Horror Unimaginable

We were very excited. All the boys and girls of the senior classes of our school were busy making plans. After two years of sitting it out at home, finally we were expecting some quality time under the sun. Never ever had we imagined that there would be a time in our life when we would be forced to stay indoors and particularly at home. 

Two years of staying indoors intermittently away from the sun had made our bodies pale and light in colour. No sunrays had reached our body. We were not getting our dose of Vitamin D from the sun as the experts were saying. We had forgotten to play and chat with our friends being confined at home. This forceful detention has made us mentally weak as the psychiatrists were talking about. 

So just a month after school reopening our Principal announced an open general picnic for the full school in batches. The junior students would go to the zoo and the seniors would go to the safari attached to the zoo. The whole school was overjoyed to hear this welcoming news. 

We, seniors assembled at the school gate on the day of our outing. None of us students had any problem getting permission from our respective parents. They also knew what trauma we had gone through. So on hearing this welcoming news they gave permission with promptness. 

There were some forty odd boys and girls in our team for the outing. Our teachers, game instructors, office peons and other non teaching staff making a head count of about sixty were present in full strength. A big safari bus having capacity of seventy heads was parked at the school gate. 

At the given time the bus departed. Our lunch and other snack items were put in luggage hold of the bus. There was a delightful aroma from the food items resulting in energising our journey and raising our level of expectation. 

The plan was that we would make a round trip in the big safari park for a couple of hours, observe the various animals and then come out of dedicated animal zone and have our lunch quietly in the large parking zone. 

The Park has dedicated specially designed buses fot the safari journey considering the security of the tourists. But as our bus was fully glass sealed due to it's air conditioning so there was no fear apprehended from the wild animals of the park. 

We entered the park with a designated guide. Our bus driver was experienced person and had made many sojourns into this area. 

After travelling for some time we didn't observe anything of much interest only a few wild buffaloes and some deer. Then we could see some antelopes and wild horses. Our geography teacher felt very excited and continued with his running commentary much to the discomfort of the guide. 

The safari was a big open grassland with some trees here and there with lot of distance between them. There was no signs of human habitation anywhere near. So the animals were free from any sort of disturbances. 

But then our normal lacklustre journey took a weird turn much at the cost of our imagination. The normally experienced driver of the bus took a wrong turn when we were quite deep into the park. The guide also overlooked the turn as he was busy explaining the food habits of the tiger which we all had observed were lazing around in the hot afternoon sun. 

We were now in the forbidden area for outside people. Because it was an open no man's land where the animals ruled the roost. The area was the hunting ground for the predators and fight for survival for the prey. Man had no business here. 

Very soon, both the guide and the bus driver realised their folly but the damage had already been done. The guide had never ventured out in this area as it was forbidden and the driver it was the first time. 

We students realised that we were in trouble. Our mobile phones generally not allowed during school but it's usage was given permission for this trip, had all gone dead. There was no internet and neither there was any accessibility of talking to any other connection due to the absence of transmission towers in the area. The grave danger upon our selves dawned on us abruptly. We all wore worried look on our faces. Some girls started crying out but softly as we boys were pressuring them to lower their volume otherwise it would distract the driver and the guide. The teachers were heard trying to pacify the girls and encouraging the boys who were relatively 'weak ' Some non teaching staff were heard slowly chanting the 'Hanuman Chalisa' and others were praying to their 'isht devta' or family Gods. 

The driver with panic in his eyes was trying desperately to find a way out of this wilderness. Just then we heard a barking deer shout in it's natural way. Our guide however in this panic situation had not stopped doing his duty but our geography teacher was in silence due to panic and worry. As the barking deer stopped barking, a deer came out of a nearby bush with another animal hot on it's heels giving a good chase. It was a leopard as told by our guide. Even amidst our deep fear we were observing a marvel of nature. A red hot chase of the hunter and the hunted. Such visuals we generally see on television and cinema. 

For a fleeting moment we forgot our fear and worries. We were keenly observing the high voltage drama enfold before our eyes. Then all of a sudden the deer took refuge beneath our bus and the leopard in all its excitement jumped onto our bus's roof. Some of us almost fainted. But we keenly kept our senses alert to watch the next episode unfold with all it's excitement. 

For how long this adventure continued we had lost count of time. It was well into the afternoon now much beyond the prescribed time for us to stay in the safari park. 

Some of the girls were feeling nauseated in the sealed climate controlled atmosphere of the bus. Even few boys and teachers were feeling sick and giddy. Others like us with our mouth dry and parched were engulfed with hunger and thirst. The food remained largely untouched as no one was willing to enjoy the delicacies. 

We were unaware that our pleasure trip would turn into a horror unimaginable. The driver had stopped as he feared he was going round and round and would soon go out of fuel. 

Seeing the stationary bus, the deer had taken refuge beneath it and the leopard had climbed the roof. After regaining it's lost breath, the dear came out and barged into the yonder jungle. The leopard also came down sliding by the side of the bus and we could see the animal in all it's entirety. At that time we were all overtaken by fear but later we would retrieve the image from our brain and discuss among friends. It was a magnificent creation of nature. 

However our ordeal ended very soon just before sunset. Having not returned in the prescribed time, the park authorities had tried to trace us by telecommunications. But as it was in no network area, then air borne drones were sent to trace our bus. Thank god we have such advanced surveillance systems like drones. After few attempts contact was made and the driver was shown the passage to safety. 

Reunited with our family and other friends was ultimately a big relief for all of us. Some of our co-passengers had to be treated with first aid due to exhaustion and dehydration. One of the staff members had suffered a mild heart attack. 

But we were all glad that the horror unimaginable had ended at last.