Page 3 - My FlipBook

Robber was staring at the ground and taking small, mincing steps. Navjyot guessed he had spotted a
bird or a mouse.
“Stop! Stay! Robber, you naughty cat!” he yelled and ran out of the house.

Crouched low, with his tail up in the air, Robber fixed green blazing eyes on Navjyot and let out an
angry meow.
“Scoot! Ask Nimi to feed you!” Navjyot shooed Robber away and picked up the bundle of green
feathers. The parrot was alive but its eyes were shut and it did not move. It was burning up with fever.
Its feet were tied with a thin wire and there was a string around its neck. One wing was injured.
Navjyot took the parrot into his room and placed it on the table. He sprinkled some water over it. The
parrot did not stir. But for the tiny movement of the chest, it looked dead.

Navjyot sprinkled some more water and started fanning the parrot with a cardboard sheet. The parrot
opened its eyes and shut them again. Navjyot held a saucer with water to its beak and patiently waited
for it to take a few sips. He cut away the string and removed the wire. He also applied antiseptic
cream on the cuts left by the wire.

“What do you have here?” Nimi asked, making Navjyot jump. He hadn’t heard her come in. She was
holding Robber in her arms and he was wriggling.
“Take your cat out!” Navjyot hissed, picking up the parrot.

“Is that a parrot? May I hold him?” Nimi asked.
“No. Now leave.”

“Navjyot, don’t be mean! All I want is to hold the parrot. Does it speak?”
When Navjyot refused to give her the parrot, she stuck out her tongue at him and threatened, “I’ll tell
Grandpa!”

Navjyot got rid of her and locked the door. He fed the parrot some more water and some nuts. He
remembered parrots loved guavas. He would get one from the kitchen. When he opened the door,
Robber was sitting on the doormat. “You monster cat, stay away from my parrot,” he warned.

The parrot did not eat the fruit. It did not get up on its feet either. Navjyot took the parrot to a vet. The
vet was hopeful. “He’s young and strong. He’ll live.” For the next five days, Navjyot gave the parrot
medicines, handfed him and guarded him from Robber.
Robber continued to try to get into Navjyot’s room. He almost succeeded getting in through the
window except that the parrot gave a loud squawk.

Robber’s behavior led to many a quarrel between Nimi and Navjyot. Navjyot wanted Nimi to mind
Robber and keep him away from the parrot. Nimi said he was being mean to her.

“Robber is always outside my door. Someday I’ll step on him!” Navjyot threatened.

Nimi ran to Grandpa. “Navjyot says he will murder Robber! Tell him he is not to even look at
Robber.”

Navjyot was fed up of playing hide and seek with Robber. He had an idea. “Grandpa, may I move
into the room outside?”