The Common Mother

The Common Mother ________________________________________________________________________________ Peacefully grazing on the lush grass of Ranthambore, the mother deer caresses her young fawn. The infant nuzzles close to her mother’s underside and suckles joyfully. The inseparable bond between mother and child epitomised by this affectionate scene. Gentle grunts and sweet snorts echo through the herd. Shanthi! Suddenly, there is movement. Alert eyes, erect ears and tense bodies. A crunch. A cacophony of panicked hoots, fearful braying and terrified alarms sweep through the forest. The mother deer hastily guards her precious offspring. Her only aim: to protect her child. Bhaya! A flash of orange darts dangerously through the thicket. The mother and fawn weave with nimble agility around the disfigured trees. Hearts racing, blood pumping, fear coursing through the deer’s vessels. But then, a separation. A wrong turn. A pounce. A kill. Mrtyu! She weeps. Grief-stricken, the mother deer returns back to the herd. There is a void in her heart. Anguished, she mourns the death of her child. Soka! ________________________________________________________________________________ She weeps. Grief-stricken, the mother tiger returns to the back of her den. There is a void in her heart. Anguished, she mourns the death of her child. Soka! Malnourished, the feeble cub struggles to breathe. His mother gently nudges him with infinitesimal affection. The mother tiger focuses her attention on her dying son as he feigns a shaky mewl. She delicately licks his thin fur as he takes his last breath. Mrtyu! With no kill in over a week, the mother realises she must feed her cub again. Failed attempts of hunts have left her frail but her son’s weak appearance and declining health worry her. She must provide food for him or else he will die. The fear of losing her cub grows. Her only aim: to protect her child. Bhaya! Silent stalking, leery lurking and precise pouncing. A kill at last! The mother tiger drags the carcass to her den. Her young cub whines excitedly and feasts frantically on the meat. She fondles her son lovingly as he weaves between her legs. The inseparable bond between mother and child epitomised by this affectionate scene. Placid prustens and cherished chuffing echo through the den. Shanthi! ________________________________________________________________________________ Both are animals. Both are mothers. Both lose a child. Protagonist-antagonist relationships depend on perspective. To each other, they are the villains but to their infants they are the heroes. Both creatures share an overwhelming amount of affection for their offspring. Maternal love is what they have in common.

by Sathvika

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