The Wild Adventure of Tania and Sonia

"Oh, look at this, will you? It's unbelievable, but true!" Tania sang, twirling in the wide open mountaintop meadow surrounded by lush green pine trees. Sonia pranced behind her, waving a small tree branch she’d been using as a hiking stick. Mama’s delighted laugh chimed through the air, while Papa lay flat on his back on the smooth, grass-covered ground, inhaling the cool, pine-scented mountain air. The gentle breeze made the patches of white daisies sway, and bright butterflies with exotic patterns danced between sporadic flowering bushes. Panting, Sonia dropped down next to Papa and rested her head on his leg. “Papa, you’re bleeding!” she gasped, pointing to a red spot on his track pants, just below his knee. Tania rushed over. “What happened?” she asked. Papa sat up and chuckled. “It’s not blood, Sonia.” He gently pinched her cheek. “Look closely, what do you see?” Sonia and Tania peered at the spot and gasped. “It’s a ladybug!” they exclaimed in unison. “What a beautiful deep red,” Tania sighed. “It really does look like a drop of fresh blood.” Sonia continued to gaze at the tiny bug, mesmerized. “There are loads of them all over the place,” Mama said, standing a few feet away. “Look carefully at the grass—it’s teeming with life. Bugs, flies, moths…even wild strawberries.” “Strawberries?” Sonia’s eyes lit up. “Where?” Her eyes darted around. Tania walked over to where Mama was pointing and knelt down. “This tiny thing?” She plucked a small red fruit the size of a cherry seed. “Is this a strawberry?” Her brow furrowed. “It’s so tiny!” Sonia squealed, leaning over to get a closer look. “Are you sure?” Mama smiled. “Yes, it’s a wild strawberry. Fruits in the wild are usually much smaller than what we see in markets. It takes years of cultivation to grow the big ones we buy.” “Can we eat them?” Tania asked, cautiously eyeing the strawberry. “They aren’t poisonous,” Papa said, popping one into his mouth. Sonia bit into one as well but quickly spat it out. “Pooh! These are tasteless!” “They’re wild,” Mama shrugged. Tania stopped mid-bite and laughed. “I think I’ll stick to the ones from Mahabaleshwar and let these decorate the hillside.” “Are you girls hungry?” Mama asked, reaching for her backpack. “No, but can we explore?” Sonia asked eagerly. Mama and Papa exchanged glances. “Okay, but don’t wander too far,” Mama warned. “And be back in an hour. It’s already 3:30, and we need to head back before sunset,” Papa added. Tania nodded, remembering some of the narrow, steep sections of the trail they’d hiked to reach the meadow. The thought of descending in the dark wasn’t appealing. “We’ll be back in an hour,” she promised. Tania and Sonia set off, heading toward the ring of pine trees that bordered the meadow. As they passed through the thick pines, they emerged into another clearing—a flat, open area perfect for playing Frisbee. Tania was about to pull the Frisbee from her backpack when Sonia suddenly shouted, “Look! What’s that?” At the far end of the clearing stood a small stone hut with a slanting tin roof that extended far beyond the walls, covering a crumbling stone patio. “What is this?” Sonia whispered in awe. “I don’t know,” Tania murmured, intrigued by the intricate carvings on the door. She took a step closer, wondering if they could peek inside. Just then, a rustle in the nearby trees made her freeze. A monkey leaped out of the branches and landed a few feet away. Startled, Tania took a step back. Two more monkeys approached from a distance, baring their teeth. Sonia gripped Tania’s arm, her face pale with fear. Tania’s heart raced, but she took a deep breath. “Don’t panic,” she whispered, remembering Papa’s advice: never show fear, and never turn your back. She took the hiking stick from Sonia and banged it firmly on the ground. The monkeys hesitated but didn’t retreat. Tania slowly backed away, her eyes locked on the monkeys, banging the stick every few steps. After a tense few minutes, the monkeys lost interest and disappeared into the trees. Once the coast was clear, Tania and Sonia sprinted back to the meadow, collapsing onto the grass next to their parents. “What happened?” Mama asked, eyes wide with concern. “Mean monkeys,” Sonia panted. “They were going to attack us!” Tania nodded. “But we’re okay. They didn’t hurt us.” Mama sighed with relief, while Papa chuckled. “Monkeys can be troublemakers, but you girls handled it well.”