Dina was tired and hungry, they were travelling for a whole day and haven’t found anything that would satisfy him and the pack of wolves that he leads. Dina noticed a sudden movement behind the tall green grass. He steered hastily towards that direction made a sound and the whole pack encircled the poor deer who was hiding behind the grass. Dina dug his claws and teeth into the deer’s body and ate the tender flesh and quenched his thirst with the blood gushing out.
As the pack moves forward after having their lunch, two hunters were observing them. They were looking strangely at this pack. The pack was being led by a six-year-old boy, Dina. They were totally puzzled seeing this, they were staring at each other. A strong feeling came in their mind ‘The boy should live with humans, and must be taken to the civilization’. They were afraid to jump in front of the wolves and drag the boy away. They discussed the plan, while following the pack secretly.
When the pack went inside their cave, the hunters set the cave on fire, they hid behind a bush and kept the bow and arrow ready. As the wolves rushed out of the cave, they were shot down one by one. The hunters covered the boy with fur and took him out of the forest.
They took Dina to an orphanage run by Fr.Erhadt. The priest and all other children in the orphanage was astonished seeing Dina, he walked on four legs, ate only raw meat, couldn’t talk, saliva always dripping from his mouth. He had also tried attacking a few children. Dina was baptised and was given a new name, ‘Sanichar’.
Though he had two names now, everyone called him ‘Pagal’(lunatic). Everyone in the orphanage tried so hard to make him speak, read or write but that seemed impossible. His brain size was smaller compared to children of his age. He communicated using only animal sounds.
He was struggling all day to wear clothes and to feel comfortable in them. He preferred staying naked all the time. Without having any human traits he managed to make a human friend. This boy was also brought from the wild.
Dina’s development was abnormal. Even after 10 years of living with humans he was jumpy, had very large teeth, abnormal body hair growth and a low forehead. The only human habit he was comfortable of practising was smoking! And that caused his death.
Dina always felt like an outcast. He was forcefully separated from his family. He was unable to meet the expectations of the civilized society. Rewiring his brain and turning into a real human being was an impossible task. His life would have been less tragic if he was left that day at the forest. This young boy who could lead a pack of dangerous wolves, hunted down wild animals would never have to be called a ‘Pagal’.
After 20 years, Dina’s life laid stones building up a wonderful story in the mind of a great writer, Rudyard Kipling. And Mowgli was born. The only difference would be, Dina was taken from his family unwillingly!
Love,
Dona