Saakshi And Stripes | #wattys2016

Chapter 2

Saakshi tapped her chin in thought, an eye closed, and stared at the big box her parents had given her as a present. She tried to guess what could be inside... Many new dresses? New paid of shoes? Pretty dolls for her to play with?

Finally, she gave in and pulled the lid off of the box. When she saw what was inside, she first stared at it in shock, then slowly her lips stretched into a big smile and her eyes to lit up.

A little tiger cub, which from the looks of it was a little more than a week old, was fast asleep inside. As Saakshi began to cry with delight( for although she was very young she loved nature and all sorts of birds, insects and animals), the sleeping tiger cub slowly woke up and stood inside the box. He looked adorable as he tried and tried, but failed, to get out of the box. Saakshi's mother lifted him and put him down on the floor next to Saakshi. He seemed to take an instant liking to her, as he rubbed himself against Saakshi's leg.

He had beautiful green eyes whose shade grew darker as you go further towards the pupil. His coat was a bright orange with with black lines running randomly at some places.

While Saakshi was drying her eyes, trying to stop her tears of joy, her mother stepped towards her with a broad smile on her pretty face. "So, what will you name him, sweetheart?" She asked Saakshi sweetly. Saakshi thought for a while, trying to think of a good name. Finally...

"Stripes."