Known for his extensive vocabulary, veteran politician Shashi Tharoor may have been at a loss of words for a few moments when he had a warm encounter of the wild kind at his residence on Wednesday. He soon shared the “extraordinary experience” he had at his home when a monkey ran towards him, hugged him and after being treated to a couple of bananas. The monkey felt so much at home that he rested on former Union Minister Tharoor’s chest, while he continued reading newspapers in the garden. Tharoor shared a series of photos of this unusual encounter on X, and went on to narrate the incident that left many users of the platform amused.

“Had an extraordinary experience today. While I was sitting in the garden, reading my morning newspapers, a monkey wandered in, headed straight for me and parked himself on my lap. He hungrily ate a couple of bananas we offered him, hugged me and proceeded to rest his head on my chest and dozed off,” the Congress leader said on X.  “I gently began to get up, he leapt off and loped away,” Tharoor added.

He said reverence for wildlife is ingrained in him, and though he was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey-bite which would have necessitated anti-rabies shots, he stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening. “I am gratified that my faith was borne out and our encounter was entirely peaceful and gentle,” Tharoor said.              

Reacting to the post, one X user said, “Probably you got the blessings of Hanuman ji. I zoomed in on all the pictures to find out which newspaper the bestest Member of Parliament was reading.” Another person wrote, “What a beautiful encounter with nature! Moments like these remind us of the deep, unspoken connection we share with other beings. That monkey’s trust in you speaks volumes about your aura of kindness. Truly, experiences like these make us pause and appreciate the simplicity and warmth of life beyond words.”