A Short Self Experience (1975)

When I was staying with my late uncle at his Reserve Police Quarters, Koraput Sadar and a student of DAV College I had once gone to Sunabeda with my brother(eldest son of my late uncle)by bicycle engrossed with a juvenile romantic mood. It was the buoyant Spring. We left Sadar at 1 PM for Sunabeda by double riding with a mimicking outburst of romantic Bollywood classic song of Kishore Da and Lata Jee" Aye Meine Kasam Lee Ye tune Kasamle nahin honge juda ham ( Film- Tere Mere Sapne ) and " Naynon men Darpan Hai Darpan Men Koi Dekhu Jise Subho Shaam, Bolo jee bolo ye raaz kholo " ( Kishore Da and Lata Didi Film Arope ). We reached there at about 2.30 PM and had viewed the town esp. MIG factory which was our target.

While we were cycling ups and downs on the mountainous road I was murmuring the English poem that we read in High School i. e.." Going down the hills on a bicycle" by Charles Henry Bleeching we practically enjoyed the poem and felt delighted while cycling down the hilly roads. Alternatingly we, both the brothers were paddling the bicycle for minimizing exhaustion. After finishing a round-up in Sunabeda we were returning to Sadar. Gradually the dusk was approaching with slow and steady steps in the picturesque nature's land accompanied by the gentle southern breeze of Spring. While we reached near Dunguriput we saw a wild tall black bear by our right side at a distance of 200 metres from the high way which was standing with an attacking pose facing towards us. At a jolt, our romantic juvenile mood already vanished suddenly and was replaced with a melancholy apprehensive mood.

We were very afraid of apprehension of imminent danger. Single bicycle and two riders. It was going to be evening very shortly. We had already given up the hope for our lives. What the horrible situation was one might guess. However, when God saves one nobody can take one's life. By chance, a local tribal person appeared suddenly from our left side by riding his own bicycle and carrying a burning faggot in his hand and after standing his cycle he ran up to the bear which was just preparing itself to attack us. Bear, being afraid of fire-faggot, at once ran away into the dense forest and our lives were saved by the godly tribal person. Then our conscience and human quality instigated us to think something about him. Although being a tribal, as I recollect now, was a far better qualitative human being than a polished and educated civilised man. As a result of which we paid an amount of Rs. 40/- out of our pocket money as a token of human sympathy and love. The simpleton tribal just cast a smile and cycled on his way.

We thanked Almighty, the Great immensely and arrived at our headquarters safely. It was about 8 pm and as we two brothers were fully tired of travelling, took our supper and slept together pondering over the unforeseen wildlife scenery. We, also, conversed together never to go on cycling beside the jungle side likewise in future anyway. The next day we, both the brothers, went to the temple of Jungle goddess Motiyalmaa and offered prayer and chicken-snack ( bhog ) to Her besides satisfying the lady priest engaged in the pious service to Mom with a sum of Rs. 50/- as the fee( Dakshinaa ) for the performance of rituals. Till today this incidence has been spreading in our psychic spheres just like a red-letter day [ A real story of student life which we commemorate today at our sexagenerian age.