17th of December,2007. I still remember
that evening. All of my friends and lots
of uncles and aunties were gathered at my house. There were lightings all
around. Colorful balloons were touching the ceiling and a huge cake was in the middle of the hall. I,
holding the knife, was standing in front of the cake with my mom and dad
standing beside me. Yes! It was my 12th birthday.
I don’t remember the details what
happened next, but I certainly remember one thing. The next day, when I
returned from my school, dad gave me my birthday present. It was a medium sized
box having circular holes in it. I was expecting a remote controlled toy car
but it didn't appear to be the same so of curiosity,
I asked
"What's in it, dad?"
He replied
"Open the box and find it by yourself."
I could
sense something rattling inside so I opened the box carefully. I found two
small covered with white fur. One of them was cleaning its moustache using its
front legs and sitting on the other two. I was looking into its red eyes and it
was doing the same. It seemed as we both were trying to know each other. The
other one didn't seem to be much interested in me and it remained sitting there
idly.
"Raaabbitsss"
I shouted out of my happiness and amazement.
"These
are not just a pair of rabbits, these are your responsibility from now."
said my dad smiling which I almost misheard out of my excitement.
I immediately picked up the box
and ran towards my room. I was hell excited. I placed the box on the floor and
opened the lid slowly. One of them jumped out and I fell on my back. I was
still carrying the schoolbag and I rested on that for a while and watched that
rabbit jumping and exploring the place. And then something happened which was
not less than a miracle for me that time. I felt something soft on my fingers and I knew
it was the other rabbit. It was touching my fingers with its nose. Slowly it came closer to my face and I got
afraid. I froze and my heart started beating faster. I was about to scare it
off but somehow the rabbit got frightened first and ran under my study table. I
was lying there on the floor and watched their almost every step. Their sudden
jumps and stops, shining red eyes, wide pale red standing ears. Everything was
so cute and it did not take much time for me to fell in love with those small
creatures. It became a common practise
for me to spend an hour or so daily watching
those rabbits and smiling within myself.
It was Saturday and I was so excited
to reach home as I could spend all day with my pets keeping rest of my homework
for Sunday. I ran to my room, threw my bag on the bed and watched for the box.
But the box was opened and there was no rabbit to be seen. I searched every
inch of my room and then my eyes fell on the open window. I immediately
recalled that I opened that window last
evening when power was cut. A fear ran down my spine but still avoiding the
thoughts which was coming in my head I ran to my mom and asked her if she moved
it. And her negative response made it clear. It was the cat which had its preying
eyes on my pets. I broke down completely
and started crying and blaming myself for the window. I was helpless. My mom was trying to stop me
from crying but nothing could help me that day. I was afraid to face my dad.
What would I say him. His words were now arising in my head. "These are
not just rabbits..". And above all
I was unable to bear that pain which caused me imaging them being eaten by that
cat.
Days went. I began to
develop a strange feeling of hatred against cats. Wherever I see a cat, I used
to run before it and throw stones. I simply wanted all of them to be dead. At
the same time I could not let my pets go off my mind which took most of my time
making me sad. My parents were also aware of my miserable condition and they
came up with an idea. Later one night on the dining table we had this little
discussion..
"How is
you, my son?" dad said to me.
I looked
towards him but did not say anything and started finishing my half eaten
chapatti.
"Hmm..You
are sad for your pets, aren't you?" he said again.
"I can
understand beta, but you can't control everything. Few things are meant to
happen but making yourself sad for those naturally controlled events is not
good." He continued while I was still finishing my plate. "Okay,
let's do one thing. We will visit the market again and I'll bring you another
pair of rabbits for you but you'll have to be more careful this time."
Now
something of my interest came. The idea of having new pet excited me again but
inside, my mind was working in another direction.
"You'll
bring me another pet?" I asked softly.
"Yes,
my son.." he replied.
"But I
don't need rabbits this time." I said. He took it in surprise and asked me
quickly "What else do you want then?"
"A
puppy" I replied.
Yes, a dog
so that I could kill all the cats. Feeling of revenge was on my peak and dad's
plan to buy me another pet feulled it.
My dad was
surprised a bit and looked towards my mom.
"A
puppy? Why?" he asked.
I could not
share my revenge thing with anyone so simply said
"So
that none can make that its food."
It took some
time and my tears for dad to finally decide on a puppy. The next Sunday we went
to the market. It was full of different birds and animals. A lot which I saw
only in books or TV. My eyes caught some of the rabbits kept in a cage. It was
hard to accept that those are not mine. My heart was making a story that
somehow they managed to escape the house and they reached here but my mind knew
nothing like that has happened. They were eaten by a cat and I have to revenge
it. Thinking this I proceeded to a dog's shop with my dad.
"Which
one you want son?" my dad asked taking me inside the shop.
There also I
found a lot of different species. Some with lot of furs like those of my
rabbits, some tall and dark as a tiger and some small like the cats itself. Then
I found a cage placed in a corner. It was medium sized, pale yellow coloured
puppy. It was sleeping and was breathing heavily. I didn't want this dog but it
appeared better than other big and small sized puppies. Till now I didn't have
any good feeling about this puppy but I had only one thing in my mind and that
was to hunt down all the cats on this Earth so finally pointed on this and
asked my dad to buy this. We went home with that Libra dog. And my mind started
preparing deadly plans to train this dog to kill the cats.
TO BE CONTINUED...
