Born to be wild

The driver switches off the engine and signals for us to be quiet. The guide has his hands cupped behind his ears and is listening out for something. While we can’t see anything through the thick sal forest that covers the Kanha National Park, the jungle is alive with sounds; the mewing of a peacock, the screech of an eagle, the staccato cough of a langur, the bark of a deer. The guide whispers pointing to the left, “The tiger is headed that way”. Somebody had once said, ‘When the tiger walks, the jungle talks’. And if can you interpret the jungle talk, like our guide can, you have a better chance of catching a sight of this elusive and majestic cat. The driver starts up the motor and drives the safari vehicle we are sitting in a few feet down the road, which is where we expect the tiger to show up. But today the tiger has other plans and retreats deeper into the jungle rather than come out on the road. This trip to Kanha began with a contest nearly a month ago.

The GLAdventure Contest promised a three- day driving holiday to six people, from Nagpur to Kanha. Not only would they be staying at the plush Banjaar Tola resort in Kanha, but they would also get to drive there in the recently launched Mercedes-Benz GLA. It was difficult to choose from the numerous entries that poured in, but finally six people were chosen and flown to Nagpur on April 10, 2015. And that’s where this story actually begins.

Waiting for them are two gleaming GLAs and a 300km drive to Kanha. But before the drive could officially begin, the participants were driven to the Mercedes-Benz dealership, Auto Hangar, for a quick briefing and light refreshments.

Post the warm welcome at Auto Hangar, Nagpur, the drive was ready for an official flag-off. And what better place to flag-off the GLAdventure drive, than at the very centre of India — the Zero Mile Stone. This sandstone pillar was erected by the British to mark road distances. This important monument stands neglected today, but still is an apt starting point for a road trip.