What’s Mine Is Yours

From that day onwards, it was clear to everyone at Karachi Zoo that Noor Jehan and I shared a special bond. No longer did I need protected contact to interact with her. In fact, the keepers encouraged me to visit her, talk to her and keep her engaged. She was in immense pain and until medical help could arrive, all we could do was follow her feeding routine and try to bring her comfort.

What’s Mine Is Yours

Whenever I entered near to their enclosure, both Noor Jehan and Madhubala would light up with excitement. We ensured separate baskets of fruit for each of them, so they both had equal portions. Their diets were now monitored not only by our team but also by concerned members of civil society who diligently sent updates across the group to confirm feeding times.

Madhubala being healthy and active, always ate quickly. Noor Jehan however, struggled and took her time. One day, after Madhubala finished her basket, she mischievously reached her trunk into Noor Jehan’s basket and stole a few apples. The volunteers present laughed at her antics, but one of them quickly placed the basket back in front of Noor Jehan, gently scolding, “Naughty Madhu, go away – don’t steal her fruit.”

What happened next left us speechless. Madhubala, realizing her mistake, moved away to the far side of the gate, pretending to busy herself with her tire. Noor Jehan, watching Madhubala walk away after a scolding, picked up an apple from her basket, slowly trudged over to Madhubala, and placed it in her mouth as if to say, “Here you go, what’s mine is yours.”

The bond between the two sisters was undeniable, their love and loyalty evident in these tender moments.

A Song for Noor Jehan

Madhubala often spent her time playing with her tire or bathing in the pond, while Noor Jehan rested, her frail body leaning against a boundary wall or the trunk of the tamarind tree in their enclosure. Sometimes she would walk near the bars where I would be standing watching both of them. In those quiet moments, she would approach me, allowing me to touch her trunk and give her kisses on her head – occasionally sing for her. She grew accustomed to this. It had now become our ritual.

Wildlife in pain can be unpredictable and, at times, very dangerous. Yet, Noor Jehan and I had developed an unexplainable bond built on mutual trust. Despite her suffering, she was as gentle as a butterfly with me. For sixteen years, she had known only trauma. Now, in her pain, she found solace in this special connection of ours. We both cherished the time we spent together. Her favorite song, “You Are My Sunshine,” was often met with her deep brown eyes staring inside me through adorable long lashes – she was so beautiful. So pretty. So wise.

Our volunteer team had grown into a committed group of around fifteen to twenty individuals. When we weren’t at the zoo tending to the elephants, we held meetings to strategize. One evening, we gathered at “Chai Master,” a cozy outdoor tea café owned by two of our supporting friends, Harris Sheikh and his sister Haiya Sheikh.

Joining our team was Maher Omar, Nadeem Khalid, President – WWF Pakistan and Azhar Khan, a seasoned wildlife conservationist. Discussions ranged from dietary supplements, to improving the elephants’ enclosure. Azhar raised critical concerns about the pond in the elephants’ enclosure. He pointed out that its steep gradient posed a potential danger to Noor Jehan. Her weak legs could give way, leading to an accident we couldn’t afford. We adjourned our meeting that evening on a firm resolve to address the issue immediately with the Zoo administration.

Little did we know!

The Call

The next afternoon, at around three in the afternoon, I received a distress call from the Zoo Supervisor Raju. His voice trembled as he said, “Noor Jehan has fallen into the pond – come quick.”

A wave of guilt crashed over me. We had discussed the risk just the night before. Why didn’t we act immediately? But there was no time for regret. I rushed to the zoo as fast as I could.

When I arrived, I was met with resistance. The zoo authorities and the newly appointed director, Kunwar Ayoob, stopped me at the entrance gate leading into Noor Jehan’s enclosure. Calmly but coldly, they said, “Noor Jehan is receiving hydrotherapy. She cannot be disturbed.”

It was a blatant lie. Karachi Zoo had no capacity or expertise to administer such treatments. They were hiding something, likely to protect their reputation. Despite my pleas, I was escorted out by his personal armed guards.

My heart broke. Just the day before, I had promised Noor Jehan I’d see her again – soon. Now, when she needed me most, I was being kept away.

Unanswered Question

To this day, no one can say for sure how Noor Jehan ended up in that pond. The question hangs heavy in the air, unanswered. Was it an accident? A moment of negligence? Or something far more disturbing – something we dare not say out loud?

Raju’s words still echo in my mind: “All this time, she never went near the pond. Why now?”

Why now, indeed.

But I’ve come to believe there was more to that moment than we could ever understand. Noor Jehan was no ordinary being – she had an awareness, a will, a knowingness that went beyond our limited comprehension. She was deeply intuitive, almost spiritual in her intelligence. Everything she did carried meaning. Even that final dip in the pond, her last bath, her last play – was not random. It was intentional. It was hers.

This chapter isn’t about her fall. It’s about our failure – humanity’s failure to rise to the consciousness these majestic beings hold within them.

We failed to see the world through her eyes.

We failed to feel her suffering.

We failed to honor her trust.

And in doing so, we revealed our worst selves: a species driven by greed, blinded by self-interest, numb to everything except gain. Despite having been given so much – this earth, its creatures, its beauty – we take more. We always want more. And we destroy in the process.

But Noor Jehan, in all her grace and quiet strength, left us with a parting gift- one last lesson even as her body broke.

A lesson in surrender… in trusting the universe, even when the world is cruel.

A lesson in letting go – not with bitterness, but with generosity.

A lesson in the Law of Nature, and in the quiet, unmatched joy of giving.

In her own silent way, she told us what humanity has long forgotten: Coexistence!

“What’s mine is yours!”