Story so far: Baba finds a temporary job. Bhuvan fights with Stella and decides to help the kittens on his own.
It was late afternoon when Bhuvan found his parents fast asleep. He tiptoed to the kitchen and filled a bottle with some milk. The street was quiet and empty when he opened the main door. Bhuvan put on his mask, put a wrench from his father’s tool kit into his bag and stepped out.
Stella and Mercy were playing outside the house. “Where are you going?” asked Stella.
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Bhuvan scowled and ran to the main road. He had reached the traffic signal when a tempo spewing a white cloud zipped past him. Bhuvan coughed and let go of the bottle. Someone poked him from behind. He turned around to find Popo Singh with his menacing lathi.
“You shouldn’t be here. They are fumigating and disinfecting the streets,” he said.
Bhuvan picked the bottle. “I wanted to help the kittens!”
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“Kittens?”
“They are trapped in Mrs. Miranda’s shop.”
“Don’t worry. I have been taking care of them ever since the lockdown started.”
Bhuvan stared. “Do you have a key to the shop?”
“No!” replied Popo Singh. “I have been feeding them through a hole at the bottom of the door. The shop must be smellier than unwashed socks, but at least the kittens are alive and safe!”
“Can’t I go to the shop for a minute?” asked Bhuvan.
“Go home!” said Popo Singh. “We can’t open the shop without a key.”
“Can’t you break the lock?”
Popo Singh glared. “I am a policeman, not a thief. Mrs. Miranda is being discharged from the hospital tomorrow. I will take the key from her and rescue the kittens.”
Bhuvan refused to leave. “Did Stella tell you about the kittens?”
“No! I heard the kittens mewing when I patrolled the streets.”
Bhuvan tossed the bottle in his school bag and ran home as fast as he could. When he reached the door, he could see Stella singing and dancing with Mercy.
He clapped twice to catch her attention. She responded by smiling at him.
He smiled back. “I just found out Popo Singh has been feeding the kittens.”
Stella shrugged. “I tried to tell you earlier. But you weren’t ready to listen.”
Bhuvan pulled his ears. “I am sorry.”
His smile turned into a frown when he heard the faint wail of a siren.
“Get inside the house!” screamed Stella.
Bhuvan ran in and looked out of the window with bated breath.
(To be continued)