1
Justin’s apartment was the same as anybody else’s. A brick-and-mortar high rise in a town like Mangalore is a fab world, boasting all modern amenities (although some complained that the apartment’s gym was smaller) that would entice an urban nomad to its fold.
Justin lives on Floor 20, with his ageing parents. He worked as a software engineer at a private company. Although soft speaking, you could see him enraged when there is, the now regular power cuts, a woeful occurrence in the urban channels of Mangalore.
The rage was quite common during the summer months, when the sun was overhead (considering that he lived on Floor 20) and the power cuts often happened at midday; and when that occurred, his parents would suggest that they visit Ooty. It wasn’t the weather they were bothered by, but, the son whom they cared for.
Even this year, the summer had taken its toll on Justin. He had his regular bout of rage that hastened his exit from Mangalore. The trip to Ooty had a calming impact on him (he didn’t need the Google Maps app to navigate, as he is now familiar with the route) that he even stopped at roadside stalls for an unnecessary break, and often singing the song – Heeriye (although he had heard it twice and singing mostly in his own lyrics).
His parents reminded him that he had puked on almost all AC buses along with his equally dreaded cousins (also known infamously to puke) that took them to Ooty when he was young. That was a laugh, as he still complained of weariness driving on hair pin bends.
After a week at Ooty, which refreshed their body, mind and soul, they decided to return. They had stopped at a roadside stall eating murukku and washing it with fresh milk tea, when Justin spotted a kitten below his car.
‘Hey, watch out cutie pie. Come out and I shall offer you a treat,’ Justin said.
The kitten backed off in the beginning and Justin thought that it might come out from the other side and then, he could possibly start his vehicle. But the kitten remained still.
‘Koochie koo.. come here to papa.’ The kitten didn’t budge from its spot.
‘Here, give it a treat,’ said the fat shop keeper, whose blue and white striped lungi was tucked so high that one could see the corners of his oversized underwear.
He had just handed Justin a bowl of milk.
Sensing a free meal, the kitten came forward and mewed softly.
Justin placed the bowl in front of it and it started lapping the milk with joy, with the upper part of its tail wagging ceremoniously to the happiness it was experiencing.
‘Is that yours?’ asked Justin.
‘No sir, never saw it before. Perhaps it strayed away from its mother,’ said the shop keeper.
‘Seems so…Yeah! more likely… Are you sure it doesn’t belong to this neighborhood?’ Justin asked.
‘No sir. I’am sure about that. There are barely any houses here as you may see. This is a highway right in the middle of the jungle. I bet it might be a stray cat.’
The cat was looking at Justin with utmost curiosity. Perhaps it was demanding more milk. Maybe it was still hungry.
‘Thanks for the milk. Can I get some more please?’ Justin requested.
The cat purred as it drank the milk with its eyes closed, as all felines do when it drinks the milk, which has been a mystery for mankind. Justin rubbed his hand over its head. It moved forward and rubbed its sides on Justin’s feet, and then, rolled over on its back indicating that it wanted to play.
‘Take it with you sir. Perhaps it likes you.’
‘Yes, you are right. Maybe it likes me, and I think I need a pet like this one,’ Justin said.
But, his parents were not impressed.
‘No son, don’t take it. It’s not as easy as you may think, taking care of it. We don’t know how old it is, so you may need to vaccinate it, feed it only with cat’s milk, clean its potty, cut its nails often and ensure it doesn’t have ticks and fleas, keep it disease free, etcetera, etcetera. Too much job son, it might not survive,’ dad said.
‘Are you sure dad?’ Justin asked.
‘Yes son, we had a cat when you were a baby. It was as cute as this guy, but, it died within a month. You have no clue of how much we had taken care of it, as if it were our own baby.’
‘But it is not too safe to leave this little guy right here in the middle of the jungle. Stray dogs might kill it or even the monkeys; or in the worst case, it might die of starvation. It’s cruel to leave it here, knowing its situation,’ Justin defended.
‘You could do a thing. Take it with us and leave it at our apartment’s reception. I will inform Venkat to shelter it. But, you feed it regularly,’ dad suggested.
‘That is a brilliant idea dad,’ Justin said. ‘So, you’ll come with us young guy. You are the lucky one.’
The cat wriggled as Justin lifted it carefully and placed it on the front seat. It stayed calm, then, it slept until they reached Mangalore. A full stomach and a siesta does good, even for animals.
2
Venkatappa alias Venkat, the security guard of the Green Berry Apartments in Jeppu, Mangalore, was half asleep. He had just finished his night duty and was waiting for his morning cup of tea, which would cost him 10 rupees per day (considering that he took two cups per day) for the meagre salary that he earned every month. Sharad, the day guard, would soon take his place.
The boy who brought the tea was Arvind Shetty, whose father, Raj Shetty, owned a tea shop called ‘Shetty’s Food House.’ Raj plied his trade with utmost sincerity and never believed in giving credit to his customers. Many a times, when the salary was delayed, Venkat never got his tea. The fact that Raj offered food for cheap was an advantage that people like Venkat never argued with him.
That day, Venkat had to wake up forcefully, when a car came to a screeching halt. He did not like to work post his shift, even if it was his employer who had come on an inspection. But, this was not his employer. It was Justin. Justin often offered him old clothes and shoes. So, Venkat liked Justin.
Venkat came running to carry the luggage.
‘Hey Venkat, don’t worry about the luggage. We will manage ourselves,’ Justin said. ‘I have a surprise for you.’
‘What is that sir?’ Venkat asked.
‘Look here.’ He produced the kitten in front of Venkat.
‘Now, where did you find this guy?’ Venkat asked. ‘Its a local Tabby breed cat sir. Seems healthy for me.’
‘It’s a long story. But, I can’t keep it with me as dad doesn’t believe in taking care of pets.’
‘Arey, don’t worry sir. I will manage it. You leave it with me. Just ensure that you bring him some cat food,’ Venkat said.
‘This was exactly what I was willing to ask you,’ Justin said. ‘Thanks for that, okay.’
‘It’s my pleasure and duty sir. Anything for a friend.’
‘Well, thank you. He is all yours then. Take care of him. I shall keep an eye on him each day,’ Justin said.
As the day passed by, Venkat became close with the kitten. Too close, that Venkat never left sight of it, even for a moment. The kitten took pleasure in playing with the plants placed in the reception, and when it scampered outside to play in the lawn, Venkat used to run behind it.
‘Are you going to meet your maker, lad?’ Venkat used to catch and ask it. ‘Why make an old man chase you?’
Also, the kitten was well looked after, not only by Justin, but, a few other families in the apartment, whose kids chose to play with it. They fed it with milk. Since cat’s milk was difficult to get, they settled with cow’s milk. Although some might not agree, but, Venkat was in the opinion that he fed his cats back home with fresh cow’s milk and all lived a longer and healthy life.
The kitten, obviously pampered, was a cherry of all eyes. It grew up fast and was now a six months old young cat, roaming in and around the apartment, freely boxing the money plant kept near each lift.
But, for Venkat, it was still a baby.
One day, the utility lift of the apartment was being used, as a new tenant had rented one of the flats. As the (house move) boys were busy loading and unloading items, small, big and heavy; the cat, whose name was Nectar, got into the utility lift. The lift, which was the ‘lift number 3′, was really big and spacious. So, there was a lot of wandering space for the cat and the boys did not notice it.
While this unloading and loading process was happening, Nectar, got into the lift and hid in a corner playfully among the large boxes. The boys, who finished loading the boxes were about to close the lift, when the cat scrambled to get out of the lift and was crushed between the closing lift doors. Nobody noticed it, until the cat gave a shrill cry of pain. The lift went up along with the now, struggling cat and it was squeezed so badly amongst the floor and the moving lift that it was killed after a certain degree of pain, which only death would recognize.
When the boys bought the lift down to the ground floor, only the buttocks of the cat remained inside the lift. The front part went missing somewhere. There was a hell lot of blood all around.
Venkat was terribly distressed, and he cried a lot. Justin was shell shocked.
3
Days passed by and the pain of losing a pet was beginning to ease away. Justin had a shelf full of cat food. He would come home from work and in distress would take a cat food packet, visit the nearby drain where a vagabond stray cat lived. He would feed it, not out of compassion, but, he had to dispose the stuff as he was not someone who would just throw away his penny into the drain. The stray cat would thank its luck, seeing this booty coming everyday, until one day, it went to rub Justin (its timing was so bad that Justin had no more food packet left with him that day) and he kicked it so badly that it rolled over and nearly fell into the drain.
One night, Venkat was in his usual night shift. Around 1 am, he heard something rustle in the utility lift. He remembered that there was a hell lot of plastic sheets inside it. The lift 3 is usually locked and nobody uses it unless someone had to transport their heavy luggage to their flat.
Suddenly, he could hear a mew. A soft, gentle mew. He could hear that, as there were no other sound in the dead night, except the creaking of crickets in the bushes outside.
He walked towards the lift 3 puzzled. As he neared it, he could hear something playing, purring and mewing inside it. He was nervous and curious at the same time. He unlocked the lift and then, pressed it open. The lift opened and he could see the discarded plastic covers amongst the empty cardboard boxes, all intact. Nothing had moved so that a rustle could be heard so loud enough that would bring his buttocks to the lift 3.
He was puzzled. He decided to check it. He moved the boxes. Nothing there. He moved the plastic sheets. Nothing there. He remained puzzled. He knew he had not assumed it, as he did hear the rustle of the plastic sheets.
As he was about to return, he heard it again. The rustle, and amongst the plastic sheets was Nectar playing with the plastic covers. It was only the front half of the cat. It had dried blood all over its face, and the front half was decomposed. It was the front half that moved and played; and it was as if, the cat (or whatever it was now) felt no pain. It wasn’t there before, and he was sure about it.
Before he could realize what was happening, the doors of the lift shut close so suddenly that he was taken aback. The lights in the lift went black, and the lift took off – floor 1, floor 2, floor 3…. Venkat felt the lift closing on him from all four corners and he could feel blood coming out of his nose, his mouth, as if the lift wanted to consume him alive, and there was a shriek.
Venkat never saw the morning.
The next day, curious people could see shreds of Venkat’s uniform hanging in between the gaps of the lift. The police was consulted and the case was under investigation.
The Log 