The Sword of Damocles in the form of a transfer hangs over the head of a government employee who does not belong to the employees unions affiliated to the ruling political parties. But I have never felt the presence of this sword over my head as I have been working in the most remote office of my department—Nelliyampathy. Nobody wants to be posted there and that was the reason I was transferred to that area when I put in a request.
The place is a dense forest patch of the Western Ghats in Kerala. And being in love with the forest, the forest creeks and the wild animals that are gentler than the humans, I have been living in the office quarters alone.
Every day, after office hours, I used to walk into the forest and every day, I used to see Malabar giant squirrels, lion-tailed macaques, black monkeys, barking deer and wild boars. Occasionally I even came across herds of gaurs and elephants.
My most exciting experience was a face-to-face meeting with a single tusker. One day, after lunch, I walked into the forest to sit on the rocks on the banks of a pristine forest creek and listen to the grand orchestra of the forest. But before I reached my destination, I heard the sound of the branches of the trees being broken and felt the presence of an elephant. It was having its lunch standing inside the dense thickets under the trees.
Very cautiously, I went near the spot and could see the elephant only when I was just 20 metres away. I was to its right. Then the elephant started to come out of the thicket and now we were face to face! It was a gigantic tusker. I was walking back capturing him on my mobile phone and he was walking ahead in my direction, slowly and gently, without having any intention to attack me.
When he came fully out of the thicket, I retreated with respect.Now I miss the forest I love passionately and its gentler denizens as the Sword of Damocles fell on my head. I was transferred seemingly without any reason. I have been face to face with wild boars, gaurs and elephants. I have never been harmed by wild animals, but always by the humans.