Picture this. The year was 1962. The village was Balwadi, nestled on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The small village was surrounded by thick and dense forests, home to many panthers. These predators often crossed the thin boundary between the forest and the village. Whenever they appeared, they incited panic and terror among the villagers. They were known for attacking humans. Villagers knew that one of them had become a man-eater.

Little did they know, a day of reckoning was imminent.

One afternoon, the village buzzed with news of a panther on the prowl. Word quickly reached Bhau, a slightly built but fearless farmer in the late twenties.

Fear didnโ€™t exist for him. Neither his dictionary nor his vocabulary had this word.

Instantly, Bhau seized his gun and sprinted to the fields. His mission: to protect the villagers from the man-eater. His younger cousin joined him, ready to face the danger alongside him.

The stage was set for a fierce encounter.

Soon, they spotted the panther, roving furtively with predatory intent. Bhau took steady aim, targeting the space between the animal’s eyes, and pulled the trigger. The gun failed to fire. He tried again, but his trusted weapon betrayed him. Glancing at his cousin, he saw that his gun too had no bullets. With no one else to turn to, they found themselves within a handshaking distance of the panther, locked in a deadly standoff.

“Never lose sight of a predator,” echoed the age-old jungle wisdom. But in a moment of fear, Bhau’s cousin looked away. The panther growled, poised to strike. The inevitable showdown loomed, with victory destined for only one.

Their hearts raced as the battle began.

Bhau held his nerve. He fearlessly shoved his gun into the pantherโ€™s throat, choking the beast nearly to death. By then, a few villagers had gathered, but fear had paralysed them. Seizing an axe from a bystander, Bhau struck down the panther. He snatched his friendโ€˜s life from the jaws of certain death. And the village from a potential predator.

Bhau became a hero in the village. When the villagers needed their hero to step up, he didn’t disappoint! He was a daredevil whom the villagers knew they could always rely on.