Date : 1996- 1997
Place : Lodhikheda
Akka excitedly brought an old steel plate and poured some milk into it. Pushu, as we came to call her, licked it happily and later settled down on my akka's lap. That was the day Pushu bade her mom the final goodbye and became a part of our home. Akka has a special connection and love for all kinds of living things (sometimes even non-living). As time went by, Pushu also loved her more. I was just a jealous observer wanting to experience the same. Such was their bonding that when we would all go for walks, Pushu would follow us like a dog. She would run ahead of us, play with something till we would have crossed her, that's when she would run ahead again. People who saw this often commented that she seemed more like a dog, "Ye tho Kutthe jaisi hai!".
One night we were invited for dinner at a house which was a few blocks away. We all went walking and Pushu came with us like always. After the party was over, she was not to be seen around. My sister whistled, made sounds to call her, all in vain. We left home thinking she might come back on her own. But we did not see her the next morning, nor after we came back from school. That evening my sister went to search for her beloved pet. After an hour she came back with Pushu tagging along her merrily. The previous night, there were stray dogs in that block. Akka said, Pushu had hidden somewhere in fear. I imagined her crouched in perhaps a crevice, not coming out until she was confident that it's safe.
Months passed, one day, my mom said that Pushu was pregnant, since her stomach looked bulged. I could hardly find any bulge in that tiny tummy. My sister later added more information that the father of Pushu's kids was actually Pushu's father too. All the time gazing at nature, I wondered if there was anything her eyes had failed to catch. Heights of cutenes, my sister even holds worms and points out as to which is a male and which is female. Her zest for life never fails to amaze me.
The good news was just what the nurturer in my sister needed. Pushu was generously fed dollops of butter without Amma's knowledge. Amma would also pour more milk and rice for the ever hungry cat. All of us were waiting eagerly to welcome the new entries.
One rainy night while we were studying, we heard a small, faint "Meeee!" at the window sill. It was not "Meow!" but a "Meee!". We called our mom and opened the window to find Pushu and her first kitten on the window sill. Quick arrangements were made without disturbing Pushu too much. We brought umbrellas, Cardboard box, pieces of cloth and the broad window sill was converted to a warm delivery nest. Mum then shut the windows and drove us away to give more privacy to Pushu. None of us could sleep though. After an hour, we went back again, there were now three kittens, sleeping curled in between her curled body. She looked up and her eyes suddenly seemed to have a new maturity. She was younger to me by years but looked at me like an adult would look at a kid. The sharp faced cat, who appeared so naughty, silly and childish till yesterday, now seemed calm, responsible and matured. Amma says some cats are so confused during their first delivery that they even end up killing their kittens. Pushu showed no such signs.
It was a pleasure to see the kittens grow up. To see their eyes open bit by bit daily, to make them play, to see them play with each other. Pushu also had new habits now. Her tail would now move even in sleep to make the kittens play. She started speaking a different language for the babies. She would call them "Krrrrrrrrmeeeooww!". Soon the kittens started getting their daily treats of rats and bats caught by Pushu. Pushu was totally in ease and playing the new role amazingly well. We later shifted the cardboard box to the balcony which would open into the lawn area and eventually the main road. It kept them safe from rain, sun and had easy access to outside world. But this place didn't have a door and hence was an easy access to predators. It worried us a bit and perhaps worried Pushu more.
One fine day, while I was at something, there a loud bark at the lawn. Strange bark! I went running out to protect the kittens but met with an unexpected and strange scene! Pushu was biting the dog's foot and the dog was yelping in pain!
The same cat who had hidden in fear few months back, was now attacking it! The object of fear was actually bigger than her, but weighed much less against the fear of losing her kittens. Under normal circumstances she would have opted for a flight, but now she was so confidently attacking the predator. Motherhood not just changed her looks and habits but also transformed her into a new avatar. A rebirth of sorts which brought out the feminine power to it's peak.
Loving and caring yet so bold and fierce!
Translations :
Akka - Sister
Amma - Mother
"Ye tho Kutthe jaisi hai!" - She is like a dog
