The jungle was seemingly quiet that day. Arid, lightly sweltering, only a few noises of wind and animal noises in the distance. For some jungle dwellers, these conditions were too quiet, as if the jungle itself was lying in wait, silent only in anticipation of an arresting event.
Sharp, animalistic eyes watched from trees carefully, waiting as the jungle did, until something emerged from the clearing, straight to a small pool of water, close enough to the edge of the forest for humankind to brave and use the water source. Ears alerted eyes to a figure stepping into view, the figure of an adult human. An adult female. If those details weren't unique enough, this woman seemed positively jubilant, a spring in her step, a care-free walk, a spirit happy enough to sing a pleasant song along her way to the water. The eyes and ears were attached to a head that shook in slight disbelief, and more amusement than he would care to admit.
Mowgli watched carefully as his wife Shanti made her way to the pool, not at all unlike their first meeting as children. More than 20 years had passed, yet so little had truly changed. Despite all the civility the man-village had tried to program into him over the years, the spirit of being a true citizen of the jungle never went away, making it easy to brave back into the thick of it much more often than any known boy or man. And despite everything she'd seen being linked to Mowgli, the occasional jungle adventures or rescues, and contending with a lover caught between two worlds, she remained the high-spirited counterpart that could still mystified the man-cub daily.
Plenty of important changes were distinct in their lives; as the years progressed, when it came to the jungle, he'd grown wiser, more careful, nearly enough to make his former guardian panther proud. Whereas she, particularly at their old meeting place, acted with no concern, as if there was no danger that could ever harm her, even if she said she knew better. Mowgli wondered, annoyingly, whether she knew it was ok to be so nonchalant with him keeping watch for predators and perils at that moment, ensuring her safety while hidden.
He watched her movements carefully, the slow hip sway of her womanly curves, carrying the water basket with grace, dancing with it as if it were her husband in her arms, holding his muscular, athletic body close, in awe of the man able-bodied enough to contend with most of the animal kingdom by himself. The pretty vocals filled the area with a musical lilt that always closed the distance between the married couple, emotionally, physically, soulfully. As it was in his youth, some of the notes made the corners of his mouth twitch upwards, slowly succumbing to the smile she always effortlessly produced, even with all too familiar lyrics.
"Doesn't she know any other songs?" he laughed quietly to himself, easily recognizing the tone and words being sung since she'd appeared, in the clearing that day, and in his life. So taken by the classic, overused song, a creeping sensation coming at his feet didn't seem as noticeable. Telling himself he was there to protect her, and that he had enough awareness to protect himself, lying carefully on the strong tree branch felt easier and easier. How good the feeling coming to him kept him from interpreting it as some kind of threat. Years of sharpening awareness and gaining knowledge hadn't managed for his body and mind to fight off pleasurable feelings like he knew it should. Some primal calls were too seductive, a fact Mowgli was occasionally still reminded of, as one of them practically slithered its way up his calves, knees, thighs, and continually higher. It relaxed every muscle it touched, not enough to make it lax and loose, but softening it to a point he could enjoy, small twitches of pleasure overtaking his body the more he felt covered by the sensation, aware of little else but it and Shanti's singing.
Lulled parts of Mowgli convinced him of everything being alright, nothing amiss, that his reaction was natural and right, as good and as intended as a warm rain, a tasty jungle morsel, or a lovely embrace. The what, the why, the how didn't seem to matter. Existence shrunk to protection, and his wife. She was alright, so he was alright, both protected, and how wonderful the assurance of protection was. The hum and every other word of her song roamed his head as the feeling spread throughout his body.
***
"My own home,
My own home,
My own home,
My own home
Hmmm...
Ooooh...
Hmmm...
Ooooh...
Hmmm...
My own home
Father's hunting in the forest,
Mother's cooking in the home,
I must go to fetch the water,
Till the day that I am grown.
Till I'm grown,
Till I'm grown.
I must go to fetch the water,
Till the day that I am grown."
Shanti remembered that day well, perhaps her most distinct memory in life - the boy in red loincloth, looking at her with such wonder, as she looked up to see him, an expression born of imagining the adult life she would have, with a handsome husband. Fate's occasional bluntness, while fortunately kind and generous, gave her a glimpse at her future, leaving it in her hands to seize it.
She never told Mowgli, but she was as taken as he was that day, fascinated by the sight of the boy in the reflective pool. She hid it better than he ever could once she acknowledged his presence, mimicking the seduction she'd seen women in her village use to hook a man, wrangling the eye of the cutest boy she'd ever seen, that grew into the most attractive man her primal id could've hoped for. His looks were a true blessing, but adult, married Shanti smiled at how much else about him was made up of her cultivation.
***
"Should we head back? Someone might get worried."
"Nah, if they want to find us, they can sniff us out," 19-year-old Mowgli reasoned, making his companion giggle, as they spent time in their old, secluded jungle fort. It was a structure they made together of leaves and limbs, untouched by animals and man, at the jungle's edge for Mowgli's pleasure, but close enough to the village for Shanti's comfort.
Growing up together, learning and experiencing things as only you could with a boy raised by wolves, one of the undisputed truths she'd learned was never questioned - there was no animal in the world wilder than Mowgli. She'd seen other wild beasts from the jungle tamed in man's world, eventually. Deep in greenery uncharted by humans, she'd seen animals act positively civilized by comparison to the infamous man-cub. With all his human upbringing, Mowgli could never let his wild spirit connection to the jungle go. It was a stronger pull to his senses than anything else, stronger than her pleas to stay among men, stronger than even some temptations the jungle itself held.
Shanti watched him, watching the jungle, admiring the confidence in the face of the unknown. Other males had to put on brave faces, but Mowgli still regarded it as a place he belonged.
"C'mon, I want to finally teach you how to swing in the trees."
"You're kidding. With this dress?"
"You'll have to take some of it off for the lesson, yeah," he didn't look her way as he spoke the unintended flirtation. Shanti giggled again at how going through puberty, hormones, admittedly having feelings for her, and he could still miss what sounded like an advance on someone waiting to receive it.
It was one of the most frustrating things, and something she still loved about him the most - that lust for adventure above all else. Eventually, she had to admit that she never fought as hard as she could to steer him away from the jungle because she loved that passion he had for it, even wanting to be the focus of that passion.
"You'd better go on without me; as fun as that sounds, I don't think I'm ready for that lesson today."
"Well, I could do a little bit of swinging, and circle back to you in a jiff."
To her surprise, no matter how many times he ran away back to the jungle, he always came back, came back to her. When he was absent, she would return to that water source, to hope to draw him back to her. The way he always returned, it was a routine she could trust in. There was a draw, almost reminiscent to what she learned of the power the python Kaa had with those colorful eyes. More than just hearing about them, she'd experienced them once in a very close call before she could become an unresisting, hearty meal. Those draws combined, Shanti found that Mowgli, Kaa, and the jungle had taught her something she secretly fell in-love with - control.
"Or...you could stay with me here a little longer, just enjoy some more time together," something in her voice was suggestive in a way he wasn't totally willing to assume.
