Years ago, when he was posted in Delhi, we lived in an area quite near a buffalo shed. We were awakened early wintry mornings to smell of freshly milked buffaloes wafting through our posh locality.
In a way I liked it. Felt like we lived in a village, though a metro. We were married only two years and I was expecting our first baby.
In the evenings,we would take a walk through our sprawling locality, exit at the gate and sometimes visit elderly friends of ours, who lived in the other block. They lived alone.
One day we decided to give them a miss, but instead walk a little distance away along the main road, to the nearby small shops.
The road was badly lit, quite dark. The familiar smell of cattle lingered in the dusky evening air. We were in the vicinity of the tabela.
Suddenly we heard a thundering sound coming from our left. Sound of millions of hoofs hammering the earth below us. It grew louder and louder.
No vehicles anywhere in sight. We stood on the divider of the narrow road,absolutely petrified. We didn't know what to do.
Our minds gone totally numb.
Suddenly the cattle appeared on the scene. Clutching my hubby, no time to even whisper a prayer, I waited. The leader of the flock suddenly veered direction, and started bounding along the road to our left.
The rest of the flock followed suit. I couldn't believe. The flock ought to have charged onto us, to cross the road, since they were on a straight path all along.
Wow! That was close.
We breathed easier now.
To this day I wonder how we both and the little baby to come, escaped being stomped upon by seemingly scores of heaving cows and buffaloes.
It seemed an invisible hand guided the buffalo-in-charge to change course in a split second.
Or else I wouldn't be writing this today!
