Ranthambore National Park.
Visiting a wild sanctuary, reporting time 7 am, is not my style. I’m happy with my regular bar, 7 pm, happy hours, wild animals you find there too. But I had bought myself a new camera and I owed a service to my friends on social sites.
We stood there quietly as instructed by the local guide. I was a bit irked with a mild hangover and the “No Smoking in the Park” sign but I was amazed at a rare sight of over a hundred people in solemn silence. We looked good.
Just then our guide whispered “Tiger Tiger”
“WHERE…WHERE” our bewildered eyes, scanning the park from right to left and back.
“Shhhhh, there….there”
“WHERE WHERE” We bellowed in unison again.
“Shhhhhhhhhhh” He yelled “THERE”
We turned to our angry guide. His eyes wide. brows raised, his one hand stiffly pointing in a direction. We nodded just like in kindergarten class and traced the invisible line of his pointing finger.
There, We noticed black stripes advancing from behind the deep bushes. My camera ready for action, my hung-over head froze in splits on a dull summer morning.
Guide rectified “That’s a tigress”
Thank you. Who really had the balls to find that out?
She kept coming closer, walking towards us but not once she cared to look, acknowledge presence of over a hundred people gaping at her.
My one eye pressed shut and the other one glued to the viewfinder, my camera on sports mode, I could hear a million clicks triggered in random. So was I.
She stopped. I guess we were in middle of her way.
“Get going” She snapped at my camera, looking away
“Get going you miserable fool” she twitched
“I’m your fan, Ms.Jolie. I came all the way here to admire your magnanimity. Take pictures of my up close and personal encounter with you”
She snorted as she changed her path but I was determined to convince her of my sincerity.
“I am poet, a photographer, aspiring artist”
She looked away “Everyday a bunch of jerks like you land up here, from far and beyond. Go on, take pictures, transfer them to your laptops and upload. That’s all you guys are here for.”
She was gone, out of our sight and ones with camera got busy checking on playback. You never know. Life is a bitch.
I got home to my laptop, viewed her on screen, just like you right now. Earlier through my viewfinder, then on playback but not with my naked eyes.
Photographs by Peter Knight
November 28, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Arjun I am officially now a fan of your writing! I love this story and the very engaging way it’s written. You have a literary talent Sir!
arjun bagga
November 28, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Thanks Peter, I feel honored and humbled, truly. In fact I am on your blog right now and what can I say, but wonder.
Sriram Rangarajan
December 2, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Wow! Quite a close encounter.. your first with a wild one? Love that last shot.. we look like caged animals before the magnificent tigress.. the boring humans with their machines and their gadgets.
arjun bagga
December 2, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Yup, my first one and i guess last too. I don’t wish to tresspass in their territory anymore. Thanks for reading Sriram.
shyamsree
December 14, 2012 at 6:46 pm
Hii! This piece has a wry quirky sense of humor and I loved it Tyvm for sharing!
It has been couple of years now, that I too realized the hollowness of trying to capture every moment – not so much as a remembrance for my own keepsake but with some sense of immediacy or inexplicable compulsion to ‘post on FB’… May be I am just growing old and weary..or perhaps just seeing things for what they are… It is my life and my moments to live up; and it simply doesn’t make a rat’s ass difference, whether or how others react to my way of living and I won’t do anything differently for this isn’t an orchestrated performance to gain approval.
Just one thing- had you toyed with an/or a few alternative title(s) for the piece?
Looking fwd to more..
Tc!
kinjal dixit
December 17, 2012 at 4:41 am
to busy wording the share to enjoy the moment. a kind of a UN simultaneous translator running in our head taking out our sensory resources and preventing us from being fully and totally aware in the present moment. missing out on life by reporting it live. it is something we all are doing. it is the culture of this time
Ron Scubadiver
January 4, 2013 at 7:07 pm
Do they bite?
arjun bagga
January 4, 2013 at 8:11 pm
they are wary of poet’s blood
aboomersvoice
January 5, 2013 at 1:49 pm
That tigress is stunning. Great shot. I can’t believe how close she got to you
JasmineKyleSings
January 5, 2013 at 7:56 pm
OMG that TIGER IS HUGE!!! HOLEY COW!!!!! Those things are VICIOUS!!! See getting up in the morning is a GOOD THING!!!! LOL
arjun bagga
January 5, 2013 at 8:04 pm
Shhhh…She is a tigress and a mean one. Like any other cool chick, she simply ignored me. Poets don’t have much luck these days. LOL but waking up early did do me good.
JasmineKyleSings
January 5, 2013 at 11:51 pm
Just like a poet to not see your worth! Suffer on darling!!! IT makes for good reading!
sakshivashist
January 5, 2013 at 11:04 pm
I am so cross. Life is not a bitch if you got to see a tiger
C’mon!!!! You know, our next to next generation might learn it as an extinct species…so 
But yea, great post and awesome clicks *someone can now brag about a new camera huh*
ENJOY
arjun bagga
January 5, 2013 at 11:08 pm
The post is for you to enjoy, but you just don’t care to read it well
That’s a tigress. Her name is T- 19. 
sakshivashist
January 5, 2013 at 11:22 pm
Seriously, you’re playing the sex card to point I din’t read this post well?
When I commented I meant, as in general, you saw the species we generally called “TIGER”. Now I CANNOT be this dumb to ignore a “SHE” written exactly 9 times in a post
arjun bagga
January 5, 2013 at 11:28 pm
The guide said so
and now to prove a point, you counted the no of times i wrote “She”. See, I am turning you into a good reader. Someday you will thank me. LOL..
sakshivashist
January 5, 2013 at 11:59 pm
If it makes you happy, I am thanking you already
Have a good night…
arjun bagga
January 6, 2013 at 12:02 am
Na re..Just kidding. Thank you for being a sport. Good night.
john zande
January 7, 2013 at 7:20 pm
This. Is. Great!
john zande
January 7, 2013 at 7:28 pm
I saw that… i tried to look away, but i couldn’t
arjun bagga
January 7, 2013 at 7:29 pm
Life is a bitch, but you are a friend, a brother!
semprevento
January 7, 2013 at 7:29 pm
That emotion!
.. I’m sure you smile when you saw the result of your shots!
Sweet story …. just like you, anyway.
kiss
vento
arjun bagga
January 7, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Hello Vento,
Happy New Year
I been waiting for you. I kept my new year promise.
Here it is.
http://arjunbagga.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/wings-of-autumn/
coastalmom
January 8, 2013 at 6:39 am
Always been a fan but this is sooooooo good!
J. E. Lattimer
January 8, 2013 at 11:48 am
This pictures are amazing! Also- I nominated you for a Liebster Award! More details can be found here: http://fictionalmachines.com/very-inspiring-blogger-award-round-two/liebster-award-round-five/ Keep up the great work!
arjun bagga
January 8, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Thank you mate but I’m a bit nervous about awards. Just been 2 months now on wordpress, still figuring my ways and about. Could we keep this for later, Please?!
J. E. Lattimer
January 9, 2013 at 1:34 am
Sure, no problem! There is no time limit or deadline on these, in fact the awards are totally optional! Keep up the great work over there!
arjun bagga
January 9, 2013 at 1:35 am
In fact, I am getting to know you better. Couldn’t ask for more
Lila
January 9, 2013 at 1:37 pm
First time here. This was so fun. Very thought-provoking and engaging. Great work, bold.
I’m glad I stopped by.
Lila
arjun bagga
January 9, 2013 at 2:15 pm
Thank you Lila -)
notedinnashville
January 9, 2013 at 9:55 pm
I have often noted the ridiculousness of experiencing my life through a viewfinder. What memory are we preserving if we never participated in the original event? A hypothetical question, as I don’t see myself quitting my shutterbug habit – but I do cut back from time to time.
I love your writing – so honest.
arjun bagga
January 10, 2013 at 12:56 am
Exactly. knowing is good enough.
and course, can’t deny a life through viewfinder. That’s what makes our world, we create.
Thank you so much for your appreciation. A writer is elated with a beautiful comment of yours.
Megan
January 11, 2013 at 5:15 am
Stunning photo of the tiger. That is an amazing experience. Love the blog
Best,
Megan
arjun bagga
January 11, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Thank you Megan.
Warm Regards
Arjun
Sydney Fong
January 12, 2013 at 11:16 am
Hi Arjun! You have the talent on writing, interesting story draw in my attention!
That why I love Blogging, knowing so many great people out there!
Thanks for sharing!
arjun bagga
January 12, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Thank you Sydney. Your observation is so true. It is humbling to read some great posts from blogger-friends. So much to learn and share, it’s a sea of knowledge out there.
Warm Regards
Arjun
Michele Seminara
January 13, 2013 at 3:32 pm
A great piece of writing Arjun, and an amazing experience you had. I loved the analogy of the tigress as a celebrity and yourself as paparazzi, and also the twist in the end when you said that you hadn’t seen the tigress with your the naked eye. We are all so obsessed with ‘capturing’ the moment we never actually experience it. Well done!
arjun bagga
January 13, 2013 at 6:47 pm
Thank you Michele. Always happy to hear from you
Warm Regards
Arjun
tig23
January 15, 2013 at 10:38 am
I really love your writing, so I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I made a post about the award here: http://tipprblog.com/2013/01/14/blog-awards/
I look forward to reading more of your posts.
arjun bagga
January 15, 2013 at 10:47 am
Thank you for the appreciation. I find your poems fascinating and beautiful.
Warm Regards
Arjun
tig23
January 15, 2013 at 10:49 am
Thank you, Arjun. The same to you! Keep up the great work
munstermann
January 17, 2013 at 12:58 am
I like the twist/comparison to the celebrity at the end.
Great post.
Great pictures as well.
Cheers,
Johnny
poetb2012
January 17, 2013 at 11:44 am
It would be so great to be that close to a wild cat, awesome my freind
semprevento
January 17, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Una palabra no dice nada
y al mismo tiempo lo esconde todo
igual que el viento que esconde el agua
como las flores que esconde el lodo
Una mirada no dice nada
y al mismo tiempo lo dice todo
como la lluvia sobre tu cara
o el viejo mapa de algun tesoro
Una verdad no dice nada
y al mismo tiempo lo esconde todo
como una hoguera que no se apaga
como una piedra que nace polvo
Si un dia me faltas no sere nada
y al mismo tiempo lo sere todo
porque en tus ojos estan mis alas
y esta la orilla donde me ahogo,
porque en tus ojos estan mis alas
y esta la orilla donde me ahogo
arjun bagga
January 17, 2013 at 6:16 pm
WoW!
This is a masterpiece. You write in Spanish too?
semprevento
January 17, 2013 at 7:18 pm
oh no…I just copied the text because it is beautiful but I did not write.
I am ignorant …. I only know the Italian language …
and luckily there google that helps me to understand though not always translate faithfully.
semprevento
January 17, 2013 at 7:24 pm
arjun bagga
January 17, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Aw! Bella canzone. Grazie Vento.
Si prega di non dire che sono ignoranti. Tu sei mia madre ora. La gente penserà lo stesso di me…HA HA HA HA HA..
littledoglaughed
January 20, 2013 at 1:41 am
Great images and a wonderful story to boot! Keep up your excellent and entertaining work
arjun bagga
January 20, 2013 at 2:05 am
Thank you -)