Cheeku, Meeku & Co.

Some people say animals are "dirty" or that you’ll catch a disease if you get too close. Honestly? If that’s your mindset, this blog probably isn't for you.

I’ve been told I have a great aurora, the kind of energy that spreads to everyone around me. My friends notice it, but the animals feel it. I seem to attract them instantly. They get comfortable, they come close, and before I know it, they’re fast asleep in my lap. And I’m not just talking about cats and dogs.

I have two sparrows, Cheeku and Meeku, who visit my room every single day. Honestly, they treat my space like their own personal luxury lounge. I’ve started to feel like they’re a married couple on a permanent vacation, and they’ve picked my room as their favorite picnic spot.
They’ll hop onto my table, chatter away over my bread, and then indulge in their favorite hobby: clicking my keyboard keys. There’s something so curious and honestly, kind of rhythmic about the tick-tick sound of their tiny feet on the mechanical switches. As a developer, I’m usually the one typing, but these two seem to think they’re adding the final touch to the code. 

One afternoon, around 4 PM, I was sleeping with the balcony door open. I had been ignoring my alarms for an hour until it finally gave up on me. Suddenly, I felt a weight pressing down on my chest. I opened my eyes and damn it was Cheeku, just standing there staring at me! I jumped, which scared him, which then scared me even more. He went flying all over the room. Thank God the fans were off!

I make sure to leave bread, grains, and water on the balcony every day. It’s the least I can do for my roommates.

Then there are the twins, Basanti 1 and 2. They usually come for milk, get a petting, and to treat my heavy gaming laptop like their personal heated sauna. But today, one of them decided to upgrade her menu. I walked into my room and caught her red-handed (or red-pawed) with my boiled egg. By the time I saw her, she’d already finished half of it! Apparently, in this room, what's mine is theirs.

And of course, BnW(Black & White), the hostel dog. All it takes is one call and he comes running. He has these soul-melting eyes that could convince anyone to feed him. On non-veg days in the mess, he’s my shadow, he sits beside me for the chicken bones. He even stands guard in front of my room as if I’m hiding some massive fortune inside. But honestly? I think these creatures are the greatest assets I could ever hold.

Even the cows at the khoka ghat(the river bank near our college) seem to have a soft spot for me. Sometimes, I feel a bit like Lord Krishna, surrounded by cows in the fields. I’ve been thinking about bringing my flute out there one day just to see if they love the music, or if they just love me.