It was a morning , shrouded in fog. The sun streaked through the fog-laced clouds, dimly illuminating the day. On the top of a tree that stood contiguous to a hyacinth-choked pond , somnolent birds shook the mist off their velvety feathers. A dog barked drowsily in the distance, which led other neighbouring dogs to follow suit, precipitating a chorus , resonating incrementally in the air for some time and then, died down .

Pacing up and down the balcony, Akash was having his morning tea when the incessant chit-chats of people below caught his attention.He opened the glass-channelled shutter of the balcony and peeped down inquisitively. Fog thwarted his vision.Still he gazed through the thick fog down : a couple of fishermen wrapped in shawl, heads covered in monkey-caps, huddled together on the narrow lane, encircling over a kitten which lay wizened and virtually senseless from the piercing cold.
He skittered down the flight of stairs and joined the curious faces on the lane . He slunk into the huddle and sat on his haunches , scanning the motionless kitten scrupulously and intently . The kitten lay frozen with its head buried beneath its furry breast , hardly breathing as he placed one of his fingers before its moist nose .

The curious onlookers lingered around the little creature for a while and then , went away , trembling in the pricking cold , smoking bidis , coughing incessantly as one of them hummed a rustic song .

Left alone , Akash thought hard as he rose to his feet . He scurried back into his house ---- and scoured hither and yon inside for something to catch hold of the kitten , to avoid direct contact , keeping hygiene in mind . He managed to get a piece of newspaper and a biscuit and made for the weeny , wizened , hapless soul, lying frozen on the dew-soaked pavement . He wrapped the paper across its hairy back tenderly and lifted it up and carried it across the road and deposited it delicately onto a grassy patch of earth , away from the danger of being stumbled upon by any pedestrian or being run over by any passing bycycle .He broke the biscuit into bits and pieces and strewn them before the mouth of the little creature . The kitten was still motionless as if the biting cold had sucked the breath out of it . He stood there for some time more , glancing at the kitten and then, around to make sure that no dog was on the prowl.

Back in the house , Akash saw his wife , Jaya , smiling warmly at him , standing on the balcony . She had been witness to the entire operation below , he thought .

" The ailing kitten intuitively knew that it must make itself present in front of Vedanta Villa ( The name of their house engraved on a plaque attached to the door outside.) if it wishes to have itself rescued and survive , " Jaya said jokingly, pointing at the kitten below from the balcony. Akash smiled back broadly and shrugged and then , sat at his desk , relieved and resumed the unfinished novel ____ 'Midnight's Children.'

The sun , now , rose to its zenith . The fog had receded . It was a bright midday . Akash was readying himself for the day's bath when he heard a dog's bark at the back of the house .All of a sudden, the kitten flashed across his mind . He had forgotten all about the little creature amid juggling housekeeping, reading , writing .... He rushed out through the backdoor of the house and reached out to the cold-whipped creature . It was not there ! Akash looked around frantically. Nowhere to be seen . It might be devoured by that barking dog , he freaked . Beeds of perspiration gathered on his forehead . He wiped them off with the back of his hand as he stood, screwing up his eyes at the blazing sun overhead.

" There !in the drain , the little kitten swimming hard for life , " Jaya ejaculated from the balcony, gesticulating feverishly down at the drain . Akash tried to look in that direction , but could not see anything clearly at first as his eyes were dazzled from the sun . He waited ; rubbed his eyes briskly with the back of his hands and then, regaining his vision , sighted the kitten in a pool of sticky , murky , stinking , unpleasant drain-water , trying vainly and strenuously to climb up the slippery wall of the water-passage . He sprinted across the lane for the little hapless soul .

" Don't touch the kitten with your bare hand , "Jaya shrieked alarmingly from the balcony as Akash was about to throw his hand into the stenchy drain . Darting a quick glance at his wife , he thought awhile and then , tossing his head slightly dismissively, sat down on the edge of the drain and holding his breath , he clasped the frail being with his right hand and pulled it out of the drain with a swish as it let out a series of squeaks and mews . He placed the creature on the pavement as the sun beat down . The creature was quivering violently . Its slender , fragile frame stunk overpoweringly . Scaly, petrifying odour hung in the air . Akash felt his inside churn ; felt like puking . He held his breath for a while as he scouted the surrounding for something to rid the creature of the sticky , odorous substance fron its furry body . He managed to get a bits of tattered rags near there and as he was busy wrapping the frame of the little, wizened kitten with shredded rags , a neighbour while passing by the way on his bycycle barged in : " Do you know, Akash ? Last night , Maradona breathed his last ! Indeed , a great player was he . " Breaking the news thus , the man cycled away . At that , Akash nodded his head with an air of insouciance , seemingly feigning mournfulness over the news. Only Akash knew inwardly how doleful the news was to him at that time, as the kitten lay frozen and dying in his hand.

A couple of minutes went by thus. Lo ! the kitten stirred ; let out a few feeble mew ; and then , rose to its wobbly feet, trembling . The sun beat down on it , soaking its moistness . It still stunk . Now , it hobbled along a little and then , arched its back , purring, and gave its slender body a vigorous shake . It stood erect with its weeny head turned back at Akash , eyes batting fleetingly as if to say something. Then , all of a sudden, a flurry , lusty cat emerged out of nowhere and grabbing the little , frail kitten by the neck , in its mouth , scampered away , at a lightning speed , into a nearby thick bush. Akash stood aghast at the dramatic turn of the situation.

"Leave it at that ! Don't run after the cat . Perhaps, she is the kitten's mother ..., " Jaya shouted from the balcony, still standing curiously . Akash looked up and smiled wryly at his wife . He stood there for some time , staring at the trail leading to the bush and then , prodded along back to the house.

______ Debasish Sinha.