Tiny And Miny: A Memoir

I

It was the day before Dusshera when we planned to go to village, actually we had planned to organize a ‘Kirtan’ on Dusshera. By ‘we’ I mean my father-mother as well as the family of my uncle and, in fact, me.
Well, going to village has two excited things to do - get as many beautiful pics of countryside and playing with our pet dog - his name Chetak, yes the name of great Rana Partap’s horse. Additionally, since last three months I was hardly been to anywhere which is making me kind of dizzy, so I thought that a trip to village would fresh up my mood. 
The next day at about 10:00 am our journey started. We loaded ourselves on 3 vehicles - a car and two motorcycles. I was on the backseat of my father’s bike, my father was riding the motorcycle. I hate sitting on backseat, I made for front seat riding, but, hell, I am still 16 and I have no driving licence and without one my father will never allow me to drive on highways despite the fact how good I am at driving.
Well then, as expected I had some fun shots during the journey. We stopped at 2 places - there too I get many beautiful shots. You know, what is the best part - I was the undeclared cameraman; whether it was my sister, my mother or elder aunt everybody wanted me to take hold of camera.
“Wow, this one is beautiful shot!” I love when they react like this on my shots.
We reached the village well before 1:00 pm, which means, although we had wasted some time by stopping at places, we still had managed to make to the village in time.
I was excited for meeting especially with two people - first, my grandmother and second our pet dog - ‘Chetak’. I was wondering how this time he would jump on his back legs to reach me, since I had grown taller than I was last time, so I guess it would take him some extra effort. The first person - My grandmother, I met her on the gate, she opened the door. She was followed by ‘Chetak’ who in excitement was hoping on all four legs, and was running all around us as if he was mad. I wonder: do every pet dog do the the same thing, hopping and running, when they saw their masters after a long time.
But, a surprise was waiting for me, actually for all of us. The surprise was the beard of my brother (cousin), his name- Sagar, he is the eldest son in the whole family. Since, he had never grown his beard that much and most of the time he was completely saved, so watching him with that large beard surprises us. Not only the large beard is strange but he was also looking kind of funny to me. Everybody reacted on his look according to their taste; I said he looked like Technical Guruji (a YouTuber), my sister said he he was looking like the hero in the KGF, which was a plain lie. Man, sometimes, he was just nuts in overdoing something, like he shaved his head 4-5 times straight and then let his hairs grow for months; the experiment with beard is the latest in these wildly stuffs.
Both the days and the kirtan went well, in fact better than what I was expecting initially. After all, time with siblings has always a fun. In those two days I had been to the farm two times where I clicked many adorable shots.
The plan was to return for Delhi at 6 or 7 am the next morning of Dusshera, but there was a twist like always. In the morning everybody especially my father reacted like they had enough time and by their mood I knew that we are going nowhere before, at least 11 or 12.
In spite of this fact, I run up and down to grab all my things. As I was passing through the ally for the upper floor room, I listened a strange noise coming behind the charpai, and it is when I meet them - Tiny and Miny.
I peeked cautiously and I saw two frail looking creatures. For a second I was confused- “What are they?”, but the next second I know they were the baby squirrels, after all I am not that dumb to identify squirrel’s baby. All of a sudden, I was so excited - they were so adorable, small and childish. I noticed they were not moving at all - they were so young to move or maybe it is because of the cold. But, the question was how they had ended up there. Then, as I saw their shattered nest - made of cotton, shred leaves and fibers from charpai - I knew someone had throw them down with their nest, probably a pigeon. There was no sign of their mother.
I went down - I was excited, I said my cousin that I wanted to saw them something just follow me, first they resisted, but as I continued to tickle them to come with me, they finally gave up and followed me. I am good at making people do what I want.
“Oh!, they are squirrels,…..looks like young ones.” The eldest, Sagar, said and went away as if what he saw was nothing for him. Although Happy, another of my elder cousin, was still standing there watching these little cuties closely, he was quite.
“I am going to tame them.” - I announced.
He looked at me, then after thinking for a moment he said in a very concerned voice, “First, we need to make them safe from the reach of Chetak, then we have to warm them up otherwise they will die of cold, then we need to feed them.”
I bought a small cardboard box, placed them in it very gently. As I picked them, I feel the their soft delicate body, and weak pinkish but slightly hard claws - So they help them to climb, I mumbled in my mind. Although I was expecting them to run away on my touch in terror, but I had forgotten they were so young to move on their own. So, they did not resisted at all.


Then, it was the time for the third task - feeding. I searched on the internet - what should we feed to the young squirrel. Many results appeared; some said feed them with puppy milk, hydrate them properly and feed them some solid like peanuts if they are about 3 weeks old. In one video, a man was feeding the squirrel with a droplet, another one with a nibble; one man was explaining their species and some precautions. Bemused, we finally decided to feed them with little milk. We poured some 100g of milk in a plate and place both of them near the edge of the plate in the sunlight. They were now moving, although little. One of them started drinking the milk immediately, the other one waited for a moment before starting. They drink plenty of milk, although hard to notice.  
It was 2 pm and at that point it began to look like no one is going to nowhere for today, my father and all uncles were busy in playing cards. Since morning I was planning to bring both of the squirrels to Delhi. Although, I was doubtful if my father would gave me the permission to take them or not, and I was afraid of a ‘NO’, so I decided to carry them in secret. To make their journey easy I placed some torn clothes pieces in the same cardboard box. Clothes not only were for their comfort, but they were also for shock absorbing; you know how the road of India be like.

II
When all the hopes to go to Delhi were fading away, a ray of light emerged, and in only half an hour we were ready to go for Delhi. This time I was in the car, I placed the cardboard box on my knees near my stomach. As we reached the main road clouds of dust started raising in front of us. I was afraid that this dust could suffocate them to death, so all the way I kept them inside my shirt.
In the way we stopped to eat ‘Chaat’ (a mixture of fruits, spices and some liquids). The ‘Chaat Man’ was a fatty-black man (yes just like me), he is famous for his Chaat (On Delhi-Shahranpur Road, in between Baghpat and Khekda, you can ask to any local for that Chaat shop and he will definitely tell you where the shop is). We ordered nine Chaat plates. I looked at Chaat Man; he was chopping the apple, then he mixed the other fruits- grapes, oranges, and boiled potatoes, then with his skillful hands he topped the whole mixture with a spice (masaala); then he mixed them up again in a big bowl with his hands, and our chaat was ready to be served. I eat the Chaat, but I realized I should buy something for Tiny and Miny too, they might be hungry or may be they were thirsty. I asked the Chaat Man if he could arrange some water in a plate or cup.
For what purpose you needed it, he asked.
I showed Miny and Tiny to him. “For them”, I said.
He looked at both of them, smiled a little, and handed over a sealed bottle to me. I asked for price, but he said it is for free. I smiled back and thanked him for his gratitude. I uncapped the bottle and filled the cap full to the brink with water, and served them. They were really thirsty.
We reached Delhi at about 6 or 6:30 pm. I told my father too about them; he said - Okay. But, now my mother started resisting to have them in the house, and why not, after all she is the one who clean all the mesh in the house, not us. But as I have told you earlier I am good at making people convince as per my wish, so I succeed in convincing my mother too. In fact, my mother was an easy one to convince (not always).


I realized - I need to name both of them, so I named them - Tiny and Miny. While Tiny was thinner, smarter, agile, and responsive to touches and sounds, on the other hand Miny was bigger, sleepy, and not much responsive - she acted as if she was sick. Two days passed - while Tiny was becoming more agile, and healthy day after day, Miny started eating very little, but she was getting bigger, I was confused with the situation - Is it a disease or I was missing something. “Don’t worry, she will be fine soon,” my father said.
Tiny used to play in the flower pots, while Miny slept the whole day. Both of them, especially Tiny, was getting known to my hands. Whenever I placed my palm in front of them they simply get up to it, while if someone other than me did the same thing, they simply run away. This is called loyalty and affection towards master which animals bears at large while human lacks or misses completely.
On the fifth day Miny went almost passive, she completely stopped eating and drinking and her body was puffed up, I was confused- “What should I do?” All night I checked Miny, I placed water in front of her then some milk, I want her to get well soon whatever it takes. All of a sudden, I become an adult, a highly concerned adult like my father.
The next day she died. Sorry, Miny your master was a fool, he has no knowledge how to raise a squirrel. I am responsible for your death. Rest in Peace Miny. The same day we called a caretaker organization and I handed over Tiny to them. I think it would be better for Tiny to grow in a supervised and healthy environment rather than with me. A man from the caretaker organization arrived the next morning. I asked him what should be the reason of Miny’s death; he said - she died because she was not urinating, which is a common problem in young ones,” he further added, “In cases like that you have to grab the squirrel upright, and then press the region near the abdomen slowly with a gentle hand. Although, that process worked sometimes but not always.”   


They are gone, both of them are gone. What is left is this cardboard box which had served as their home once. You are gone but both of you will remain in my memory forever. Tiny and Miny I will never forget you. 

Note - This blog is solely a ghost-writing.