Not so Short Stories!

Guglu's Jungle Safari

Guglu was only 4 years old when people started living a normal life post pandemic.
Due to COVID restrictions earlier, he never went outside much and was used to playing inside the house. Their parents wanted him to explore places and become more familiar with travel. They called Guglu's grandparents to plan a short trip with him.

Guglu was playing with his vehicle puzzle in his room when he suddenly heard familiar voices. In excitement, he ran towards the living area to confirm his suspicions. Yes, it was his grandparents standing at the front door. He literally climbed on them and embraced them warmly. Their grandparents were so happy to finally see him and hug him in real. They haven't met Guglu in the past 1.5 years, it was only on video that they interacted with him. Both Guglu's parents and grandparents were in tears of happiness. They chit-chatted, Guglu's dadi (grandma) had bought all the delicious home-made savory and sweets, the kitchen was full of food. Everyone was trying to catch up as much as they could and also piling up their not-so-empty stomachs with all the tasty snacks and food. Guglu's was taking rides on his grandpa's shoulders; at the next minute, he was on his dadi's lap, and the day flew away.

Guglu's didn't remember at what time he went to bed; he opened his cute little tiny eyes, and he was not at home! He panicked and started crying, as he didn't see his mom's face. They were in a taxi, and he was on his grandpa's lap, everyone consoled him. He then stopped crying and noticed that they were in this huge car. The driver was driving the car, Dadi and Dadaji were seated behind the driver and his parents at the back. He jumped toward his parents and hugged them tightly. He asked, where are we going, and why has no one told him or woken him up? Guglu's mom explained to him that they were going on a jungle safari, and since they wanted to reach there on time, they planned to leave early in the morning. They were lucky that they got a taxi to accommodate everyone comfortably and found a very nice resort to stay near the jungle.

Guglu's eyes went wide; he was shocked, excited, and scared upon hearing the name jungle! He has only read about the jungle and the wild animals in his storybooks. His mother tried to explain to him that everything will be fine and there is nothing to be afraid of, as all the family members will be together in the jungle. However, it was difficult for Guglu to understand as this was his first time going out of the house, and that too in a jungle.

They reached the resort after driving for 6 hours. The weather was beautiful, as it was a little cloudy and cool breezes were flowing through. When Guglu saw the resort, it was very different from what he had imagined. Guglu thought that they might have to sleep in an open area as they came for a jungle safari, but it was a beautiful place. There was a kids play area with multiple swings and rides, and there was also a huge swimming pool where many kids were playing with water. They checked into their rooms. Guglu's was surprised to find such a huge bed with a bouncy mattress. He kept on jumping for hours and stopped only when they went out for lunch. There was so much greenery near the eating place, with ducks and rabbits roaming around. Guglu's was enjoying his outing, he went through almost all the rides and swings. Time went by, and after having dinner, everyone went to sleep early as the safari ride was at 4:00 am in the morning.

Everyone woke up early in the morning, including Guglu, for their safari ride. It was a Jeep with a covered seating area and huge glass windows. Guglu was still a little scared, he tucked himself between his parents seats while his grandparents were seated opposite them. The ride started, and they drove right into a deep, lush green forest. It was all big trees, and it was a bumpy ride for the first 45 minutes. Guglu kept on looking around the trees, but he was a little scared as it was still dark and the branches of the trees looked very ghostly. The jungle guide kept explaining to them the types of trees, the kinds of animals they would be able to see, and the birds, lakes, and a waterfall inside the jungle. Once the sun started showing up, they were able to see true colors. They spotted beautiful peacocks and deer. Guglu felt safe as all the birds and animals were at a safe distance from the Jeep, he started enjoying the ride. To see the animals, he would jump from his parents lap to their grandparents lap. They spotted bison, bears, and elephants.

Suddenly the jeep halted, everyone was confused, and then the guide pointed out towards the long grass, the tiger was hiding behind that. Once the jeep's engine was turned off, the tiger came outside and came near the jeep. Everyone was in awe to see such a beautiful beast, tiger's strips were vibrant, and they could see the size and strength clearly from the window glasses. Guglu froze in his seat and was extremely careful. He remembered that his mother told us not to make noises if any wild animal was close to us. Guglu's eyes were fixed on the majestic tiger, he was completely amazed and fascinated. After 10 minutes, the tiger went back towards the deep forest and was no longer seen. Then they went to see the lake and waterfall. The lake was full of beautiful birds like ducks, swans, and parrots sitting on the branches of trees. There were so many monkeys on trees with pink and black faces. Guglu was fascinated by seeing all the animals freely moving around, he mentioned that now he understands that the forest is the home for animals, like how he lives in his home.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone. Guglu's entire family was overjoyed, and Guglu was no longer feeling scared. He kept on repeating the animal and bird names, the gigantic trees he saw, the lake, and the waterfall. Once they were back at the resort, Guglu wanted to play in the pool water like he saw ducks and swans. After playing, resting, and having dinner, everyone went to sleep. They left for home early in the morning. Guglu was sad, as he did not want this trip to get over. He was tired, but happy. His parents explained to him that we can always come back and also explore so many other places. Guglu's parents and grandparents were also happy to see such a positive response from him.

Once they were back home, Guglu wanted to play outside in the park. He started going to the park with his grandparents in the evening, and he also made many new friends in society. He used to share his jungle safari story with everyone. Each time he enacted the story, it was a sight to see. Seeing his excitement and happiness, Guglu's parents started planning for the next trip!!