There was a time when he rode beside them. He remembers the warmth of their bodies, the rhythm of the tiger’s footsteps, and the feeling that they were all travelling toward the same place. But somewhere along the way, he was left behind. Now, they pass through his world like a memory that refuses to disappear close enough to recognise, yet too distant to touch. Their faces remain familiar, but they no longer look back. Even the tiger remembers the path without him. He watches in silence, wondering whether they abandoned him or whether he was the one who slowly became distant. Some separations do not happen all at once. They grow quietly between people until someone you once knew completely begins to feel like a stranger. And still, the distance feels familiar. Pixel Paint GIF 1500x1500 px