Snake, snake

From the time I moved into the IIM campus, my chithi has been enlightening me with stories about what hapenned in the campus in the past to what is expected to happen every month. One of the most interesting anecdotes she tells me is about spotting snakes! So yours truly, who happens to be a true adventure seeking soul at heart, always wanted to sight one for herself and voila! got the great opportunity at 8:30 PM yesterday.

My uncle had just stepped out of the house for a walk and the next moment we hear him calling us to come out and have a look at something really wonderful!!! (for those of you who haven't had the oppo to visit the IIM-B campus- the area is full of thick vegetation ok not thick but covered with trees for sure atleast!!!) What do we see? A big King Cobra in all its splendour!!! Wow was I excited or what? Hearing all the commotion, the good snake that it was, it quickly slithered away and hid in the water pipe refusing to give an appearance to all the late entrants!! But we knew and that was enough!! The security guards were called and the people from the house on top (where the water pipe leads!!!) were also warned. By the time, the snake decided to show itself, around 10 people had gathered, waiting with bated breath to spot it!!!


Some wanted to kill it (there are 15 young kids on the block and none of them are used to palying indoors!) and some just plain wanted to get rid of it !! And there I was, watching and praying for the snake to disappear unharmed!! My unlce was also a strong supporter and didnt want the cobra killed!!! Finally we managed to get hold of a snake catcher who looked like he had jumped staright from an Ali Baba movie!!! After watching his struggle to catch the slippery cobra, we called the forest department official and an animal rescue activist. It had gone 11 at night by then!!! We had three solid hours of entertainment!!!! And to the relief of us all, the animal activist managed to catch it and off it went to a forest!!!!!!

It was wonderful watching the antics of the beautiful King Cobra. If only I had little less desires and lots more guts- I would have caught it myslef ;)