smeared in blood. All I wanted was save her from everyone. Here she is lifeless in my arms. Oh what a fool I was; killed two not just one.
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