Chapter 1 : Found someone
The year of 2017, it was raining heavily. We were exploring life’s beauty and nature, surrounded by greens, away from the township’s limelight and pollution. Fragrance of rain and mud seems like a healing therapy of nature. Rain and high wind leaving dust on the face, and wiped it again with its full pace.
We found shelter under a giant mango tree, a mud-made gas grabbed my attention. Farmers who were taking care of our lands created it to use of their every day’s mid-meal. I was thinking to prepare tea on it, that is another thing I least prefer tea though, however, it was for my mother, who is a die-hard fan of tea, her eyes were telling me how much she was in need of a cup of hot tea, at that time. Yet, pouring the idea in this weather could sound to other people stupid or foolish as the wind was interrupting like coming to meet us the first time and never wanting to leave our zone. In this weather we found shelter was no less than a miracle, preparing tea was an impossible tale, though. Yet, my care towards my mother made me feel restless. The weather could lead her to bear the pain of migraine. Something needed at this time to divert her mind. I was feeling helpless. I closed my eyes and hugged the mango tree.
Minutes later, I heard mixed voices of collision. I opened my eyes, and what I saw was awestruck. A green, yet mud-wrapped half-dead creature lying on the ground, seeking genuine help to be able to collect those remaining half life. The parrot who fell down from the tree, and got injured. I kept looking at them. I am sensitive enough, hence, I couldn’t touch birds or animals. I saw my mother, she bent down and grabbed the parrot in her arms, got dirty her hands and applied mud therapy on its injured wings, she held a baby parrot like a kid, patting on back and trying to get it back at its normal habitant. Everyone assumed it was dead, except my mother. Her extreme belief and hope that the parrot going to live a long and healthy life, now onwards as well. She decided to take the new member at our house. We gave a name - “Mitthi” And became too close to my younger sibling Lavisha (name changed privacy protected). Chanting her name when she depart or arrived from the college, became Mitthi’s routine life.
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Chapter 2 : A Friendship
In the era of boyfriends, Lavisha was away from all these dating zones. She was much into family and study. Lonely yet least speaks about her pain. Sometimes she would spend time with Mitthi, or to learn cooking i.e. baking cookies, designer cakes and street foods, all these were her one of favourite hobbies. She was taking care of her parents as well. An example of good human being and a daughter.
I was living away from the town. I felt the day her pain and struggle. She might be in need of someone, yet she least speaks, I believed she must have been feeling herself surrounded by lots of responsibilities. I felt she wanted to discuss something. The day on siblings’ day, I dialled her number. And she answered.
“How are you, Lavisha?! “All good, Bro.”
“Okay! Is there anything you want to share? I feel like you have something to share.” “How did you know.”
“Spiritual enough, can sense intuition.”
“Joe, a good friend of mine, living in Canada, has been proposing me, since five years. I don’t feel like to be in a relationship, because at the end of the day. They cheat. People do talk about loyalty, who truly give?! Apart from this, he acts insane, it's hurting me, and I feel helpless.”
“Not all are the same.”
“I have given your number, he might be contacting you.”
Meanwhile, my phone notified with the text message of a guy.
“I will talk to you later. I think your friend is texting me.”
Over text (Chat box)…
“Hi, please, try to convince her.”
No introduction, nothing. He just came to the point. Sound hilarious and sincere at the same time. “I don’t know you, just one word. Would you marry her or just looking for casual relationship?
Unlike me, she is not that strong and bold.” I could say this only, because it was matter of two people’s mutual understanding. I had nothing to do into this. I had no major role to be played.
“I am dying to marry her. If you support, we will fight the world.”
“My support is forever with you. But it should reach to the marriage. She is not into all these.”
“Promise.”
“Okay. I will tell her, she respects my words, she would be convincing. Let’s meet on her birthday.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“What gift should I give to her. I am thinking to give a dog as a pet.”
“My mother doesn’t like it. Ummmm… You may give a Rabbit. We all love it and we have a huge garden too. And to make up her mind, give a ring (not costly, just to give her a sure sign of commitment). My support is there, yet, parents approval is mandate.”
Patting my back because a love story has been started, another member a pet Rabbit arrived at home, we named it “Kevin.”
Teasing me like hell became Kevin’s best habit. I think Kevin must have felt empowered that he could be able to tease someone. The most innocent and sensitive creature on the earth. How one can feel fearful from them? I have kind of phobia of pets. It doesn’t mean I hate them, but I can’t touch them. I often maintain enough distance whenever I’m at home town.
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Chapter 3 : Introduced to soulmates
Your house felt like zoo at this time. We didn’t know how to take care of Kevin and Mitthi altogether. Mitthi felt like possessive at this time, must have been thinking Kevin grabbed all the attention. We could sense it. Mitthi didn’t like a new pet in the house. That we would sort later, at that time main concern was, “What does it eat?” Grass, cabbage! Yes of course. Yet, what he actually ate the day was shocking for the entire family members. He ate Indian home cooked food what my mother prepared which was bread and dal. Kevin saw a digital video with Lavisha, in that video it was showing interior decoration of the house. Where Kevin noticed a western chair’s washroom. The day Kevin tried to use dustbin as potty chair. Yes, it has no joke. Sometimes it felt like that he must have been thinking, “Why I’m different than other human of the house.” Kevin tried to be like human.
There was no alarm needed. Kevin was enough to make everyone wake up. Especially to Lavisha. If she studies, he would jump on study table to grab her attention and love.
Mitthi came outside from the cage. And started teasing Kevin by pinching beak. We kept both of them in a separate cage. Once Kevin’s cage got broken while washing it. We kept him in the Mitthi’s cage. And after that their secret love had started. It seemed now Mitthi loved Kevin more than anyone in the house, yet, Kevin would feel shy, and would run here and there, mostly come to Lavisha to hiding from Mitthi, and pretend like not giving damn on Mitthi’s attention, in front of rest family members.
Years passed by, what was the day I didn’t know, I arrived from my long abroad trip. Kevin usually remain in the cage if I’m in the house. Kind of phobia - I run from pets. The day Kevin was not in the cage but wasn’t looking at me, not teasing me, neither trying to make me fearful. What happened! Kevin would run from Mitthi, but the day both having their precious time under a sofa couch. Despite separate plate for both to have food, they were having food together from the same plate, I caught them, yet closed the door, as I didn’t want to disturb them. We just discussed, “Rest of the days Kevin runs from Mitthi, but today what happened to Kevin?!” Yet, we overlooked.
Years passed by. The day in the afternoon around 02:00 pm, Kevin came in the room, but not to tease me, but kept starring me like keeping saved my image in the eyes, forever. I felt weird. But I just smiled. Kevin stared me nonstop almost for five minutes. Then showered loads of love to both pet’s favourite Lavisha, licking tongue on her palm, that too went for almost ten minutes. Kevin went in the room, and kept staring outside of door. That direction goes to the road. Kevin sat there at the corner of main gate.
My mother tried to pamper. Yet, Kevin was losing senses and strength from the body. We all came in the room, started crying, I ask forgiveness as I used to ran from Kevin. Minutes later, Kevin’s body got stretched, and mouth turned open, we could see cute bunny teeth, beautiful white fur turned into hard and slightly brown from legs side. Our charming Kevin left the world.
Who would make up mind of Mitthi? How to handle Mitthi? We covered cage. Mitthi was calling Kevin in their own language of communications, but what we could listen just a simple tone of voice, pitch was loud than normal. May be Mitthi sensed it.
It was late in the evening we buried Kevin under a big tree, covered body showering tons of roses. And returned home with wet eyes, and heavy heart. Now we opened cage of Mitthi, looking the whole scenario we lost our senses and couldn’t stop crying, Mitthi was searching Kevin everywhere in the house, here and there. That was the most painful moment of my life ever, till date. Because they couldn’t speak, or cry to lighten burden of losing loved ones. We kept Mitthi in the cage.
Covered it, as we wanted to fooled Mitthi, that Kevin is here. Just cage is covered. Mitthi would believe as cage was covered. We had managed like this for almost one month. It was tough, but we could do it.
The day Mitthi started yelling, in loudest pitch, wanted to see Kevin. Breaking at us we tried to convince. We took Mitthi at neighbour’s house, they too had a Rabbit. We thought if we could be able to fool Mitthi, and pretend like this rabbit is Kevin. Mitthi didn’t even look at that Rabbit.
Mitthi lost all strength. We took back home. Kept Mitthi in the garden, Mitthi was kept starring at the sky. And few minutes later, Mitthi stopped breathing, left the world.
We cried. Now time to do burry with ceremony, as we did Kevin’s. We were thinking, that Kevin’s body must have been melted in the mud, or eaten by any animal. We been at the same place with Mitthi, what we saw was not less than a miracle. Kevin was lying on the ground as it is, as we buried, as if waiting of Mitthi to come and lets get melted together with soil. We kept Mitthi near Kevin’s body. The way we paid bid farewell of both of them. They met in the heaven and at the happiest, peaceful place. They both gone like taught us a lot. They taught the lesson of true love in era of modern breakups and situationships.
The day I got to know one more news that Lavisha’s boyfriend who made loads of promises, broken up with her, a few months ago. Never awaken one’s love when other least have enough guts to fulfil it. It's ethically and emotionally not acceptable.
This was the same month when Kevin left the world. The whole story felt like, a human got failed to fulfil promises, giving nonsense reasons, yet animals got their love without any excuses and boundaries. Even after their death.
Dedicated few words:
Lived like king-size.
Replaced our tears with loads of happiness and love Taught us, true love, when humans failed Understood all human behaviour
Whose love would be purest as Mitthi did to Kevin, or both to each others? Hats off and salute our champs
In loving memories of…
Kiwi and Mitthi (Real name) are Soulmates. Forever alive, under the sky.