As the silence reigned acrooss the snowy landscape for a moment, I felt a resonating emotion at the words of the Tiger from my future self's memories, overwhelmed by emotions…..
"I am sorry for your loss." ...I offered my condolences, the words coming out genuinely.
"What do you mean, boy!? They aren't dead!!" And he went shouting again, his massive head snapping back to me, eyes wide with indignation.
Then why are you making the sad atmosphere? I thought, slightly exasperated. Fine, you wanna play semantic games, I will play with you.
"But didn't you say they left this world!?" I challenged, hoping to call him out on his vague phrasing.
"Yeah, they left, outside the world, they didn't die!" he retorted, as if the distinction was perfectly clear and I was just being dense.
Then speak clearly, Dammit! I fumed internally. Fine, you wanna play, I will play with you. A mischievous idea sparked in my mind.
"Then how about this," I suggested, trying to keep a straight face, "since you are a descendant of Maa Shakti's vehicle, how about the name Shakti Kapoor?" I managed to say it without laughing, though I was roaring with silent laughter in my mind.
He used his massive paw, a paw the size of my entire body, and slapped me. It wasn't a hard slap, more like a playful, yet firm, swat, but it still sent me tumbling and buried me nose-first in the soft snow.
"You must really think you are a smart boy, but I know about Bollywood." His voice was a low growl of amusement, but I could hear the distinct pride in his knowledge.
I lifted my head from the snow, shaking it clear, and spluttered, "How!?" Why in the world does a mythical, giant tiger living in the Himalayas know about Bollywood actors!? This just kept getting stranger.
"I can change my size and fur color, what do you think?" he said, a smug look on his face.
It only took me a moment to realize the implication, and a wave of disbelief washed over me again. "You dressed up as a cat, to watch movies!?" I burst out, a genuine laugh finally escaping my lips, followed by a groan. This tiger was utterly, shamelessly eccentric.
"Why!?" I asked, needing to understand the motivation behind such an outlandish hobby. That doesn't make sense!
"I have lived a very long time," he explained, a profound weariness briefly entering his voice, "I needed something to relieve my boredom, and the last decade has been the most entertaining one."
Scratch that, I conceded, my internal monologue shifting immediately. It makes perfect sense!! Boredom was a powerful motivator, and a truly ancient being would certainly have plenty of it.
"What do you do in the human society usually?" I asked, genuinely curious now about his secret life.
"Surf the internet." He replied, his answer concise, delivered with the dry wit I was starting to get used to.
Concise answer, I thought. "How?" I asked after a moment of silence, failing to conjure a plausible scenario for a giant tiger surfing the internet.
"I am rich. I own a lot of properties in Human World." He said, his expression changing to one that made me feel like he was looking down on me, not physically, but in a deeply psychological sense. It was like he was calling me pathetic with his eyes.
He's joking, right? My mind screamed. This was too much.
"Like what!?" I demanded, unable to believe him.
"Almost all the brands that come under 'Tiger' name have my share."
"Seriously!?" I cried, my jaw dropping for the third time today. I can feel the malice of this world, I thought, a sudden, depressing realization hitting me. Even a tiger living in the mountains is richer than me.
"That's enough, Boy! You will call me Baghraj (Tiger Lord) from now on." He declared, cutting off my existential crisis.
Really? I thought, a fresh wave of internal annoyance. That was the best you could come up with? Might as well use White Tiger Jr.
"Now do as I said and control the lightning in your body as I told you." He commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"I will do it when I get home." I replied in an exhausted voice, trying to delay the inevitable. I don't want to do it now as I am feeling tired from all the mountaineering and the whole 'almost dying' thing.
"No! You will do it now!" He ordered me, his voice sharpening.
"Why!?" I challenged, a flicker of my stubborn nature pushing back. I wouldn't stand for his tyranny, or so I told myself.
"Because I said so." He said, raising his massive paw, a clear, unmistakable threat.
I surrendered immediately, my defiance evaporating like mist. -I will sit down and deal with it.
"Fine."
I sat down, closed my eyes in meditation, and did as he asked me, hoping this ordeal would end soon.
Letting go of my unnecessary thoughts, I meditated focusing on my chi. Soon, a profound sense of selflessness washed over me, a tranquility that had eluded me all my life for what felt like an eternity.