The next morning Jamie approached the glass. Meera saw him. She rose slowly and walked to the edge, her eyes locked on his. Behind her, Nibbles padded close, yawning, tail wagging. He barked once—short, cheerful, bright. Jamie burst into tears. He didn’t even know why.
Jamie sat with his father on a bench outside the enclosure. “I want him back,” he said quietly. “But I want her to be okay too.” His father looked at Meera through the glass. “Sometimes, we don’t get to keep the things we love. Sometimes, we have to share them.”
News spread fast. By noon, the first camera crews had arrived. The story hit social media like wildfire. A tiger and a puppy? Together? People laughed, cried, argued, speculated. Hashtags formed. “#PupAndPaw” trended in four countries. People left dog toys at the zoo gates.
Inside the enclosure, Meera had become a different creature. She played again. She rolled in the grass. She even swatted a ball across the yard—something she hadn’t done since her cub died. When Nibbles barked, she followed. When he whined, she responded. As if on cue.