tuskar hati

I’ve had so many technical problems that I’ve not spent the time I wanted to writing. There are things I’m sad not to share. During my stay at the ashram, the holiday of Shivaratri was coming up. For about a week before, pilgrims started coming. People walking to a special spot at the Ganges and gathering water to bring back to their village. More and more started coming, thousands of people walking day and night to gather water.

I’m already getting used to things like this. I’m actually amazingly comfortable in India. It’s home already. So sometimes I will myself to remember. I love the cows wandering around, the goars, the pigs – all on the road, all interacting.

But there is one experience I must write about. I saw a wild elephant. We were coming back from the wedding, taking the long route home in order to show me Nainital, the Swiss resort of India. After a short boat ride in the lake, we got back in the car and proceeded through the jungle. Just as we were about to leave the area, Kaushal suddenly said stop. In retrospect, there’s no doubting the guy’s tuned on, but at the time, it was just to get some last jungle air before hitting the upcoming polluted towns. I see this beautiful tree and go wandering off to give it a hug. Sanjay comes and takes my picture and we head back to the road and take some more pictures by this termite colony, snake home. Almost immediately Chennibhai shouts elephant, elephant. We look up and see this running elephant, right near the tree I’d been at moments before. I cross the road to get a good look and everyone starts shouting at me, get in the car, get in the car. I obey and we drive off. I got a very good look, though I would’ve liked to have stayed, but then the stories start. Elephants treat a car like a ball. An elephant will put one foot on your foot and lift your leg with his trunk and split you in two. I believe it; I’ve already heard how many people die from elephants every year.

But I’m in awe. I’ve seen a wild elephant. I nearly cried. It was like something from the elephant entered my soul. But that’s sentimentalizing. I don’t know what happened, but I felt different after seeing that elephant. I couldn’t really speak. The others chattered away in Hindi and I just sat in awe.

After an hour or so, I’m back with the group and then I find out. We saw a tuskar hati – a dangerous elephant. Elephants in packs are pretty gentle and not that interested in non-threatening human beings, but when you see an elephant alone and running, that’s a killer elephant. Everyone but me knew, really knew. Suddenly I replay the scene in my mind and I understand it anew. The unmistakable urgency for me to get in the car, the speed with which we left.

But now it’s long past and we’re all safe. And I saw an elephant.