Samsaara : Malakh-ul-maut

1. A Vet Blanket

Cut me deep, my dear
The wounds they feel so good
For they were left, so deftly
Was it easy for you?

Fears I have of faults
My past is tainted with
Of people not forgotten
Do you fear the same?

If I change who I am
To play another role
To be part of your story
Will you still love me?

When I try to divert
So that I don't divulge
The things I truly feel
Why do you stop me?

Some words I wish to say
Of thoughts I cannot have
If I do the smoke and mirror
Would you understand?

Suppose we had the chance
To we travel back in time
To colour over my regrets
Would you be my muse?

After a very upsetting dream, I needed some relaxation. Fortunately, there are few pleasures in life that are as relaxing as reading the sunday morning paper with family over tea. The smell of freshly brewed tea is often as refreshing as the drink itself, especially when it was steeped along with some ginger and cardamom. This was one of those few mornings where I didn't have to work a case early in the morning and I was going to make the best of it. Mom has a habit of reading significant articles out loud and we'd converse over them.

She folded the paper with an expression of disbelief and huffed, "Listen to this, 'Entire village found massacred in North Uttarakhand'. I bet it is another one of those politically inclined evils masquerading as religious riots."

(It wasn't.)

"That's quite cruel, an entire village would mean women and children as well. Who'd do such a thing?",

She shook her head in disbelief and got back to her paper. While I stumbled upon another article on my paper that reflected upon the cruelty of this generation.

I said, "Look at this one, 'Six hundred year old mummy desecrated, nearby graves dug up.' Now this one is simply stupid."

She replied, "Perhaps an act of vandalism."

(It wasn't.)

I read through the funnies and put the paper down. The crisp sheets crackled as I folded it in a hurry and had my last few sips of tea. The unfiltered bits of tea-leaves swished back and forth and left an ominous cats eye symbol behind. It was time to get to work. Unfortunately for detectives new to the trade, leisure is a luxury.

A manager from the local veterinary college, locally known as the 'bail-ghoda' hospital had contacted me about a case a few days back. He told me about a few exotic animals going missing from the hospital in the past month. Today was my first day of working the case. I thought I should begin from the veterinary college itself.