Some journeys are measured not by the distance travelled, but by the passions pursued along the way. In The Drift – Jungle Stories of a Banker, A.K. Sahay turns the story of a banking career into something far more personal: a lifelong search for birds, forests, photographs, and a deeper connection with the natural world. The book was published in June 2026 by White Falcon Publishing.

From classrooms to forests

Sahay’s fascination with wildlife began in childhood, when a promised camera became the incentive that helped him overcome his struggles with mathematics. Life soon brought harder tests. After his father’s sudden death, he joined the State Bank of Mysore in 1982. His posting at Male Mahadeshwar Hills placed him amid forests, where he and colleagues formed the Jungle Lovers group and began trekking to observe elephants.

A subsequent posting at Shimoga brought him closer to Bhadra Tiger Reserve and Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary. Guidance from forest officials opened new opportunities for observation and photography.

The photograph became a pursuit

Sahay’s fascination evolved from butterflies in flight to birds in flight. The guidance of wildlife photographer E. Hanumantha Rao sharpened his craft, while his association with The Statesman gave him a platform to write about wildlife. His meeting with former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam became another turning point: inspired by Kalam’s encouragement, Sahay took nature education to schools and colleges. His work as a nature educator and wildlife photographer has continued to reach young audiences.

A life shaped by persistence

Romulus Whitaker’s review captures the book’s greatest strength: its honesty. Sahay does not conceal the setbacks of his professional life or the difficulties surrounding his family. Instead, he shows how persistence transformed an interest into a lifelong vocation—whether waiting for a pelican in flight, following migratory ruddy shelducks or patiently pursuing the perfect image of a jacana, painted stork or kingfisher.

There is warmth, too, in the account of meeting Sangita, who became a companion to this adventurous life.

More than a book about birds

For Sahay, wildlife is not merely something to photograph. It is something to understand, respect and share. That is perhaps the lasting message of The Drift: a meaningful life can emerge when curiosity is pursued with patience, even within the constraints of an ordinary profession.

And for a naturalist from Dhanbad, the journey carries another quiet significance. In a world increasingly distanced from nature, Sahay’s story reminds us that conservation often begins not in a forest, but with the decision to look closely, care deeply, and help others see what we might otherwise overlook.