It is usually not for a long stretch of time when I manage to keep my relationship status at the ‘single’ mark. I’m almost always in a relationship (or even more) at any given time. Ummm… with animals, that is !
And my latest liaison started off in the beginning of
November 2012 when a generous cat walked into our place with a pair of twins
dangling from its mouth. No wonder, I was hooked instantly.
Befriending an animal is one of the most exciting and
blissful experiences one can ever have. And with loads of such experiences throughout
my life, this opportunity was no different. However, the cat made a
disappearing act the very next day, never to return to check on the twins.
Maybe she was satisfied that the little ones were in an appropriate place to be
left to grow up. But it left me with complete freedom to take care of the
kittens all by myself.
Though under most unfortunate circumstances, one of the
kittens met with a fatal accident. This led me to be even more attached to the
other little kitty.
Before long, we were literally inseparable (much to the
helplessness of my Mom). And intelligent kitty having discovered the risks of
possible evictions from the house after following me indoors, took to walking
between my feet to evade any impending hostility. And during times when my feet
were stationary, little kitty let no opportunity pass to rub itself on and
around my feet. At times made me wonder if kitty had heard something awful
about cat-skin and hence wanted to get it off by rubbing me frantically.
I wasn’t even spared a minute’s peace in the afternoon sun
to sit and read. Repeated attempts were made to jump on to my lap (with
simultaneous shrieks emerging from the direction of my Mom). But ultimately,
the victory for both of us would end up as something like this.
At other times when kitty wanted to play, a stare from a distance was enough to give me the signal.
And after getting done with playing ball, getting kitty down
from the top of the guava tree and having a quick snack of our favorite choco
cookies, it would be time to relax in the winter-afternoon sun.
Even if I shifted base from outdoors to indoors, kitty would
follow and sleep with me not more than a feet away.
I even managed to get kitty to be friends with the dogs
outdoor (the ones whom I feed every night). It was a pity I couldn’t get a
picture of myself standing with kitty and the dogs on my sides.
Friendship with an animal is one of the purest form of
relationships. One doesn’t even need to talk to communicate with such a friend.
The eyes are enough to convey whatever one wants to convey in a true
relationship.
If only…
