Again we are on road – 2
Aditi Ghosh
Like hilly people, we slept early last night and woke up early too. Nini did not get the opportunity to explore the area last evening. So, early at dawn, Nini is up for it – going down the steep slopes, entering into the bush, walking around the edges and then climbing up at full speed. In the low dawn light, I was struggling to keep an eye on Nini. We are the only guest in the property till now- so Nini as usual has started owning it fully. Looking at Nini’s enthusiasm, the night guard (a middle-aged guy from the nearby village) suggested a trek to the sunrise point. He guided us.
On the entire trek, Nini was her wild self, only walking along the sharp edges and smelling all the plants inside the bush. I was wondering if animals are like 4×4 and can do off-roading but Nini is so domesticated. From the hilltop, you can see the vast dense forest and plains of Jim Corbett National Park. Kalagarh Tiger Reserve is actually the northern part of Jim Corbett National Park under the Lansdowne Forest Division. This place is rich with all flora and fauna, birds and butterflies along with elephants and big cats – a paradise for nature lovers. A 360-degree panorama of green hills and such tranquillity. We are surprised that still, such a place exists within driving distance from NCR.
As we are waiting for sunrise, suddenly Nini finds extreme interest in one particular plant and starts eating its leaves against my vehement protest. I have never seen Nini eating leaves or grass before. The guard tries to comfort me that animals understand which plant is medicinal for them and eat those only. But I said Nini is an urban dog and she does not have any clue. Within minutes, Nini vomits the leaves out. By then the sun rises behind the hills giving a beautiful golden glow to everything. Nini looks like a ball of gold. And the Mandaal river glazes like a mirror in the valley. While I narrated Nini’s incident to Rajesh this morning over tea, Rajesh gave a smile- ‘like mother, like daughter! My usual response- thank God I have company.
The writer is a globe traveller
