Kitty and the gader

She snuggled inside my lap…we were just sitting and talking on the huge four poster bed…  not any serious discussion. Her rust and white furs smoothened with the fond strokes she received from her staff…as they say…dogs have masters but cats have staff! Megha untied her hair keeping the gader (elastic ponytail holder) aside as she ran her fingers to loosen up her hair. Gaurav sitting next to her picked it up and started playing with it. Kitty now curled up to him and he inadvertently slipped the gader (elastic ponytail holder) onto her slender soft neck. The cards passed from hand to hand…soon the siblings were engrossed in the game of Call Bridge and Kitty zoned out of their minds.

The sun went up to its zenith…we had our tummy’s fill and were resting, when there was a sudden hue and cry! The manager from our shop on the ground floor rung up my mother to say that Kitty was lying under his chair and all didn’t seem well! Gaurav and Balbir ran downstairs…we sisters stayed behind. The brothers came back with the slumped body of Kitty with the gader around its neck! She had climbed downstairs, found her place under the manager’s chair and struggled to take out the elastic band that tightened like a noose around the soft muscles of her neck!

We were filled with guilt, especially little Gaurav who had playfully put the seemingly innocent gader around Kitty’s neck. My mother was hyper as the death of a cat was considered inauspicious and had to be atoned as per the scriptures (whom none concerned had actually read). The family pundit was called and my mother was advised to make an offering of gold as per the weight of the dead cat to Brahmins to free the family of the consequences or the sin! Considering the financial strain such an offering would put on us, making it an impossible act, an alternative was found…there are always options when the intention is good! Pundit Ji suggested an offering of salt as per the weight of the dead cat and a puja to placate the Gods to ensure her soul found peace and would spare its perpetrators!

The dead cat was weighed and buried with due respect in the ghats of the Hooghly River flowing nearby. The next day the salt was purchased, (not Tata salt but natural rock salt that came in rounded chunks) and the puja was performed. My mother fasted and prayed with full devotion as she always did, for the protection of her children, especially little Gaurav! Gaurav too made some offerings in the yajna performed for Kitty who assumedly should have made it straight to the heavens after such fervent prayers!

Life flowed on but this incident left its imprint on the heart of the innocent boy who unknowingly, unintentionally became instrumental in the death of a cat whom he loved! Over the years this heart grew in compassion and love for cats multiplied… finding satisfaction in mothering cats, looking after them as one would take care of one’s children. He grew up to be a cat lover, increasing his knowledge about felines! Cats became an inseparable part of his life!

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