Z FOR ZINI – The Cat Who Left a Paw Print on My Heart

Z FOR ZINI – The Cat Who Left a Paw Print on My Heart

ZINI was the name I had given her. No, no, I‘m not at all a cat lover. In fact not even a pet lover. I’m more precisely a Zoo-phobic if not just Ailurophobic or Cynophobic.  I fear animals for one particular reason. Neither I can’t touch them nor can I handle their touch. I get an extra sensation, a kind of Goosebumps even with the thought of the “TOUCH”.

It was way back in my mid nineties. Almost two decades ago. I was in 8^th Standard then. My schooling had been from a residential school. So I used to stay in hostel. One lazy afternoon, I heard something which felt like someone crying in pain. I came out of my room and crossed the narrow corridor and proceeded to the open veranda from where the sound was coming. On my reaching, I found a little kitten was trapped at one corner of the walls that enclosed the veranda from three sides between a tree branch (from outer side) and some stuffs kept in sack by the hostel caretaker. I felt bad and looked for someone around who can help it get out of it. However, I could find no one around. I couldn’t think of rescuing it even though felt pity for the poor creature.

Merciless you can say me but I turned back to return to my room. However after few steps I couldn’t make another move and got back to the veranda again. I looked for some long sticks or something like that by which I can help it out but in vain. It was incessantly crying and the sound was quite piercing. Helpless, finally I rushed the water pump room in one of the corner of veranda and I got the ladder that was kept in it and positioned it against wall where the kitten was trapped. I climbed it and tried to move the sack. But kitten was trapped with the branch of the tree with one of its leg getting entangled with it. It was easy to get out of it but the poor creature didn’t know the trick. Finally I had to overlook all my sensations and caught hold of it and got it out of the branch smoothly. Climbed down and kept it on the veranda. Few moments, it didn’t move and just said “meon meon...” I looked at its jelly like two eyes which were filled with tears I guess. It seemed terrified, pained and hungry. I brought a bowl full of amul powder wala milk which it slurped slowly though.

Looking at my “Mission Rescue Cat “few of my roommates got up and pampered it well. I didn’t know how I did it. I gave her the name ZINI. It seemed it was parted from its mother. How it got up to the wall, is still a mystery to me.  After that, it roamed around being pampered and fed by the girls in the hostel.  It became a familiar member of the hostel as it grew up.

However, whenever I used to be in the hostel it would come to the door of our room and say “meon, meon....” such an attention seeking creature it was. I must say, I did never hold it again in my hand & never embrace it. But it seemed we had established a bond. And the best thing was after every vacation, whenever I used to return, within moments I would find her at my doorstep. In the hostel it was NICK Named Tinu’s Ladli. We had to change room also every year as rule by the hostel administration but ZINI was smart enough to find out my room.

However when I was in mid of 11^th standard, I noticed ZINI was nowhere around. I searched for it so did other girls. But it was nowhere. We looked for it outside the hostel too but couldn’t find it. I missed it like anything and had tears in my eyes. I didn’t know if I would ever find myself falling in love with a cat or an animal for that matter.  But ZINI wasn’t just a cat I guess. It had already left a paw print in my heart.

Unfortunately that time unlike these days we had no resources to keep pictures. But ZINI – with its jelly like eyes, her face is as fresh as ever in my mental screen...

I could never love any other cat after that the way I loved ZINI though I found a shadow it in other cats.....

This is my Post for DAY – 26For the Alphabet Z  In #AToZChallenge by #Blogchatter #BlogchatterA2Z  

Image Source - Google 

Y FOR YELLOW STICK

Yellow is my favourite colour. That’s why I like men in Yellow jerseys Chennai Super Kings….CSK!! He he he…However this post is neither about colour Yellow nor about CSK or IPL. It’s about something else. It’s about a YELLOW STICK.

 READ ON…..

When a child is born, a mother also takes birth.... right away!!

To be honest I never believed in... When people say that children should take care of their mother given to the fact that they (read Mothers) selflessly take care of them,

Selfless!!! I really wonder, because, I never felt myself selfless as a mother Whatever I did for my child…it was just for my own concerns, my own delights and own responsibilities.

I felt bad when he was ill….So I couldn't sleep

I always get the Elysian glee……With his Every Flicker of smile

I feel like a sense of divinity around me…having him in my lap

So where did I do anything for him??? It’s all for me and myself!!

What I received from him is immeasurable and incomparable with what I did for him….this is the reality or rather truth for me at least.

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Like any other mother I have also numerous beautiful memories of being a mother. Wrote many things about it already, however motherhood is such a bag of experiences and moments that even eternity would be insufficient to narrate them that to in a first forward manner.yah.

Well let me trail down the memory lane. Let me tell you about the Yellow Stick.  There are loads of such memoirs but this one is really soul-stirring!!

He was in STD II then.

That day was as mundane as another. It was just of those routine days. Like any other day, that day too he was the same naughty boy, never willing to go to school. With all his familiar antics he was in full swing to try his best to bunk school. And I was in my routine self to get him prepared for his schools. 

Afternoon school….space constraint in schools in Mumbai…..we know that.

Usually our everyday routine and trend was….

From waking up from bed to getting prepared for schools…everything used to happen with my shouting!!Shouting….no its repeated shouting….yes that’s more correct!!

You know...throat exercise recommended for Moms....for repeating the same things again & again. I believe…whether a woman was a cuckoo or not before becoming a mother but become a crow for sure after she becomes one….

I used to shout at everything...

Pupun, Brush your teeth.... and he would first ask the toothpaste to come out of the tube first….

Again shout…brushing finished??

He would say, “Okay Mama….doing it.” As if bahut atyachaaar ho rahi hai bachhe ke upar.

Similarly

Finish you milk….he would first make faces, then there will be stories on how children don’t love milk in the morning!! How his friends Moms never compel them to have milk…blah…blah

“You know Mamma…Shreya does not drink milk and her mother doesn’t force her also.”

As if I don’t know Shreya’s mother…huh

Then it’s the term for Bathing'… he would start asking silly questions

“Mama…doses this tap ever baths or do birds bath?”

OMG!! Only as a mother I know how difficult it is to handle his Masti

What I mean to say is it’s really a terrible task to make him do the daily chores. You need to be known for your constant reiterations, excellent tolerance and a multi-eyed person,

That’s our routine for every school day!!

That day was no different on his part, but I was not feeling okay for something. So I was getting irritated and angry with his everyday tantrums and making scene of things. I knew how I controlled my anger at times. I think he was too little to understand that but I was edgy and my tolerance was crossing the limit.

So when he started making faces with his breakfast….it was too much. I really lost my temper. I hit him with my palms,

 One on his chubby cheeks and one on his back and one on his bums…

 First he had not expected that….

 Then, when he realized what had just happened he started crying. But then looking at my serious face, with fear, anger and tear…finished his breakfast. After that…he made no more scenes, quietly wore his uniform and shoes…trying to look into my eyes.... 

After hitting him…I was also almost in tears. But I was hiding my emotion and avoiding any direct eye contact with him.

 I never hit him with my hand…so I got hurt while hitting him….I mean it was very painful for me as well. In fact I never hit him by hand, but sometime in case there are uncontrollable tantrums I used to hit (not hard) with the back end of a Fibre  Yellow Spatula. We had got it with something ..I guess.  Actually there is an interesting tale about this YELLOW STICK…as we called it.

Aaditya…used to hate the Yellow Stick like anything. Because for that Yellow Coloured lifeless fellow, you know he couldn’t do things as per his wish. It was quite threatening to him and he used be afraid of it. That's why it was his biggest enemy. Sometime even the mention of “Yellow Stick” would be enough to control his tantrums and bring back his tempers. He hated it like anything and one fine day…we found “The Yellow Stick” had gone missing mysteriously!!

Anyway…as we were getting late... We rushed to the Bus stop. There also he was quiet. Believe me, it’s surely an 8th wonder of the world if he keeps quite for a moment…A Super Chatter box..You know!!

He boarded the bus…sitting in the seat...Gave me a mixture of “innocent but mama-I’m-angry-with-you” kind look. You know those extra expressions...

 Though I was feeling very bad as I had hit him but I just looked at him at last …and said… no Masti!

 By the evening…he was alright! He had forgotten everything. Children don’t remember things …right

 However my mischievous lad was little composed that day in the evening…may be morning effect was still acting on him.

 No throwing of shoes, bag…he kept it in its place. No shouting for remote, no demands. You know…The good boy types!!!

 was preparing his evening snacks…

After freshen up… he came into the kitchen and said

“Mamma….take this”

I turned back. I was surprised…it was the YELLOW STICK!!!!

 Then again He said, “app ko kabhi bhi mujhe marana ho na to ye Yellow Stick se hi mara karo…kyuoki hath se marte ho to aap ke hath mein dard hota hai”

(Mama next time you hit me...hit by this stick. By hitting me by your hand ...you get hurt know)

I couldn't believe!! I mean…I don’t know how to express. OMG!! He had noticed how I had felt pain in my hand after hitting him in the morning!!

What could I say…?

I was almost in tears. Words are not enough; in fact no words can express those feelings!! That is beyond any expression. I was in tears. But he was smiling. I took him in my lap and I asked

Mama ne jyada mara kya…..Mama bahut buri hai

(Did mamma hit you too hard...Mamma is very bad)

But suddenly he jumped from my lap and said….”I’m iron man!!I don’t feel pain you know!”

Ha ha ha…

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Thank you God…You made me a mother. Mother is the most beautiful creation of God.  And I’m happy with this designation!!!

I’m happy that I’m a mother!!!! 

This is my Post for DAY – 25 For the Alphabet Y In #AToZChallenge by #Blogchatter #BlogchatterA2Z  

X FOR XIGUA

IMAGE SOURCE - GOOGLE!!! 

X FOR XIGUA

X has always been a problematic in fact most difficult letter in our childhood days when we did play word game or more precisely Atlas. I remembered in my growing up days we often played the game ATLAS not only the names of places but with ALL WORDS. It was quite difficult to find words in the alphabet X. And if you want to win the game the trick was, put the opponent with words ending with X...like fix, six, complex. Even oxford dictionary wasn’t of much help.

Well....today I was too occupied with my assignments and submissions. I wasn’t sure what to write on X. may be For the first time, in the entire month of this #BlogchatterA2Z  blogging challenge  I googled to find out something to write on.

So I typed “Words on X” and it took me to a new word discovery. X For XIGUA which is a fruit and it’s the name of the non-other than the familiar fruit and my favourite one "Watermelon". Seriously I didn’t know that Xigua is the African name or rather Original name of the Watermelon. We eat it often and in abundance especially in the summertime. Why the fruit's name was changed is anyone's guess. Perhaps, Xigua is too hard to pronounce or maybe watermelon describes the fruit in the most sufficient way that is it’s the fruit which is 92% water and 6% sugar and edible.

These days, my most favourite way to beat the hit is having watermelon most of the time. There are several health benefit of this fruit. However, I like it for three reasons. Its enticing dark red colour, its tastes and of course its cooling effect on the body.   Well...now I will tell...I am having plateful of Xigua Slices...What about you?? 

This is my Post for DAY – 24 For the Alphabet X In #AToZChallenge by #Blogchatter #BlogchatterA2Z  

W FOR WITH AN IMPULSIVE WHIM

WITH AN IMPULSIVE WHIM

With an impulsive whims

Of my nomadic heart

Barefoot i stepped

On the dew studded grass

In an autumn sunup

First time after a long, perhaps

A sudden stimulation run through me

And i started tap in delight

Amidst the melody of bird’s drivel

And the broadened curve on my face

Next Moment I heard

The whispers of mother earth

An eternal yarning for my touch

The feelings then resonated in me too

Next moment

Calm I become,

From a restless being

As if a serene breeze steamed through my vein

I was then
Left with a wondering thought

When was the last time?

I had the magical pat

I have been drifting away from her

Along with life and with its norm

Forgotten I the rhyme of feel

The warmth of mother and her touch

As i rested myself

In her mysterious lap

I felt...even i was longing for it too

Without my notice though

We must get in touch with mother and mother earth. There is surely a magic in their touch, pat & lap.

This is my Post for DAY – 23 For the Alphabet W In #AToZChallenge by #Blogchatter #BlogchatterA2Z  

V For Velgi-A Photo Story

V For Velgi-A Photo Story

“Velgi” she replied to my question “what’s your name?”Sounds weird...right!!  Well... She is a very interesting woman.  She is the “Sugar cane juice seller” at a narrow lane in sector 11 Vashi.  I met her a month back.  She stays at Koperkhairne and comes to Vashi every morning to sell Sugar cane juices.  What touched me about her was, she is very cleanliness conscious.  Every now and then she cleans the set up of the Juice maker.  The best thing about her was she wears the sweetest smile of the world. I met her the first time and was fascinated by her contagious smile.  I am sure she must be adding the sweetness of her smile into sugarcane juice that makes it sweetest. I learnt she could not speak Hindi though she understands a bit.  But then what...her smile speaks the best language to anybody.

Well... There was nothing extra-ordinary about her or her life.  However, she cast a magic spell on me...the way she lives her life.  Positivity... About life is something rare these days and you may find it at most surprising places... It dawned on me.  

If you happen to this Area of Vashi, ever...never forget to have the Sweetest Sugarcane Juice!!!

This is my Post for DAY – 22 For the Alphabet V In #AToZChallenge by #Blogchatter #BlogchatterA2Z