A peek into the untamed world.

The eeriness, the mysterious feeling, and the thrill seem to pull me deeper into this mysterious world. In the world of the wilds where the wild animals and wild plants live on their own terms, no one fakes here, no duality exists, and only pure raw sensation runs through the wood.

The unlocking of the lockdown gave us a chance to visit Betla National Park in Jharkhand. Even though the national park was closed for Safari but that did not stop us from exploring the untrodden paths of the forest. The lonely terrains, the pathless wood, the unfathomable deep dense forest seems to me a world of its own.

A brook, shimmering like molten silver, burble and dribble as it swerves around the trees. I joined my palms and filled them with the crystal-clear water which seemed like diamonds blessed with inner fire. Suddenly it dawned on me that at this very moment this water, the bloodline of the forest must be quenching the thirst of some wild animal deep inside the jungle and it reminded me that I am not all alone here.

The peaceful silence of the forest accompanied by the buzzing of the jhingoor, a sweet perfume, a raw fragrance of the wood wafting in the air seem to cast a spell on me and I floated through the bushes to reach a landscape consisting of lush tapestry of wild plantations. Somewhere deep down I have this earnest desire of meeting the big wild cat. I know I am an invader, but I feel no fear, may be because I feel animals have more integrity, rawness and purity so I felt safe in the wild.

After unwinding in the forest area for a while and having spotted different species of birds, we visited the Twin Forts of Palamu, the seat of the lost kingdom of Chero tribe built by the king Medini Rai. The Fort still standing tall in the middle of the forest speaks of an interesting untold history which deserves its own space and time for revelation. We returned to our nest and enjoyed a beautiful bonfire with some delicacies and wondered what the animals might be doing right now! With the crack of dawn, we mounted on our cars and drove away leaving the forest behind us.

I got a feeling, what if the wild striped cat has sensed my presence and right now watching me from behind as I leave, only to assure that the meeting will happen soon very very soon!