Me, my first love and the cat !
“Growling, she turned around and, with open claws, jumped on me.” I was in the middle of narrating my horrifying experience with a feline creature, when X started giggling. Seeing the surprised reaction on my face, she apologized and asked me to continue my story.
We, X and I, were sitting on the swing in her backyard and I was telling her why I hated cats from the core of my being. Technically, it was her uncle’s house and she was the guest there. X had just finished her 10th board exam and had come, with her mom, to spend the summer at her maternal uncle’s house. It was the summer of ’96 and she was my first crush.
Going back to the story that I was telling X.
“I must have been 5 or 6 years old when this happened. It was evening time and I was returning home after playing at the adjoining park. Like always, I took the alley near my house when I came across this small cat. I bent to touch the furry animal, when growling, she turned around and with open claws, jumped on me and then took off.”
It was here that X had interrupted me, but now she had gone back to being the attentive listener that she was. I continued at her behest. Where was I? Yes, the cat had just pounced on me.
“Startled, I couldn’t find the strength to move and kept staring at my bruises with teary eyes. It was not until 5–10 minutes later that I left for my home. I remember not being hungry for 2 days after that. Over the next few weeks, every time I came across a cat, I would just go in the opposite direction, even if it meant that I had to take a longer route.” I paused waiting for X to respond, but she kept silent, with what I took for anxiety on her face.
“As I grew up, that fear has been replaced by animosity. And I believe, the cat world knows of this — they don’t dare to come near me anymore. Steering clear of each other — that’s our understanding”.
With that, I completed a story that I hadn’t told anyone, except my parents. I was waiting for a comforting response from X, when she dropped a bomb.
X had come into my world just 8 days back, and here we were chatting like good-old friends. I met X when we received a party invitation from her uncle. Reluctantly, I had accompanied my parents, and once there, I found myself a quiet spot in their house. As I was sipping my soft drink through a straw, X waltzed towards me and said hi. It was one of the most magical moments of my life. Her “hi” was the start of the loveliest summer for me.
We couldn’t have been more different, X and I. Obviously, she was a girl and I, a boy. She would be going to a junior college and I, 2 years younger to her, will continue schooling. She loved arts and I was a science geek. She was beautiful and I, well let’s just say except for my mom, no girl would take a second look at me.
But what made us belong to entirely different planets was that she loved cats. That afternoon, sitting on the swing with X, she dropped the bomb “But I adore cats. And I have 2 of them — Buddy & Teddy — at my house”. I was angry, dejected and shocked in equal parts and found myself speechless. With a confused mind, I spent the rest of the afternoon in X’s company, wondering what now?
Next couple of days, thankfully X didn’t bring up the topic of cats and life was back to being blissful. We were now discussing about her life’s ambitions and how X wanted to be a professional dancer — she even showed me some of her dance moves, as I stood awestruck, knowing I had two left feet.
Then one evening, as we sat in the backyard garden, a cat sneaked in and settled down next to X. X looked at me for my reaction but a moment later started petting the animal. A storm of revulsion was growing inside me, and it met with a pang of jealousy as I watched X lovingly fondle the cat. Not knowing what to do, I excused myself and left for my home.
Over the next few days, the cat became a member of X’s household. X even gave him a name — Romeo, ugh. And every time I paid X a visit, Romeo would be with her. Romeo was an entitled cat; he would walk like he owned the place. He would beckon X and make her play with him. When tired he would nestle his head on her lap. And X was more than happy to comply.
I was seeing my crush being taken away from me, and that too by an animal. Romeo had become my enemy. But, howsoever strong my hostility towards the feline species be, I didn’t want to lose X. And so, begrudgingly I accepted the intruder in my relationship. I would sit beside X, with Romeo usually in her lap, steeling myself not to act irresponsibly in front of X. Romeo didn’t make it any easy for me. He would demand X’s attention whenever I started speaking. Establishing his dominion in X’s lap, he would steal a few taunting glances at me, every now and then, testing my resolve. This went on for a few days, and by now we had accepted the new order — that he was the first lover and I, well, nobody.
Then one evening, when we were in the middle of our conversation, X announced that she would be leaving for her hometown the next day. That moment, my world came crashing. It had been just 3 weeks and the summer wasn’t over yet. I felt betrayed. My heart, always nimble in X’s company, suddenly seemed to have stopped. And it hurt, like it never did before or even after. Crestfallen, I soldiered my way through the rest of the evening. And then I looked at Romeo. He was unusually glum, clearly, he too understood his fate. For the first time, I didn’t feel anger or jealousy towards him. And then I did what I had never done in my life — I walked towards the cat and patted him, egging him to buck up and face the reality.
The dreadful day came too soon. And X left — just like that. She had waltzed into my life, she left with spring in her steps. Leaving behind a broken heart. As I waved goodbye to X, Romeo snuggled against my leg. Wounded hearts make for a great company.
That summer, I found my first love, only to lose it too soon.
But then, I also found another love.
