‘Shall we?’
Salim nodded.
The two of them pushed the branch aside and walked into the cave. They could still see nothing. Ahmed stepped onto a dry twig. It snapped into two, making him jump. There was a strong, all-pervasive smell in the cave. Wet grass and something else.
‘It’s the m-m-maneater,’ Ahmed stammered.
‘Shh.’ Salim put a finger to his lips. He could sense some movement. Then a sound. A rumble, that soon grew into a growl. Salim and Ahmed stared straight into the eyes of the tigress. She was gigantic. They stood rooted to the spot. Salim broke out in a cold sweat.
The tigress was not happy to see intruders in her home and let out a terrifying roar. Salim shuddered. The sound must have reverberated for miles around. Her green eyes flashed angrily in the darkness.
Ahmed gulped. ‘Salim mia, run!’
The two men ran faster than they had ever run in their entire life. They bolted blindly, slipping, sliding and scrambling through brambles and bushes and thorns. They did not stop until they reached the camp.
There they sat, under a mulberry tree, catching their breath. Salim looked over his shoulder to see if the tigress was following them. Thank goodness, she wasn’t. He looked at his torn breeches, at his bleeding knees, at Ahmed’s torn and stained angarkha, at the bruise on the side of his neck.
It was getting dark. The forest was now full of mysterious shadows and whisperings. He felt sorry for the goat, tethered as it was, at the edge of the clearing. The servants were still setting up the machan. Some crickets started clapping their wings just as a firefly flashed its light in the darkness.
There was a sudden movement in the grass. Salim became alert. ‘Looks like she’s found us,’ he whispered. It was just a rabbit. It darted off as soon as it saw him. ‘Ahmed, the tigress will be upon us any minute now. Let’s not tarry.’
He hobbled towards the machan. How long were those incompetent nincompoops going to take to set it up? He had walked a mere ten paces when he felt something behind him. He turned around sharply.
Sure enough, the rusty-brown tigress was stealthily padding towards the goat, its tail shot up in the air. The goat began to bleat hysterically.
Salim jumped onto Afreen’s back post-haste while Ahmed ran to fetch his rifle. Snatching his gun, Salim took aim just as the tigress sprang on the goat. The bullet hit her on the thigh. She let out a pained menacing roar.
The servants rushed to the spot upon hearing the roar. One look at the tigress and they froze on the spot, stupefied.
In spite of her limp, the tigress turned towards Salim. Her tail twitched from side to side, accelerating to a furious lashing as she charged towards him. His hands shook violently as he pointed his gun at her and fired. It missed. Beads of perspiration gathered on his brow. ‘Ya Ali,’ he muttered as he took aim again. But before he could fire, she had sprung on him with one fluid movement and knocked him off the horse.
Ahmed fired. Although it missed the tigress, the sound distracted her. Her whiskers shot upwards, bristling with fury as she turned to Ahmed and roared again.
Scrambling to his feet, Salim put some distance between himself and his tormentor. ‘Khurram baba, my rifle!’ he shouted as he threw his empty gun away. He was breathing hard through his open mouth.
Just then Ahmed tripped over a stump and fell. His rifle flew out of his hands. He turned white as he stared at the tigress. She was just a yard away from him. He sat there, petrified, unable to move.
‘Quick,’ Salim yelled as the tigress inched closer to Ahmed. Two servants rushed to Ahmed and dragged him back into the bushes. Khurram baba came running, a double-barrelled pistol in his hands. Salim snatched the loaded pistol and fired one shot after another till no more bullets were left.
The tigress roared one last time, then lay still. Thick, sticky blood oozed out of her.
Salim sank to the ground and
Salim nodded.
The two of them pushed the branch aside and walked into the cave. They could still see nothing. Ahmed stepped onto a dry twig. It snapped into two, making him jump. There was a strong, all-pervasive smell in the cave. Wet grass and something else.
‘It’s the m-m-maneater,’ Ahmed stammered.
‘Shh.’ Salim put a finger to his lips. He could sense some movement. Then a sound. A rumble, that soon grew into a growl. Salim and Ahmed stared straight into the eyes of the tigress. She was gigantic. They stood rooted to the spot. Salim broke out in a cold sweat.
The tigress was not happy to see intruders in her home and let out a terrifying roar. Salim shuddered. The sound must have reverberated for miles around. Her green eyes flashed angrily in the darkness.
Ahmed gulped. ‘Salim mia, run!’
The two men ran faster than they had ever run in their entire life. They bolted blindly, slipping, sliding and scrambling through brambles and bushes and thorns. They did not stop until they reached the camp.
There they sat, under a mulberry tree, catching their breath. Salim looked over his shoulder to see if the tigress was following them. Thank goodness, she wasn’t. He looked at his torn breeches, at his bleeding knees, at Ahmed’s torn and stained angarkha, at the bruise on the side of his neck.
It was getting dark. The forest was now full of mysterious shadows and whisperings. He felt sorry for the goat, tethered as it was, at the edge of the clearing. The servants were still setting up the machan. Some crickets started clapping their wings just as a firefly flashed its light in the darkness.
There was a sudden movement in the grass. Salim became alert. ‘Looks like she’s found us,’ he whispered. It was just a rabbit. It darted off as soon as it saw him. ‘Ahmed, the tigress will be upon us any minute now. Let’s not tarry.’
He hobbled towards the machan. How long were those incompetent nincompoops going to take to set it up? He had walked a mere ten paces when he felt something behind him. He turned around sharply.
Sure enough, the rusty-brown tigress was stealthily padding towards the goat, its tail shot up in the air. The goat began to bleat hysterically.
Salim jumped onto Afreen’s back post-haste while Ahmed ran to fetch his rifle. Snatching his gun, Salim took aim just as the tigress sprang on the goat. The bullet hit her on the thigh. She let out a pained menacing roar.
The servants rushed to the spot upon hearing the roar. One look at the tigress and they froze on the spot, stupefied.
In spite of her limp, the tigress turned towards Salim. Her tail twitched from side to side, accelerating to a furious lashing as she charged towards him. His hands shook violently as he pointed his gun at her and fired. It missed. Beads of perspiration gathered on his brow. ‘Ya Ali,’ he muttered as he took aim again. But before he could fire, she had sprung on him with one fluid movement and knocked him off the horse.
Ahmed fired. Although it missed the tigress, the sound distracted her. Her whiskers shot upwards, bristling with fury as she turned to Ahmed and roared again.
Scrambling to his feet, Salim put some distance between himself and his tormentor. ‘Khurram baba, my rifle!’ he shouted as he threw his empty gun away. He was breathing hard through his open mouth.
Just then Ahmed tripped over a stump and fell. His rifle flew out of his hands. He turned white as he stared at the tigress. She was just a yard away from him. He sat there, petrified, unable to move.
‘Quick,’ Salim yelled as the tigress inched closer to Ahmed. Two servants rushed to Ahmed and dragged him back into the bushes. Khurram baba came running, a double-barrelled pistol in his hands. Salim snatched the loaded pistol and fired one shot after another till no more bullets were left.
The tigress roared one last time, then lay still. Thick, sticky blood oozed out of her.
Salim sank to the ground and
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