Two of the greatest and most feared hunters stalk each other through the jungle, determined to rid the Earth of one another. Who will come out on top in this tense conflict between man and beast?
On a warm summer's evening in the Seeonee hills, an old man was stalking through the forest, his eyes and ears all on and making sure to listen to every sound. He pushed the bushes to the sides, and standing in a patched-up hunting outfit and a wrapped-up turban over his head, the old hunter carried a long-barreled musket that was pointed in front of him at all times, momentarily halted his advance to investigate the grooves in the jungle grounds before him. He was certain of it. This was definitely not an illusion.
He was seeing huge cat-like pawprints embedded in the soil.
That's when he knew he was close to locating his target; there couldn't be any doubt. Buldeo let out a cruel grin as he stood back up and readied his gun before resuming his advance on the trail. He had come to the jungle in the hopes that he might be able to hunt down his most desired arch-nemesis: a tiger.
But not just any tiger...
Shere Khan. The king of all tigers in all of the jungles of Waingunga.
For many years, Buldeo had harbored a severe hatred for the tiger. Out of all the animals he had hunted down, this tiger was the one creature he had never succeeded in killing. Every time he managed to pick the tiger's trail, he managed to cover his tracks. Every trap he set, the tiger had evaded. And whenever he shot at the tiger, he would always miss.
Well, that was going to change soon enough.
This day, he was certain...he would finally put the tiger down, once and for all. At the end of the day, Shere Khan's hide would be mounted on his wall for all to see.
Then, all would know that he, Buldeo, was the mightiest hunter in all of India!
"Where are you, my striped friend," the hunter said aloud as he continued to push past the giant leaves, "I have a mantle at my home with your name on it."
But unbeknownst to him, he was being watched by a pair of yellow eyes.
~0~
In the tall grass behind him, an enormous tiger watched the man walking through the jungle. As Buldeo traveled further into the dense jungle, Shere Khan slowly followed him, remaining as quiet as possible lest he alert the hunter to his presence.
As he watched the hunter intently with predatory eyes, he looked at the rifle in the man's hands and growled savagely.
Looking at the object brought up painful memories, and the tiger soon began to see past Buldeo and go back to a time long ago—a time filled with grief, bloodshed, and death.
The tiger could still hear the sounds of gunshots ringing in his ears. The sounds of his mother screaming as she tried to save him when the bullet hit her, and he watched her fall. He watched as the hunter who took her life used his knife to remove her skin from her body. The memory of the ordeal made the tiger twitch his eye and glare sinisterly at the hunter before him.
His hatred for mankind had begun that very day, and he swore to himself to slay any man that dared step a foot into his domain.
And here before him, was the very hunter who took his mother away from him, now, he had come back to hunt him once again, and he was still as cunning and ruthless as ever.
He growled angrily as he continued to stalk the man, trailing closely behind him as he crept through the underbrush.
Shere Khan:"It isn't fair to hate me, when you know me very slightly."
"When you know me better,"(Shere Khan glared at the hunter with hatred)then you can judge me rightly."
"And all who know me very well...hate me, hate me, hate me more than tongue..."(Shere Khan rolled his eyes, un-amused)"can tell."
Shere Khan carefully crept through the grass and pushed past the leaves. The tiger watched Buldeo creeping in the distance, leaned back, and sat down. He admired his claws with an egoistic, pompous look.
"Oh, I'm Shere Khan, who fights alone,"(his face then turns deadly)"a demon I resemble!"
"I have no friends to call my own,"(he looked on in the hunter's direction with a death glare on his face)"I make the jungle tremble!"
He then growled a low, menacing growl as he watched Buldeo with anticipation.
"I'm cruel as the midday sun,"(Shere Khan checks out his paw with pride)"all clad in black and yellow!"
Then he looks again with a deadly intention back towards where he sees Buldeo creeping through the underbrush.
"And all who see me turn and run, though I'm..."(then he looks at his claws with a prideful smile)"a handsome fellow!"
~0~
The barrel of a gun is shown before drawing back to reveal the whole of Buldeo stalking through the jungle.
Buldeo:"Buldeo is my name of fame, I'm expert with the weapon."
He quietly stepped over a small rock before suddenly pausing mid-way.
"Shere Khan's the game I mean to tame,"(He crushed a small tree branch under his heel as if to squash something)"His carcass I shall step on!"
His pace then continues as Shere Khan watched from the bushes behind
"I'll meet my victim eye-to-eye," (Buldeo's eye, the accurate trigger of the gun, and then fill the screen). "He knows just how I hate him."
Buldeo then takes a few quick steps ahead before angling his gun at a diagonal angle as if ready to shoot something close-up. His teeth grit heavily.
"He'll have no time to say goodbye, for I'll...exterminate him! Heh, heh, heh!"
The screen then zooms out from Buldeo as he continues, with Shere Khan's paws filling in the foreground as he stalks the hunter silently.
~0~
Shere Khan:"It isn't fair to hate me, when you know me very slightly."
(Shere Khan is watching Buldeo in the distance.)"When you know me better,then you can judge me rightly."
Shere Khan then stops to ensure he isn't spotted when Buldeo turns around to look behind him."And all who know me very well," (the tiger waited for a second before the hunter turned back around and kept walking forward). "Hate me, hate me, hate me more than tongue..." (the tiger licked his lips in hunger). "Can tell."
The tiger then lept forward to keep up with the human, resuming his stalking mode and stern mood.
"Buldeo seeks to take my life, how does he dare, I wonder?"
The tiger then momentarily halted as he saw Buldeo approaching the ancient ruins of the cold lairs.
"Unless he wants a widowed wife, as I tear him asunder!"
Shere Khan continued to creep in Buldeo's direction. His eyes were mad with intent.
"My fangs are sharp, my heart is cold, there's no time for complaining."
The view then carefully approaches Buldeo in the distance as he is now a few feet away from the opening.
"His friends and family should be told, there won't...be much remaining!"
~0~
Buldeo stood inside the opening, momentarily lowering the barrel of his gun.
Buldeo:"As hunter, I'm invincible!"(he suddenly raises his gun upwards)"I always get my quarry!"
He then strokes his gun with his hand."I never, as a principle, let myself feel sorry!"
Buldeo stares through the opening, the view ahead masked by shadow, hiding whatever is inside.
"With elephant and antelope, my name is dreaded still."
He then walks into the opening, gun at the ready, his eyes alight with fire."Shere Khan can only dare to hope for time..."(A cruel smile spreads over his face)"to make his will! Ha, ha, ha!"
As Buldeo creeps into the interior, Shere Khan's paw appears near where he stood a moment ago. The tiger watches sternly and cautiously continues after the hunter.
~0~
Shere Khan:"It isn't fair to hate me, when you know me very slightly."
He momentarily stops to sniff the air."When you know me better, then you can judge me rightly."
The tiger then looks back and begins to slink into the opening after Buldeo."And all who know me very well..."
The view then circles between Shere Khan's intent hunting look and Buldeo's teeth-gritting hunting look.
Shere Khan:"Hate me."
Buldeo:"Hate him."
Shere Khan:"Hate me."
Buldeo:"HATE HIM!"
Shere Khan:"Hate me."
The scene then shows both of their faces mixed together.
Both:"More than tongue..."
Then they separate, both glaring at each other from their sides of the screen.
Both:"Can tell."
Buldeo disappears into the darkness of the ruins.
(Music ends)
Shere Khan continued to follow after the hunter as the latter walked up the steps of the ancient city and made his way through a large wall. The tiger muttered darkly to himself,
"Today is the day when this feud will finally end. And when it's all over, we shall see who is truly the mightiest of hunters," and he followed the man into the ancient ruins.