A Covidian Zoo Story

‘It's too stuffy here, baba! I can't come out.’ Like some midget, I found myself lost amidst the claustrophobic obnoxious crowd of the bus. Suddenly, a familiar hand pulled me through the thick of the entangled legs, and I found myself landed on the footpath of Exide crossing at Rabindra Sadan, heavily panting. It was 25th of December, which year I couldn't remember. After too much of nudging and pleading, finally baba agreed to take me to the Kolkata Alipore Zoo.

 We took the footpath opposite Nandan and Shishir Mancha Art Gallery under AJC Bose Flyover. Unlike every day, there were very less people plying on the footpath, and the vehicles were also too rare to find. As we reached SSKM Hospital Crossing opposite Rabindra Sadan, baba, pointing at the hospital gate, told me, ‘Do you know, there are many doctors and nurses work in this hospital?’  Suddenly, I behold a fierce grizzly bear inside the hospital gate; staring at me. Its eyes were burning bright. Thinking to be some nightmarish hallucination, I took to my heels to catch up with my baba. We walked through the footpath of AJC Bose Road, crossing many avenues, which were mostly deserted. However, inside me, a strange eagerness wrapped with excitement was lurking as we were approaching close to the Zoo. 

 At last, we reached the Alipore Zoo. It was crowded with people of all ages, and of course, there were numerous food-stalls as well, embellishing the main gate on both the sides. People were streaming through the gate into the zoo. So, we lost no time. After purchasing the tickets, we stood in the queue and slowing entered the Zoo. It was a dream-come-true; a dream-like landscape in lush green, full of gigantic trees, and cages of different shapes and sizes incarcerating innumerous animals and birds. Suddenly, a colorful illuminated display-board took my notice, and I asked baba, ‘What is it written over there?’ Baba read out loudly: BEWARE OF WILD ANIMALS. DO NOT ABUSE OR PLAY PRANK ON THEM. Listening to baba, I grew serious. 

 At first, we came across different deer: brow-antlered, sambar deer, barking deer, etc. Strangely, they all gathered together and were all looking at me like some jinis enchanted by its master. Then, there were innumerous birds of different species, stationed in different cages, fluttering frantically and shedding their feathers all around. The monkeys, langurs, chimpanzee from inside the cages on the other side, as I observed, were squealing and yelling at me, displaying unusual behavior, as if trying to intimidate me of some inevitable premonition. Gradually, an unknown fear took hold of me pressing on my chest with untold weight. I frightfully pressed onto baba’s hand. However, all those while, baba seemed unaware of the abnormalities all around.

 Then, I passed by crocodiles, alligators, hippos basking in the sun. Suddenly, I noticed the reptiles were gravely sick with some unknown disease, upon asking, one of the care takers informed us that they were infested by some unknown but deadly virus. My expectation and excitement, beforehand, I found, gradually razed to the ground. Next, we passed by some enchained elephants, struggling to break-away their chains. Then, we reached beside a lonely bear, striding all across inside the contour of its boundary, tiresomely and heavily panting, bowed down by its weight. Beside the bear, we came across some fierce tigers and blood-thirsty lions inside a single protected periphery, trying to tear-apart each other. 

While bewitchingly witnessing such frightening abnormalities inside the zoo, I was anticipating some catastrophic misfortune might befall upon us when suddenly, to my utter dismay and horror, I found the elephants, breaking there chains, madly running towards me. Next, couldn't able to find baba anywhere, I started running hysterically. It was a total mayhem- all the cages were busted, iron-bars were broken, boundaries were razed, and all the animals were running frantically, as if fleeing from a horrible monster. People were mercilessly attacked, mauled and trampled by those desperate wild creatures. They all broke away through the gate of the Zoo and scattered towards every direction. 

 After running nearly for half an hour or so, I found myself standing at the gate of the SSKM hospital worn-out and exhausted. Upon looking at the desolate street, I spotted nearly thousand of animals of different species approaching from the direction of the Alipore Zoo. They passed by me, as if, all of them were in a somnambulistic state. I stood still petrified like a stone. As I was witnessing such a nightmarish phenomena alone standing at the hospital gate, I heard a wild gaping growl from behind. Turning back, I saw that the same fierce grizzly bear with its wide cavernous jaws and monstrous claws jumped upon me. 

I jumped out of the bed, sweating and throbbing with terror, shivering uncontrollably. It was 9 o'clock in the morning. It took some time to regain my pulses. From the kitchen Maa was shouting as usual, ‘This boy is so irresponsible, careless and unmindful!’ Then after a pause, ‘Ei Piku, did you again forget that your online classes will start from 9.30 am? You are such a lazy brat. You can't do anything in your life!’ Weary and exhausted, I went to the washroom. Munching on some biscuits, I hurriedly dressed-up myself and sat for my online classes. But, I couldn't concentrate on my studies. I was bit scared, perhaps, still haunted by those animals, stalking me with their somnambulant gaze from inside my head.

In the next room, baba, turning on to a news channel, was listening to an important announcement by our honorable Prime Minister: ‘Today, we are passing through a very serious global crisis due to this pandemic Corona Virus which has taken a heavy toll on human lives across the globe. But we must fight it out. Therefore, after much speculation and in-depth meetings with all the opposition parties and state governments, the government has decided to extend the country-wide Lockdown from 385 days to 415 days. Stay at home. Stay safe.’ He then flipped to another news channel. Again, the same news: the mounting incidents of wild animals intruding into the human world, freely roaming on the deserted streets in the cities of Italy, Spain and even in some cities of India, perhaps, enjoying the freedom of a quieter world. 

My online English class was going on. Unmindfully, I turned behind, outside my window into the blue sky, beholding a fleet of chipping Chorui-Pakhi (House Sparrow) flying through my window. I smiled, for I knew it perhaps.