By the river they sat down

The night came early in the wilderness under the fallen sky. And it was melancholic. It was not darkness that was overwhelming but the absence of stars which made it miserable.

We must light some fire, the tiger whispered.

Yes, i feel that the darkness is seeping inside my bones.Akapat replied.

They had decided to halt by the river, as it gave them a little window to the sky. The white sand, glowed under the ambient light and presented a sliver of hope.

It was not much difficult to gather drift wood scattered along the river. Akapat stacked them together and started the fire. He had achieved some dexterity in the task in the last few days.

The glow of the fire was resuscitating. Both sat dawn by the fire and felt at ease.

Is hope not a little thing boy, the tiger asked.

Oh yes it is, Akapat said, taking out two sweet potatoes from his back pack. Oh yes it is. We have few more of these left with us. Then we are totally on hope. Then he took a stick and pushed it across the sweet potatoes and shoved them at the base of the fire.

Have you ever fished before, the tiger asked curiously.

Never, Akapat replied. Making a face.

I am talking about the food boy, The tiger remarked. I wish i can be as choosy you seem to be.

Eating meat is different from killing an animal to eat it, Akapat said. It sounds a little disgusting.

I would say otherwise, killing an animal not to eat it but to sell it is disrespectful, the tiger said.

I guess both of us are right and wrong at the same time. Akapat said. Perspective outside the perspective as you said.

Hunger is a perspective that overcomes all perspectives, the tiger continued. Do you think i relish eating these potatoes you carry ! I eat them as I can’t hunt. If i had my claws and fang we would be eating antelopes.

Antelopes, Akapat remarked. But I have not seen even one of them.

Oh you forget that you are traveling with a tiger, the tiger said with jest in his voice. They would avoid any trail that reeks of tiger scent for days , even if is rain washed.

But tell me tiger, Akapat asked, is there a thrill in hunting.

We don’t hunt for thrill,boy humans do. The tiger was curt in his comment. For us it is survival. And we don’t do it unless hunger drives us to do it. Each animal killed serves many others to survive. The tiger, the hyena, the vultures all eat the same carcass. Northing is wasted. And it also keeps the jungle alive. If there were only rabbits there would be no grass, and if there were only deers there would be no plants. It is the predators which keep this fine balance.

But humans always seek pleasure in hunting, Akapat said with disillusionment in his voice.

Well it was not always the same case. Until the man was an animal, he followed the rules of the jungle. Then he became civilized and made his own jungle. The tiger replied licking his paws.

Fishing, Akapat said, looking at the flowing river, I think it will be a challenge.

Yet it is, the tiger said. It is similar to staring a fire. The more you do it, the better you become. It is an art excelled by the bears. They can wait for an entire day in waist deep water, to catch the right fish.

Do they always catch one, Akpat asked.

No, sometimes the river is more powerful. It keeps the life flowing. The tiger was thoughtful.

Ah, these sweet potatoes are done, Akapat said as he pulled out the roasted sweet potatoes out of the fire. Then he cleaned one and gave it to the tiger,before he cleaned his.

The tiger quietly started eating the sweet potato.

I see, Akapat said smiling. It is only hunger that makes a tiger eat a sweet potato.

and it will be hunger that will make the boy hunt a fish. The tiger replied back while eating his share.

We still have a couple of more sweet potato left before that happens, Akapat said. But tiger, he continued, you never spoke about hunting the fish while we were on the mountain.

Look at the river, the tiger spoke pensively . How quiet it flows timelessly. Up there in mountain, it was a swift and restless river. It would have been foolish to teach you fishing over there. I would have never liked if you would have become fish food.

Tell me about the Circus, Akapat said, trying to steer the conversation away.

I will boy, but later. You have to learn so much before you can put a circus is its real perspective. You are lucky, he continued speaking, that you will understand freedom before you can comprehend bondage. For me it was the other way around. For long I kept believing that bondage was the only way of life.

It must have been difficult, Akapat asked sympathetically.

No it was not, until i stumbled upon freedom, the tiger was prophetic in his voice. But now when i look back the trauma overwhelms me. Not because i suffered, but because why i did. The invisible thread that held me there was never real, but I let my mind believe that is it very strong.

I think i can understand this at least. Akapat said. The thread felt strong and taught as long as i looked back. But now i feel free.

And it will test you boy. The tiger brooded. It will test you. I broke the thread never to return back to the circus. But you have broken the thread to obtain wisdom and one day return back. That place will never feel the same again.

I guess that is why the people who do returned isolated themselves, Akapat said, nodding his head.

But now you must sleep my boy. The tiger instructed. Tomorrow we have to learn to fish.

Best of luck to me, Akapat chimed, as he laid down on the sand, with his head on his backpack.

Then the silence returned which was perforated only by the crackle of the flames.

Tiger, Akapat whispered, did you hear something?

Shhh, Tiger said as he changed his stance and focused upon a noise.

In the light of the dying flames, Akapat saw the tigers tail dancing like a snake.

….