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Snippets of my life

February 20, 2024

I hide at my vantage point quietly peering at him. Sooner or later he’ll find me and call me names. His presence distresses me although I’m well aware that he can’t harm me in any way. He isn’t a bully per se but hasn’t taken me into his fold yet. I’m an outsider imposed upon him. His constant invasion of my space and coming dangerously close makes me jittery. Luckily, before he can continue his hunt for me the lady strolls in. They have some heated argument about me and he shrugs and huffs away. This is a regular thing now, a part of life.

The lady is soon joined by the little girl. I come out of hiding and both smile brilliantly at me. In their gentle sweet voice, they apologise for the boy’s behaviour and ask me to ignore him. I’m not high on physical love or surely frequent big hugs from them would be the order of the day. These two ladies handpicked me from several others and gave me a home and life. I like them. They created a beautiful space exclusively for me; colourful and with a lovely view. Just perfect!

The man of the house is generally nice but keeps his distance. He doesn’t talk to me directly but customarily enquires about me, my day, and life with the ladies. Is he awkward with me? Maybe. I have a feeling that I’m not welcome at their dinner table, especially when he’s around. He’s kind enough to let me stay though. The little girl insists him to pay attention to me and he obliges for her sake. She easily manipulates him and he lets her. They’re very cute together. I’ve never known such a bond.

Everyone fusses over me in turns, even the boy at times. The girl often brings her friends home and introduces them to me. I feel excited about the company and happily express it. The girl’s friends are good but their questions can get taxing. Where did I come from? Do I miss my parents? Does it get lonely for me? Does any of that matter? The important thing is that I have a home, a good life, and a loving family now.

The lady takes good care of me and ensures that I’m clean and well-fed. Every morning, she greets me with a warm “Good morning, baby” and hopes I slept well, if at all. They have rushed mornings but she never forgets to give me food before she and the man settle down for breakfast. The girl waltzes in late but comes straight to me while the boy glimpses nonchalantly and walks away. It has been just two weeks but I don’t remember my life before this. I have a lovely name and have people who dote on me. I’m blessed, and well, it’s not a dog’s life! Don’t think I’ll want to trade this. What do you say?

Your friendly fish,

Puru.

P.S: This is the version of our pet fish, or at least what I feel must be going on in that tiny mind of his. He’s a Siamese fighting fish and lives alone. His small aquarium is placed on our dinner table. We added colourful stones and a plant to make it lively. He loves swimming around and hiding behind it. Everything from his food to his tank cleaning timings is a point of discussion in our home. I love his company and talk to him endlessly about random things. So does the daughter. Since he can’t go anywhere or object, he’s an amazing listener too. Our first ever pet and we want more now.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Bohemian Bibliophile.

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44 thoughts on “Snippets of my life”

  1. I almost thought we were talking to a fluffy dog here – but surprise! This Siamese Fighter Fish is an attention grabber truly.- everyone’s beloved pet! Love the vantage you have taken to write this snip-pet.

  4. You got me on this one Varsha. First I thought it was an orphan, then either cat or dog n my last thought was a fish but by then I also saw the signature… lol. But, it was a nice read for sure!

    Even we used to keep fish… ‘fighters’ … always solitary cuz we were told that they cant be kept with others… and although we kept replacing cuz they kept dying I still remember kiri n splashy as I had written small poems on them for some school actvity of my daughters.

    Enjoy your time with Puru💝

    1. Wow you had two fighters? That’s cool! I’m worried about when Puru will pass on too. The pet store guy said these fishes don’t have a long life. Hopefully, we’ll be able to add more to our home!

  5. I was thinking about a dog or cat but never thought about a fish. How cutely you described about his day and his little daily life. Keep the writing about this cytyy coming .

  6. Varsha, you caught me off guard with this one! I was thinking of either a cat or a dog, but never expected this twist. Still, it was a fun read! Your writing style is a hit with me. My daughter always talks about how she loves playing with our neighbor’s fish.

  7. An amazing narrative, that kept me hooked till the end to know whose was the voice. The fish, was a pleasant surprise. I wouldv’e bet on a cat. Your writing style is unique and laced with reality and humour. Loved the post.

  9. Ole! This is too cute yaar, Varsha. For 99% of the story I thought it’s 100% a dog but it turned out to be something I never expected. Your post reminded me of those school time essays we used to write on topics like ‘Autobiography of An Umbrella’ or ‘A Day in The Life of A Book’ or other creative writing we used to do on things and beings that can’t speak. Yours would of course have earned a 10/10 in that!

    1. Haha, my son said the same thing. School essay it is. 😁
      Thanks a lot, Manali. First time I could actually put my heart in writing because it wasn’t for the marks. 😉

  10. Varsha tears came in my ears not for the lucky cutie fish of your house for a family she but for the love you showed and showered in this post for the little one.It shows how caring and affectionate you are to become a parent to this lovely creature and made it feel the comfort of a home. There is one family in my neighborhood with a medium sized aquarium and 7 fishes. They frequently go out with the whole family giving responsibility to the either of the two neighbours the lady considered it to feed the fishes on time opening her lock and key coming for their house leaving their work to fed the fish. Both of the neighborhood families are with working ladies and one with a very young child. One of the neighbours went outstation and handed over the key of that aquarium family to the other selected neighbour for fish feeding without even intimating that she need to take care of the fish till they are back. That lady without losing he temper kept feeding the fishes…. One evening while feeding for the dinner she noticed some uncanny thing in the aquarium…. perhaps one died and started floating. She was so scared she ran towords her home and somehow hold her husbands hand to just accompany her again to see what happened to that fish. Out from his meeting room her husband kept patience and went with her keeping the 1.5 year old baby playing with toys in the room. After inspecting the aquarium he said … the fish is no more and rest are also showing the some negative sign. She started crying like anything and hearing her cry the next door of the house came out and said that the aquarium has a sparking problem which she told the owner long back when last time she was given the responsibility. She said they didnt repair the aquarium and as she was aware of it she didnt took the key this time. That poor lady called the family and said there is something wrong in the aquarium and they should come soon perhaps we lost one fish. The answer she got was heart breaking ” No problem take the dead fishes out and throw it anywhere. Or rest will get affected. The aquarium was Ok why you are saying its not working” Can you imagine the scenario………………………………………..she was speechless with tears rolling down the cheeks. That lady in pain was me… I was crying for the lost fishes but not their owner or so called family got affected even a little. Varsha you are an example for the family to know how to care for a pet like a family with love and care. God Bless you.

    1. Oh, Samata. Hugs dear. It was so heartbreaking to read this. 🙁
      I wonder how people can be so cruel to pets. Don’t keep one if you can’t care for them. Simple. In fact, my husband wouldn’t let me have any pets since he knows I get too attached and might lose it if something happened to them.
      Any life, be it pets or plants, and part of our family and home need to be cared for. There’s no other side to it.

  11. First I thought it must be a daughter-in-law of the house. As I continued to read, I guessed it must be a dog. Never thought about a fish, though. Nicely written. Does your son not like the fish?

  13. What a cute name! Reading about Puru, was heartwarming! It’s amazing how you’ve given him such a vivid personality and made him a part of your family. The bond you share with Puru shines through your words, the way you love and care for him is outstanding. I’m sure, he’s thankful to you for giving him a home.

  14. The cozy aquarium sounds like a peaceful haven, adorned with colorful stones and a vibrant plant. It’s delightful to imagine your pet swimming gracefully among the aquatic surroundings, finding solace and joy in its own little world.

  18. Loved the way you twisted the whole story. In the beginning I felt it is either a young girl, lady of the house or some friend but startled to know it was a fish. I have read for the first time a perspective of a fish.

  19. Unlike others I guessed it right probably because one of my friend bought aquarium yesterday and the only pet that was there in my mind was fish.. Haha.
    Loved the way you expressed his feelings.

  20. Varsha! I never thought it could be a fish. It was a really good read. I used to have golf fish and the pair actually lasted for a long time. But I had to go to Mexico, and they died 😦 . I bought another pair and when one died soon after; I felt very bad and a single gold fish rarely survives so the other one died too.They used to come up for their feed and they used to eat from my fingers.

  21. What a lovely life your fish has 🙂 The way you wrote of home really resonated for me! I initially thought you were talking about a dog or a cat, so it being a fish was totally unexpected! haha, i love the world from his eyes.
    PS: the colorful stones are so striking.

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