May 26, 2007

“Mom, when will I get my parrot?” I inquired from my mother eagerly on the last day of my exams. My parents had promised to buy a pet for me and I had chosen a parrot, who could talk! I had a great love for all animals and had bought most of them, that is, rabbits, kittens, turtles, ducklings, you name it. Now this time I wanted something new and decided to buy a parrot (mithoo).

So in the evening, we went to a pet shop and came out with a wide grin on my face and a cage swinging in my hand. Inside the cage was a small parrot with glossy green coat, beady eyes and rose red beak. As suggested by my grandmother, I spent long hours in the early morning teaching the parrot how to talk. It seemed a daunting task and I used to get frustrated sometimes, but after I starting giving red chillies to the parrot, which according to my grandmother sharpens the tongue of a parrot, my efforts began to bear fruit. Within a month, the parrot could talk easily. Many of the guests who came to our house found it rather amusing, as he could say anything, from my name to all the animals’ voices.

Since I was the one who had been teaching the parrot, giving him food and taking good care of him, he was really close to me. He was so trained that we would leave him free in the house and lock it in a cage only at night. After I would come from school, the parrot would sit on my shoulder and would go on jabbering and chatting. He would follow me everywhere and I had to shut the door if I wanted to study. As time passed and he became older, Mithoo would listen to peoples’ gossip with great interest. He even became very moody and wanted complete darkness in the room once he had fallen asleep. If any one switched on the light, then....God bless that person!

One day while we were having dinner, the parrot sat on my father’s shoulder and started jabbering with him. I was in a playful mood and just for fun, shoved the parrot from my father, saying “Mithoo, mere abbu ke paas sey hato.”

This is one day I can never forget. After this, I was no longer his favourite and he literally started detesting me. He is not at all on friendly terms with me. He gets annoyed whenever I pet him and now bites me all over my body with its sharp beak and tears my books and copies into pieces. He now prefers my sister than me as, after that incident, she takes care of him. Now my beloved parrot has stopped calling my name, instead it calls my sister’s mane repeatedly to make me jealous. Mithoo loves Chicken Qorma and rice, so whenever his favourite dish is cooked, he keeps on pecking my chicken. My family falls into fits of laughter watching how the parrot bites me and tears all my school books!

I really do miss my parrot a lot, as I was the one who had insisted on buying it and had taught it how to talk. But after that moment, I realised that no matter what animal you have as a pet, they all have feelings and emotions so we should be careful not to do anything which would hurt them.

I cherish those moments when my parrot and I used to spend time together; however, I still leave no stone unturned in making Mithoo realise that I love him as much as before, so that he can come to its real master again. In short, I am still waiting...