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a cage kept on a lorry. He travelled a distance of eighty - seven miles to
reach the zoo.

We all missed him greatly; but in a sense we were relieved. My wife was
inconsolable. She wept and fretted. For the first few days she would not
eat anything. Then she wrote a number of letters to the curator. How
was Baba? Back came the replies, “Well, but fretting; he refuses food
too.”

Fretted : worried; unhappy; not relaxed

Although everyone missed Baba but they were relaxed too. The
narrator’s wife was disturbed, she wept and worried about Baba’s well -
being. Initially, she did not eat or drink. She wrote a letter to the zoo in-
charge to inquire about Baba. He replied that Baba was also undergoing
a similar situation like her.

After that, friends visiting Mysore were begged to make a point of going
to the zoo and seeing how Baba was getting along. They reported that
he was well but looked very thin and sad. All the keepers at the zoo said
he was fretting. For three months I managed to restrain my wife from
visiting Mysore. Then she said one day, “I must see Baba. Either you
take me by car; or I will go myself by bus or train.” So I took her by car.

Restrain: stop

She would ask her friends visiting Mysore to visit Baba and check out on
him. Everyone gave a similar report that Baba was fine but appeared
thin and sad. The staff at the zoo said that he seemed worried. The
narrator restrained his wife from visiting the zoo for three months. One
day she said that she wanted to see Baba and if he would not take her,
then she would go herself by train or bus. Finally, they went to see Baba
at the zoo.

Friends had conjectured that the bear would not recognise her. I had
thought so too. But while she was yet some yards from his cage Baba
saw her and recognised her. He howled with happiness. She ran up to
him, petted him through the bars, and he stood on his head in delight.

Conjectured: formed an opinion by guessing

Their friends had predicted that Baba would not recognize her and the
narrator had thought so too but to his amazement, she was a few steps
away from the cage when Baba saw her and recognized her. He
screamed with happiness. She ran up to him, petted him and Baba was
very happy to have her back.