"Sherni hai Sahab!"

I took this photograph on a visit to the tiger reserve at Ranthambore many years ago. Certain events on that trip inspired me to write my first novel 'You're stuck with me for life!'. I intend to publish it soon. Here are a few lines from the current draft of the novel:

I look up at the clear pale blue sky. I take a deep breath of the crisp morning air and my gaze shifts to the hills on the other side of the lake. Even in the barren winter landscape, there are patches of green on them, no doubt from the large evergreen trees that the forest is peppered with. On this side of the lake we have left the forest cover behind us and our vehicle is parked on a barren stretch of land dusted with red soil. I gaze at the bank of the lake that is a patchwork of red soil and golden grass punctuated with black rock jutting from within. The tiger’s golden coat with black stripes makes it look absolutely at home in its surroundings. The territorial beast walks around the golden grass for a while before it settles on a patch that seems to be to its liking and sits down in a majestic pose.

“Sherni hai, sahab” The driver of our jeep says, letting us know that the tiger we have spotted is a full grown female.

She looks like she thinks she owns the place, doesn’t she?