Ever since I remember, I have loved dogs. Amma used to say that when we were in a small tenement in Aurangabad, there used to be a huge black dog in the compound and I used to ride on him as a toddler and the black dog was extremely protective of me. I have always played with strays, have been clawed at in jest and here and there some tooth marks playfully. Then I had Brownie and Chikku two indies at two different points in my life that helped me cope up with two extremely tough stages of my life.
Now at 42, in an alien city, in a small rented house on the second floor of an old building, one mother cat decides to befriend me and brings her litter of kittens to me. Billu and the kittens are now there for over a month. The kittens are all naughty and exploring in nature tipping down flowering plants and creating mayhem getting into my walking path almost making me trip and getting their tails stamped.
I don’t know how long they are going to be here. Perhaps, once the kittens grow up a bit Billu will take them away. As of now I have got a litter box, a colleague gave me a bag of cat litter, I am giving them dry cat food and diluted milk. If I go away somewhere for a couple of days, what will they do? Will they go find another place. Need to see what happens.
They are a welcome distraction as of now! One more chapter in this journey called life. People have disappointed and broken hearts and backstabbed, but no animal has ever wantonly hurt me!
Teerthadanam 