Deepti Balani shares a poignant tale on life and the various lessons it brings our way from time to time.
Chapter 1
Lobaan had his gaze fixed on the little fawn as it moved with the herd of Chinkara, the Indian Gazelle, grazing in lush grassland. He raised the binoculars to his eyes and intently scoured its shiny tan coat to check if the wound had healed. Observing and protecting the animals of Madhav National Park was Lobaan’s job as a forest ranger by day, but more so, it was his religion.
After winding up his work, Lobaan walked towards his cozy cottage on the outskirts of the park. Every day, he enjoyed this leisurely walk through the forest and passed by a lake that reflected the colors of dusk in its serene waters. The vast lake was swampy and shallow in parts but mostly calm and undisturbed. The walk around the lake gave him enough time to bask in all the different shades of the twilight, ranging from the initial golden glow that sets off the magic to pink hues that hastily turn into purple, ending up with the dusky ink that turns the trees into ghostly apparitions against the backdrop of the last remnants of light.
On a day off from work, Lobaan would spend hours with his children watching the catfish, trout, and carp swim carelessly in these waters. The catfish were his daughter’s favorite because their whiskers resembled those of Lobaan’s.