Scar by Tanisha Desai

“Nobody is a villain in their own story. We’re all the heroes of our own stories.”

Monster. Evil. Diabolical. Uncontrollable. Just a few of the lovely words I’ve been called, time and again.

Greetings, dear reader. What you are about to set your eyes upon is not for the faint of heart.

My, my, where are my manners? I must introduce myself. The name is Scar, rightful heir to the Pride Lands. Does the name sound familiar?

You’ve heard the fanciful “Simba is the hero” version, I presume? Pah! That’s just the tall tale they tell to make sure the cubs sleep at night. You, on the other hand are about to discover the true story. My story.

Our story begins decades ago, on a golden day when the sun’s rays first gently caressed the majestic structure of Pride Rock, and a little cub were born to a lion king named Mazuri.

This cub had an older brother, who had been born a few years before him.

The two siblings were opposite in almost every way when it came to looks.

One had golden fur, the embodiment of the sun, the other with midnight fur, the moon.

These two cubs were named Mufasa and Taka.

As they grew up, it became apparent that their personalities were no less different than their looks. One had silly irrational ideas of how to rule the Pride Lands. The other was a visionary, with innovative ideologies that had potential to mould the future. The first cub had been born with raw brawn, the other with brains.

One day, Mufasa had found himself being chased by a stampeding herd of wildebeest, and had had been saved by Taka, who cleverly entrapped them in a gorge.

Mazuri and Taka stood at the edge of Pride Rock. The green land below was illuminated yellow. Beyond that, the land was shrouded in shadow. The sky was a fusion of a bright pink and dull blue, covered by a blanket of thickening clouds and mist.

Mazuri gazed down at his son and his eyes crinkled. “Do you know why I have brought you here, little one?” Taka shook his head expectantly, his eyes widening. Mazuri shook back the raven- black, glossy mane that framed his head and smiled. “ Look at the glorious savannah before you.” Taka gazed out at the infinite land in wonder. “This beautiful land will be yours to rule someday.” Mazuri’s low, voice echoed. Taka’s eyes lit up. He turned back to look at his father. “I promise,” Mazuri said softly.

Now that Taka knew that he was next in line to be king, he was overjoyed. It was the one thing he’d always desired. His father had promised him; and Mazuri had never been known to break a promise.

Or so he thought.

As the years crawled by, Mazuri grew older and older. One cold evening, he summoned Taka and Mufasa before him.    

“I grow old, sons,” he said hoarsely. “One of you must take the throne.” Taka’s eyebrow raised in suspicion. Mazuri’s bright eyes were filled with worry and anguish. He stepped back, his head bowed. “One of us?” Mufasa snarled. Taka turned to look at him, disoriented. “But- you promised me!” Taka said, his eyes ablaze. “Calm down now, sons,” Mazuri growled firmly, stamping his foot with authority.

Emotions raced at the speed of light through Taka’s mind. Betrayal… fear… sadness… anger. Seeing his sons like this, Mazuri looked broken. “You promised,” Taka whimpered. Mufasa turned to face Taka, his face reddening. “He promised me first, I’m sure,” Mufasa said, unsure of his own words. Taka turned to look expectantly at his father, the one lion he had trusted throughout his life, the one lion he’d had faith in, the one who had promised him. “I did,” Mazuri bowed his head sheepishly.

Taka’s anger towered. He stepped closer to his father. “You looked me in the eye,” he said, his growl icy. “I hadn’t decided,” said Mazuri, his forehead creasing. “That’s your excuse?” Taka snarled. Mufasa seemed troubled and angry at the same time. “Anyway, Mufasa is more fit to rule than you are,” Mazuri explained, tensing. With a dangerous click, his claws emerged from his paws. He approached Taka. “I thought you were a father. But you never were, were you? I always knew you favoured Mufasa. You never liked me do you? Do you know what my name means? It means waste. And you knew that.” Taka spat. Mazuri’s eyes blazed. Taka continued with satisfaction. “You never loved me. From the very start, you-“ Mazuri could bear it no more. He struck out at his second- born, slashing him across his eye. “ You would never live up to my expectations!” Mazuri roared. It echoed across the Pride Lands. Taka looked first at his father, then his brother. The pain seared on the skin near his eye. He felt broken. His father didn’t love him. He never had. The pain he felt on the wound was nothing compared to the hollowness on the inside.

From that day onwards, Taka renamed himself to Scar, to remind him never to trust anyone, that he was quite alone in this world, and as a reminder to take back what was rightfully his.

You see, my friend, I’m not as evil and all as you think, am I?

I’m sure you think you know what happens after that.

You probably think that Mufasa cared for the survival of every animal, don’t you? That he was perfect in every way?

But where was Mufasa when the hyenas were starving to death? Where was Mufasa when I was the only one who even cared to think about them? Where was he, I ask you!

I’m not going to try and justify what I did to Mufasa. I’m just going to provide all the puzzle pieces so you can look at the picture as a whole. Make of it what you will.

A humble ”villain”,

Scar