Cat slayer

Last afternoon I was working. I was completely engrossed in the research study that I had been reviewing. I was startled by my phone. I checked the notification, it was a text from my friend Shubha, "did you see the news?"

I was completely clueless. I had read the news in the morning but after that I was completely unaware what had happened. I replied, "which news? I am occupied with my research work".

"Oh! Nothing urgent. We will speak later," texted me back.

Once my work was over in the evening I decided to text her back, "what did you want to tell me in the afternoon?"

10 minutes later, Shubha shared a news article with me "20 dead cats were found in Chembur area". Just the headline gave a lump in my throat. I swallowed hard and read the news. The news article mentioned that in Chembur (Mumbai), someone had been bringing and dumping severely injured cats which die immediately. One day five day cats were found. The next day 6 day cats were found. Each day more and more dead cats are being recovered from the same place. Looking at the injuries it did not appear as if some animal had attacked the cats. It looked like it was done by a human being. An FIR had been lodgeed in the police station without knowing the criminal.

I read the entire article and I felt dizzy by reading the gruesome details. I could not imagine how can someone be so cruel to attack innocent animals. I was thinking about the article when my phone rang, Shubha was calling, "did you read the news?"

"I did. How horrible it is. I cannot understand how someone could kill cats. They are so cute. They don't even trouble us. They sit or sleep in their corners and do not even pay attention to humans. What negativity that the person could be filled with to kill 20 cats? It is just cruel or maybe it is a bad practice" I was finding it difficult to speak. I am a cat lover and I cannot imagine that anyone could do harm to the cats.

"I am really worried. I have three rescue cats at my home. And the place that they had mentioned it is very close from my society. I am really scared for the safety of my cats. I do not let them roam freely but now it looks like for a few days I cannot allow them even to roam in my society complex. It is too risky," I can hear the fear in Shubha's voice.

I completely understood her fear because how could she even ensure safety for her cats, " yes please keep them indoor. At least till the time they catch the criminal. I can't believe this sick mentality. I just hope police catch that person quickly".

"Yes police should catch the person quickly. Just because they do not look like us or speak like us does not mean their lives are not important. I just wish that no more cats get killed by whoever that is. But I am really scared for my cats. I am thinking to go and stay with my cousin in Pune. I work from home, so I can work from anywhere. My cats will be safer there. My friends think that I am being paranoid. I wanted your opinion," Shubha asked.

"I think you are right. You should get away. That place is really close to your home. You should move at least for the safety of your cats," I agreed and insisted that she should move to Pune at soon as possible.

Shubha left last night itself. But I am still worried about this miserable crime. I hope police catch the criminal at soon as possible.