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प्रश्न
‘A Tiger Comes to Town’ by R. K. Narayan
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उत्तर
A Tiger Comes to Town
In R. K. Narayan’s story, a tiger who is the narrator of the tale suddenly finds himself wandering the streets of Malgudi. After escaping from the circus where he was held captive, the tiger experiences a strange and terrifying sense of freedom. Instead of stalking prey in the wild, he is now walking past shuttered shops, quiet houses, and bewildered people paralysed with fear.
The story captures the absolute chaos that erupts in the town as news of the tiger’s presence spreads. People barricade themselves in their homes, schools are abandoned, and the normal, predictable rhythm of Malgudi comes to a complete standstill. The tiger, however, feels no malice; he is simply confused and overwhelmed by the world outside his cage. He walks through a school, where a teacher and his students hide in terror, and even ends up inside a house, where he eventually grows tired and curls up to sleep in a room, much like a giant house cat.
Throughout his journey, the tiger reflects on his own identity. He struggles to reconcile his wild, natural instincts with the years of forced training and discipline he endured in the circus. As he wanders, he is eventually tracked down by his former master, the circus owner. The reunion is deeply moving and reveals a complex relationship; although the man is a harsh captor, the tiger feels a strange sense of loyalty and a submissive bond that keeps him from attacking.
The story ultimately explores themes of captivity versus freedom and the strange nature of human-animal connections. It is a whimsical yet profound look at how the world appears when viewed through the eyes of a creature that has never truly known independence, and how the presence of a “wild” beast forces the townspeople to confront their own fragility and the hidden, untamed parts of their lives.
