A Girl and Her Tiger

by Zoey Gong

  She looked around and saw a bucket in one corner. It took her a moment to realize that the bucket was her toilet. She nearly retched at the thought. She then realized she did not have enough water to wash her body, much less her hair. He looked out the porthole and saw only blackness, as the sun had completely set. She couldn’t see any lights from the shore, if they were even within sight of it, or any stars from this angle. There was at least light inside the hull due to some haphazardly hung about lanterns.

  Priya sunk down on her bed with her back against the wall. She pulled her knees up to her chest and began to cry. She had always thought that life as a servant was not much better than life as a slave. She now knew she had been very wrong. Life could always get much, much worse. She had always wondered why her parents seemed contented—and sometimes grateful—for the life they had with the Parkers. Sure, they had food, clothes, and a roof over their heads, but they had very little more than that, especially when compared with the British families. She wondered if somehow her parents knew just how bad life could be without the protection of the Parkers. Of course, it could also be much better. If the British had not come to India, then at least the people in charge would be other Indians. She had no way of knowing if that would have made her life better or not, but she didn’t think it could be much worse. She had lived a fairly good life. She had even been able to go to school. But there were not that many British families in India. Working for a family was a craved position. Most other Indians worked in factories, mines, or on plantations. She wondered if her parents were content because they knew life could be worse. They might have dreamed of a better life, but a worse one was a very real possibility. Is this what they were afraid of when Priya lost her chance at a position with another family? She supposed her parents were lucky that they were not fired as well. What would they have done without their positions with the Parkers? Where would they have gone? What would have happened to Priya?

  She probably would have ended up in a place like this. A poorly paid worker routinely abused at the hands of a cruel taskmaster.

  But at least she would still be with her parents. They would have each other.

  Priya had messed up. And she didn’t see a way out to correct her mistakes. There was no way to escape. At least not for now. She would have to keep her eyes open for opportunities to get off this ship and get home. The captain had said they were going to stop in Goa first. Goa was a large city south of Bombay. She could surely find her way home from there. It would be her last—and probably only—way to escape before the ship headed out into open waters and England. If she ended up in England, any chance of getting home would probably be lost to her. She had to escape in Goa.

  She heard Nabhitha make a panting, whimpering sound. She looked over and saw that the tiger was breathing rapidly. She appeared to be in some sort of distress.

  “Hey,” Priya said, climbing off her bed and inching toward Nabhitha’s cage on her knees. “Hey, Nabhitha. It’s okay. What’s wrong, girl?”

  Nabhitha tried to stand, but she moaned when she put weight on her foot. She inched closer to the side of the cage she shared with Priya, but Priya stayed well away from the tiger’s reach.

  “I’m sorry, girl,” Priya said. “I know your paw must hurt, but I don’t have anything that can help you.”

  Nabhitha moaned again and then laid down, leaning up against the bars of the cage. Even though Priya knew that Nabhitha was a dangerous animal, her heart ached for her. She was scared, missed her babies, and was in pain. Priya got up and shook the bars of her cage.

  “Hello!” she yelled. “Hey! I need help!”

  The sailor who had taken her back to her cage earlier came rushing down the stairs. “What’s wrong?” he asked as though in a panic. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Priya. “I thought maybe the old girl had ripped you up.” He motioned toward the tiger.

  “She’s hurt,” Priya said. “Badly. We need to clean her wound. And she needs food and water.”

  “I’m not getting anywhere near that thing,” the sailor said. “Jacob was my good mate. Do you hear me?”

  Priya assumed Jacob was the man Nabhitha had eaten, the one who had tried to rape her.

  Priya gripped the bars of her cage. “Jacob had it coming,” she growled through gritted teeth. “But this tiger is valuable. Worth more than that piece of scum ever was. You better tell the captain that the tiger needs attention before he tosses you overboard.”

  The sailor’s face went pale and he scuttled up the stairs like a crab. Priya sighed, hoping her threats came to something. Honestly, she didn’t know how anyone could help Nabhitha. If anyone got too close, Nabhitha would surely cause them great injury. The scratches on her arm were proof enough of that.

  The sailor came back down the stairs with a small crate, which he placed in front of Priya’s cell.

  “The captain says that since the tiger killed Jacob defending you, it’s your job to keep her alive,” the sailor said.

  “What?” Priya asked, nearly laughing. “Is he joking?”

  “I don’t think so, miss,” he said. “He said the both of you were already causing him too much trouble, and he wouldn’t miss the pair of ya.”

  Priya was angry, but not entirely surprised. She guessed that the captain would spend the next four weeks looking for any way to make her life harder until she agreed to be his sex slave, which she would never do. She’d rather die.

  “Then give the supplies to me, you coward!” she spat. She reached through the bars to the crate but yelped when the sailor grabbed her injured arm and squeezed.

  “Watch yourself, missy,” the man said, his eyes glaring at her. Priya stared back at him with equal fierceness. “I won’t miss a chance to get revenge for my friend.”

  “Does it make you feel brave to threaten an injured girl in a cage?” she asked him. “Because I think it just makes you look like even more of a coward.”

  The sailor snorted and shook her arm as he released his grip. He stood up and stomped over to the side of the room and grabbed a barrel, which he rolled over next to her cage. He took the top off, revealing that it was full of water. Priya realized that it must have been more of the supplies the captain ordered the sailor to give her. Then the man went back to the stairs.

  “I hope that tiger rips your face off,” the man yelled at her over his shoulder. “And ain’t none of us going to come to your aid.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to,” Priya shouted as he bounded up the stairs. Priya sighed in relief. Even though she had spoken boldly, she had been terrified of what the man could do to her. But now that he was gone, she had a new fear—Nabhitha.

  Nabhitha was still lying by the bars of the cage. Her breathing had slowed, but it still seemed labored.

  Priya opened the crate and pulled out the goods the captain had sent. A bottle of some sort of clear alcohol was there, some bandages, and several hunks of fresh meat. She felt a little sick as she remembered seeing Jacob’s flailed back, his flesh falling from his bones. But then she forced herself to remember that this meat wasn’t Jacob. She had seen the men throw him overboard.

  Priya picked up one of the meat chunks and walked over to Nabhitha. “Here, girl,” she said, and tossed it toward her. It landed inside Priya’s cage, but within claw’s length of Nabhitha. Nabhitha’s ears perked up and she stuck out her tongue toward the meat, but she made no move to grab it. She seemed to want it, but too lethargic to make a move to eat it.

  Priya inched closer and nudged the meat toward Nabhitha with her foot. Nabhitha lazily opened her eyes and watched the meat and Priya, but she didn’t open her mouth to eat it until the meat was right in front of her face. Even then, she didn’t snap at it—or Priya—but ate the meat gently. Priya wondered if Nabhitha was growing used to her presence.

  When Nabhitha finished the meat, she gave Priya a longing look. Priya pressed her lips into a thin line and then reached into the crate for the next chunk of meat. This time she stepped closer t
o the cage bars and dropped the meat right in front of Nabhitha’s face. Nabhitha didn’t so much as growl as she ate the meat.

  Priya knew it was probably foolish, but she felt like she and Nabhitha had a rapport going. A rapport she would need if she hoped to get close enough to Nabhitha’s paw to pour the alcohol on it.

  For the final hunk of meat, Priya walked right up to the cage and held it over Nabhitha’s face. Nabhitha sniffed the meat and then opened her mouth, allowing Priya to feed it to her. Priya smiled and almost laughed. She was feeding a tiger! In all her life she had never experienced something so incredible. Tigers were an object of fascination and of respect, but mostly of fear.

  When Nabhitha was finished eating, she laid her head back down and closed her eyes. Priya held her breath and took a chance. She reached her hand through the cage and placed it on Nabhitha’s head.

  Nabhitha didn’t move.

  Priya slowly moved her hand back and forth between Nabhitha’s ears, petting the softest fur she had ever touched.

  Nabhitha let out a small growl, which Priya took as a warning that Nabhitha was done being petted like a common house cat, and she backed off. She sat on her haunches and watched Nabhitha, wondering if it was wise to try and treat Nabhitha’s paw. She thought it was rather poor form of her to use this newfound comradery to cause Nabhitha more pain. But if she waited too long to treat Nabhitha’s wound, Nabhitha could sicken and die.

  Priya pulled out the bottle of alcohol and the bandages. She unwrapped her arm and called out to get Nabhitha’s attention. Nabhitha opened her eyes and watched as Priya poured the alcohol over her own wounds. Priya winced in pain, but she gritted her teeth to bear it.

  “See, Nabhitha,” Priya said. “It hurts, but it is for the best. It will keep you from getting sick.” She then wrapped her arm back in the bandages. “Now, you.”

  Nabhitha grunted and wrinkled her nose a bit, but she didn’t budge. Her paw was still laying very near the bars of the cage. Priya inched closer, Nabhitha’s ever watchful eyes on her.

  “I’m just going to pour the alcohol over your injury, okay?” Priya explained to the tiger. The tiger let out a little grunt, but she didn’t move. Priya sat on her heels, ready to launch herself as far away from Nabhitha as possible at the first hint of aggression.

  Priya reached out, slowly tipping the jar over Nabhitha’s paw. The alcohol flowed out and splashed on Nabhitha’s wound. Nabhitha sat up quickly and let out a roar. Priya jumped back.

  “I’m sorry!” Priya said. “But it is necessary if you want to live!”

  Nabhitha let out another, smaller growl and backed away from the cage bars. She went to the other side of the room and curled up into a ball.

  Priya waited for her heart to return to its normal place in her chest before she dared to move again. She then put the lid back on the alcohol and put it with her other things, along with the unused bandages. She took a drink of water from the barrel and poured some of the water into a small bucket for Nabhitha, which she put near the bars of the cage where Nabhitha’s tongue could reach it if she wanted it. All the while, Nabhitha’s eyes watched her from across the room.

  Priya then laid down on her bed and tried to get some sleep. She was glad she had been able to treat Nabhitha’s wound, but she wondered just how much damage she had done to their relationship in the process. Would Nabhitha ever trust her again? As she drifted off to sleep, a smile crossed her face. She realized that when she poured the alcohol on Nabhitha’s foot that even though Nabhitha was in terrible pain, she never took a swipe at her.

  Chapter Nine

  Over the next few days, as the ship meandered up the coast, Nabhitha’s health seemed to improve. She didn’t lick her wound as much and her energy levels returned. Every day, the sailor brought a fresh supply of meat for Nabhitha and some food for Priya. And every morning he seemed disappointed to find both of them still alive. Priya would just smirk as she took the food from him, and he would stomp his way back to the top deck.

  Priya continued feeding Nabhitha by hand each day, and they both seemed to grow more comfortable in each other’s company. Though, Priya never let herself forget that Nabhitha was wild and could turn on her at any time. She unwrapped her arm, and was both proud and disappointed at the scars that were forming as the wounds healed. She was proud she had escaped the tiger’s grip and had learned a valuable lesson, but she was sad her body had been permanently marked by the experience. She just shrugged and chalked it up to one more thing she would have to learn to accept in this life.

  Much like accepting her life as a slave if she didn’t find a way off this ship. As the ship neared Goa, she became more and more anxious. Restless. She hadn’t come up with any sort of plan to get out of her cell, off the ship, and into Goa once they arrived. She had no weapons or tools and no allies who could help her. She wondered if she shouldn’t try to seduce the sailor who was in charge of watching her so he would open the door to her cage, but she decided that was too risky. He should be able to easily see through her rouse. And if he didn’t, what would she do once he entered her cell? How would she fight him off? And if she did, how would she then avoid the dozens of other sailors and get off the ship? She racked and racked her brain but could not come up with any sort of realistic plan to escape. All she could do was pray that an opportunity would present itself while they were docked in Goa.

  She had never been overly religious. She went through the motions of prayers and fasting and visits to the temple and was respectful of her parents’ views, but she knew she had never taken it to heart or really put much faith in the gods.

  Her mother had been pestering her to connect with a god or goddess of her own in recent years, to find her isht-devta, the god or goddess who would eventually lead her soul to salvation. “Who will watch you and protect you once you leave my house?” her mother had asked. At the time, Priya had only shrugged and not given it much thought. She never really imagined she would be far from her mother’s guidance and protection. Family was everything to Indians. Even if Priya married and had children of her own, she would always return to her mother for comfort and support.

  But now her mother could not be further away from her. She should have listened. A personal goddess would be a great comfort to her right now. She wondered if after a lifetime of ignoring them if the gods would hear her now.

  Priya felt the ship’s movements slow and then a sharp tug to the left and a large splash. She jumped up and looked out the window. In the distance, she could see a very busy port lined with dozens of ships. The ship she was on didn’t pull up to any of the docks, but remained anchored out at sea. The captain must have been planning to travel to and from the city by longboat. Priya cursed to herself. This made any chance of escape even more unlikely. If she could get out of her cage and up on deck, how would she get to shore? She couldn’t row a boat by herself. And she wasn’t a very good swimmer. Sure, she had spent many summers playing in rivers and streams with her cousins and friends, but actual swimming in water any more than waist-deep was rare.

  She was feeling despair wash over her when she saw a small boat heading for the ship. Soldiers! They must have been customs officials heading out to inspect the boat! She was saved! If the British loved anything, is was money. And they couldn’t tax illegal goods. Once they saw all this illegal stuff on the ship, surely the officials would do something. And the slave trade was certainly illegal! Once they saw her, they would surely demand she be freed! She was saved. She reached her arm through the porthole and waved, screaming for help at the officials. They didn’t seem to hear her, though, as they never looked her way as the little boat passed by. No matter. They would have to board the ship and then come below deck to inspect the goods. She would make sure they saw her then.

  Priya paced the cage excitedly. Nabhitha seemed to take notice of this and watched her with interest.

  “We are going to get out of here,” Priya said. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave you behind. I’ll make sur
e they take you to shore too and set you free.”

  Nabhitha seemed to like this idea, as she promptly sat by the door of her cage and waited to see what would happen.

  Priya could hear the busy footsteps of the sailors on the upper deck as they ran about doing…whatever it was that sailors did. Priya had never been on a ship before so she had no idea what it took to operate one. But soon it wouldn't be her concern any longer because she would be free of this prison.

  Finally, she heard the sounds she had been waiting for. The voices of three men carried down the stairs, along with the clomping of their boots. Priya pressed herself up so hard against the bars she almost thought she could melt through them. Her heart soared as the captain appeared with two customs officials—and one of them was Indian!

  Indian men were allowed to serve in the British army, but they were usually allowed to only ever be militiamen. Infantry. Very few were ever allowed to move up in ranks or hold any higher positions. The fact that this man—who looked to be no more than twenty—held a customs position spoke very well of him indeed! He would surely speak up and make sure she was released.

  “I’m sure you men will see that everything down here is on the up and up,” the captain said.

  “Except for the slave you are transporting!” Priya called out as she shook the bars of the cage.

  The Indian man saw her and his eyes went white and his skin blanched. He looked almost as though he was going to be sick. The other man, however, the British man, paid her no mind at all. He looked right past her and over her head. Anywhere but directly at her, as though she wasn’t even there.