Vicky

Vicky was a naughty small thing. He was very agile and energetic because of his size. Age was on his side.

Every morning I plucked two tulsi leaves from the tulsi plant on my balcony for my tea. And, everyday I would see him jumping and playing in the park in front of my house. He was rarely alone. His brethren were always running around with him.

My balcony was not immune to their pranks and rowdy behaviour. But, none of their activities had harmed me as such. Except once, when his gang pulled out and broke the main internet wire connecting my wifi. They would run around in the balcony, hang on the railings and make hell of a noise. The only thing that irritated me was, if any of my plants were injured because of their pouncing and prancing. Yet, I would generally let it go, as Christ said, “they know not what they are doing”.

When COVID ‘19 invaded our homes, our relations, rather every inch of our lives, our mindsets changed bigtime. There was nothing that could enter the main gates without being quarantined for 24 hours in the open space and mostly it was the balcony. Food, vegetables, grocery and every other item bought was kept in a carton in the balcony for a day. After washing and sanitizing them it was allowed to enter it’s designated space like kitchen, refrigerator, cupboards or containers.

My friends and family used to enter the living room only after sanitizing and washing their hands for twenty seconds at least. Outdoor shoes were not allowed inside the house. They were to be left in the balcony.

Not bringing work shoes inside the house is nothing new in our culture. But, we city people don’t adhere to these traditions. Anyhow, covid threat made us go back to our roots in so many ways. Washing hands, cooking at home, greeting with a namaste instead of shaking hands, keeping social distance from even close ones, no blind dating, actually no dating, etc. Coming back to the shoes, the new and expensive footwear was cleaned and packed after use and placed in the shoe rack in my studio room. My blue boots; they were three years old, very smart and most comfortable winter footwear I had. Since I wear them almost everyday, I leave them on the balcony after coming back from school. It’s not complacency, it’s being comfortable in my head that nothing can go wrong to me and my belongings in my house. After all, a house is a place where you feel the safest.

Though that morning was different. I got ready to leave and opened the door to pick up my boots. One boot was missing. This was absolutely ridiculous. I searched under the bed, in the shoe rack, behind the sofa but it was nowhere to be seen. I almost accused and shouted at my daughters for being careless and negligent because I could not find my footwear.

Finally I gave up and accepted the fate that someone stole one boot from my favourite pair. I asked my daughters to lock the main door. This is our daily routine. The lock would be opened only when I was back from work.

Downstairs I met my car cleaner. He was cribbing about the menace these monkeys were. How the other day the radio antenna of a car was pulled out by them. He told me about a small monkey sitting on my balcony about an hour back. I knew who he was.

My eyes were searching for my blue boot. Still hoping for a miracle. I checked the side lane, on the road, under the car. But it was gone. As I was about to sit in my car, I glanced for the last time around me. I wished to see what I wanted to see. And, my eyes saw what they were seeking. In the center of the park a lone blue boot was lying. It was full of mud but basically unharmed. I picked it up and found no injury marks on it. I kept it in my car. I would get the pair cleaned and polished. But this time Vicky was not going to be pardoned for what he did.

~Neeti Phool~

Neeti's Introduction: Multifarious experience of 27 years in mass communication, advertising, public relations, soft skill training, stage direction, production, screenplay writing and theatre performance. By passion I am a storyteller in writing and action. This world is what but a story and I am a mouthpiece to take it forward to new generations.