As I was walking towards my house, I felt I was being stalked. Some hairy thing touched my leg. That sent a chill through my bones. I quickly sidestepped and discovered that there was indeed a stalker which announced its presence with a “Meow”.
I stopped in my tracks, so did the ‘stalker’. I curiously looked at it, so did the little creature. Raising its head it looked into my eyes and let out another “Meow”. I got it. It wanted to say something. Was it imploring for help?
Had the little kitten lost its way and got separated from its mother? Or had it been abandoned by her? Its helpless looks were quite moving. I melted. But then, was it somebody’s pet and would it be taken back home?
I decided I would see to it later but at that moment I could not ignore its cries. It was a lovely brown-and-white kitten. I picked it up — a fluffy ball —and softly squeezed it in my arms. The warmth of its body instantly boosted my affection for it.
My siblings revelled in joy, vying to fondle the newcomer. But our grandma reacted sharply. She scolded me for bringing a stray feline which, according to her, would only bring bad luck to the family.
I told her that the little one was very hungry and might die of hunger at any moment. It worked.
Grandma brought milk herself and remained seated till the kitten had lapped it up.
I gave the kitten a thorough bath which it enjoyed. Wrapped in a designated towel the beautiful creature took the proverbial cat’s nap and woke up relaxed and yawning. What a sight it was! A strong critic till two hours back, Daadi, as we called our grandmother, named it Kittu.
From that moment the street cat had virtually become our family member, everybody’s darling, who would be asked to squat nearby while we ate at the dining table. It was after a long time that our house witnessed real mirth brought about by Kittu.
Several visitors were critical of grandma for keeping a feline in the house. One said, “Don’t you know that you are bound to face some mishap if a cat crosses your path?” She just smiled and sided with her new found love.
Generally, we all take credit for achievements but attribute failings to other factors, like the poor cat.
With Daadi’s warning at the back of my mind, I was haunted by the thought of some debacle occurring due to the cat. But happily, nothing of the kind happened. After all, so many people elsewhere in the world are living a peaceful life with domesticated cats and flourishing, I told myself.
Good things happen
In fact, certain good things happened like a boost in family’s resources and a marriage. Interestingly, my grandmother attributed them all to the auspicious arrival of Kittu in the house. Daadi had become its ardent fan and gave it abundant love and care. After a stroll, the kitten would sit in her lap. Love begets love, they say.
Ordinarily, furry animals don’t need protection from cold weather. But we take extra care of our pets. So, despite warnings we let Kittu slip into our blankets for a comfortable sleep, thrilled at the same time.
With the passage of time, we had not realised when our cute little kitten had grown into adulthood. One day, it gave birth to four pretty kittens, one of which died soon after its birth.
After a brief quarantine, when Kittu wouldn’t let any of us go near her, she kept changing her kittens’ location, softly carrying them by their necks.
Rearing them till they grew up, Kittu left them to be on their own, just the way I had found her. But she came back to us — alone — to perpetuate our mutual love.
Lalit Raizada is a journalist based in India.
