This happened to me when I was no more than seven years old, just 50 meters away from my home.
I had recently gotten my first bicycle after a month-long pleading with my parents. This is without any support, so a bicycle, in the most literal sense of the word.
Now, allow me to set the scene. I live in a decently rich gated community (not bragging). There are rows of homes facing each other, separated by broad streetways. However, my home is an exception; it faces an electricity board office attached to a park on the left side, and a narrow path on its right side (Remember this narrow path), that connects our street with the next one. And the narrow path ends at the entrance of a neighbour aunty, who is a friend of my mother. I hope you are able to create a mental picture. If not, then you can take a look at the image I am attaching, but I might judge you for being lazy (I am only kidding).
On the fateful evening, around 4 or 5 PM, my elder cousin sister, who is just two years older than me, and I were riding our bicycles. I had only recently received mine, but she had been teasing me with hers for months. So, I was a little extra excited that day, I was teasing her back, as my bicycle was new and shiny and red (I think you know where the story is headed).
It has always been common for us to see cows roaming around the streets in our community. In fact, I once witnessed a cow give birth to her calf in the park attached to the office in front of our house. But that is a story for another time, maybe.
So, as my sister and I were riding our bicycles in the street next to ours, suddenly we heard a voice screaming, "Hat Jao! Dekho!" again and again. And as we looked in the direction of the voice, we saw a huge, large-horned bull running towards us. Its eyes were locked on us, filled with rage and intent to kill. I might have made up the last part just to add dramatic effect. I was 7 and my sister was 9. We don't know what the bull looked like. All we know is that we panicked.
Now, my sister, in her nine-year-old wisdom, did the responsible thing. She left her cycle and ran into the park. On the other hand, the seven-year-old numbnut (Me) was too stupid to even consider that idea. I started peddling at full speed into the narrow path (from before), screaming and crying for mommy, straight towards the aunty's house, where my mother, the aunty and a few more ladies were having tea. I remember hearing the bull bellowing behind me as he chased me. I am told that I was a length away from death.
I do not remember much of what happened after that, but since I am writing this piece, I am guessing I did make it out alive. I also have good reason to believe the story that my mother told me about how I escaped the bull. She was right there.
So apparently, my cries caught the ladies' attention. At first, it took them a few seconds to realise what the hell was happening. As my mother describes it, one of the ladies said, "ye Dhruv ki aawaz hai?" ("Is this Dhruv's voice?"). So they looked out into the street and saw me riding my bicycle towards them, being chased by a bull. At first, they looked at each other, and then the neighbour lady, whose house they were all at, sprang into action and asked my mother to open the full gate. As they both opened the large gate, I rode my cycle inside, and they slammed the heavy iron gate in the face of the bull. Which seemed to subdue him, and he walked away. I actually do have a slight image of the bull's face getting slammed in my head. Maybe it is one I cooked up, but it feels real to me.
As the story goes, I cried for a while after that, and it was my sister, who came running in, 15 minutes later, was able to calm me down by making fun of me for not leaving the bicycle behind.
Come to think of it, it was one of the more traumatic instances of my life, but I tell it with a lot of nostalgic fondness. I think it is far enough removed from reality that now I kind of see it as an adventurous instance from my past. And, I believe that it is a great story to hook a bunch of people at a party or even a get-together.
Anyway, this is my instance. I might bring more of these to you, some from my life, some from my mind, and some from undisclosed sources. So stay tuned.
