Nilah's malabar squirrel friend, Kuru

Nilah loved the soft rustling of the Nilgiris forests in the mornings. It was her favorite time to hike, when the sky turned a delicate pink, and the mist still hugged the blue hills. But she was never really alone on these hikes. There was always someone watching, someone curious and playful, someone with a magnificent tail as long as Nilah’s arm. It was her friend, the Malabar giant squirrel. 

Nilah had named him ‘Kuruvi’, though he was far bigger than any bird. Kuruvi had thick, maroon fur with a patch of creamy yellow on his chest, and a bushy tail that swished like a flag. He wasn’t a pet, but somehow, he had chosen Nilah as his hiking companion.
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Kuruvi was special. Appa had told her that the Malabar squirrel, or Ratufa indica, was only found in parts of Southern India, especially in the dense forests of the Western Ghats and Nilgiris. “They are shy and secretive creatures, Nilah. Not everyone gets to see them this close,” Appa would say, sipping his tea. 

But Nilah always giggled. Kuruvi wasn’t shy with her. In fact, he followed her from tree to tree, sometimes showing off his acrobatic leaps. His long, strong limbs helped him jump distances Nilah couldn’t even imagine. She loved watching him glide from one branch to another like a furry superhero. Sometimes, Kuruvi would chatter loudly as if telling her to hurry up when she stopped too long to admire a flower.
Nilah liked to think they understood each other without needing words. She would tell Kuruvi about her day—about school, about the silly fights with her friends, or how Amma made her eat too many greens. Kuruvi would listen, his little head tilted, his round eyes following her every move. Sometimes, he would drop a jackfruit seed or a wild berry near her feet, as if saying, “Here’s something to cheer you up.” 

Nilah had learned that jackfruit seeds were his favorite. She had made it a habit to carry a few in her pocket on every hike, so she could share them with him. It felt like their own secret handshake—Nilah’s words and Kuruvi’s seeds.
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One afternoon, as Nilah sat on her favorite rock overlooking the valley, Kuruvi sat beside her on a branch, his tail brushing against the leaves. The two of them watched the clouds float by in silence. Nilah realized that Kuruvi wasn’t just a creature of the forest—he was part of her world now. She didn’t need words to feel connected to him. 
Their friendship was built on quiet moments, on shared hikes, and on the understanding that sometimes, the best friendships didn’t need to be explained. They just were.