The attic in my house is a bit larger than what people generally mean and understand by the word.Since we have a window built there it is an easy access for cats and rain drops to slid into the room,if the window is carelessly left open.Though sometimes heated words are exchanged for the idea of building the attic,but I realise it's not that much a 'bad idea'.The words are exchanged only when the the carnation floral printed bed sheet gets wet by few droplets of rain or a piece of rohu is gobbled by the vagabond kitten.But the scene of drizzling rain and the pots of our neighbours getting drenched and sometimes swaying to the accompanying cool breeze is a treat to watch from the attic's window.The school leaving girl talking animatedly over phone under the umbrella,the old lady sipping tea,the middle aged lady running to gather the dried clothes on terrace,the college going boy braving the drops and cycling..can lacs be spent to draw up such a beautiful landscape on canvas??Perhaps no.
It was such a day when rains decided to cheer the community with their arrival after a long stretch of extreme hot and humid weather.The grey clouds had hovered and specks of icy drops had already trickled down my left arm's skin.The kisses of rain drops had aroused the potted plant leaves from their droopy states.I was seating with the hot cup of tea and was leafing through the new psycho- thriller novel which was delivered that day.The blue glass cut ceramic vase with freesia flowers were adorning my study table.The buds tilted a bit towards the window as if to get rain -kissed.The rain drops in an attempt trying to please the buds unintentionally were damping the cherry print table cloth.I only had a smile lingering on my lips with this fleeting romance of rain drops.
Crash...I looked up from the book.I was into the fictional world when something crashed in the real world.Shreds of blue glass strewn on floor and bunch of freesia lying at far end of the table's leg.No doubt,no guesses...the vase has crashed to the floor.Tears pooled in my eyes.Not because the vase was broken but because there was a wounded victim.It was not the victim only rather the culprit too.A kitten.It was just practising hopping from one window parapet to other.It had surely kicked the vase and the aftermath was disastrous.
The victim cum culprit kitten with wounded paw was trying to reach the flowers.Kittens attracted to flowers?? I doubted.No they are not kids to get attracted to flowers like the other day when a naughty lad plucked a handful of buds of mogra,because of its enchanting fragrance.Family members reached the spot.Obviously the crashing vase had created a great deal of noise to wake up my parents down the first floor.While mother frowned at the loss of the expensive vase ,father,being an animal lover picked the wounded kitten and tended to its wound while I cleared away the mess.
Rain had stopped by then completely letting the mother earth to revel in joy.I still had the question lingering..why did it kick the vase?? While arranging the freesia bunch in another steel hammered oval vase I noticed a mint leaf stalk on the table.Perhaps it had flown from broken pot of Mukherjee uncle.Yes.Cats are attracted towards the mint plants.I threw the stalk outside the window but the wind made it sit on the sill of window.
I didn't care to attempt to throw it once again.I returned back to my bookmarked page.After around fifteen minutes I rose from my seat to search for the mobile phone to make a call.I peeped outside the window to check if it was raining again.The sight astounded me.It was drizzling and the kitten was on the sill.Seating and kissing the mint leaf.Casting me a sideways glance it continued its romance.I could only give a sigh and smile.The romance did cost me high but it was adventurous and sweet.I remembered a line of Ruskin Bond--
''Romance lurks in the most unlikely places.''
A tribute to Ruskin Bond on his birthday.Long live legend and keep mesmerizing us with your hills and trains.
N.B.:.The characters,scene and the story are purely based on true life experiences.
Photo courtesy( The photo with quote): A.Bharti (Scoopwhoop.com)
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