The balcony cat!

Pratyasha waits everyday around noon. Eagerly. A little cat comes to the rear balcony of their ground floor 2 BHK apartment this time for a nap. Two rooms have attached balconies. The front one, attached to the drawing room, is the largest. She has created a mini garden there. From a bougainvillea to a lemon and a green chili plant - all types of plants have found place in Pratyasha's mini garden. She spends time there in the morning before Rajib wakes up. Rajib, her husband, joins her with the morning tea. The newspaper boy throws the morning newspaper onto this balcony. Sometimes, these throws smash some plants. Pratyasha picks them up and puts the papers inside the drawing room keeping the garden tidy again. Rajib brings the paper back to sit in the balcony and scans all the news while sipping the morning tea. Pratyasha warns her not to touch any flower, not even a single leaf!

But the cat comes to the rear balcony attached to the guest room. Pratyasha hangs the washed clothes there. Rarely sunlight comes here in this part of the apartment. With the wet clothes hanging on two nylon ropes clung to the two sides of the balcony, the area is very cool even in summer. This area seems to be a favorite spot for the cat. A white little cat with black spots on its tail, body and head. It comes inside the balcony navigating through the iron grill protecting the balcony. Then, it makes itself comfortable and falls asleep within minutes. Pratyasha is familiar with this scene everyday for the last couple of weeks.

She observes the sleeping cat and all its activities from inside the room through a closed glass door. A motherly affection fills up all her senses. As if she looks at her own baby sleeping in a cradle in front of her. She keeps staring at the cat. The cat yawns, stretches its legs, wakes up from sleep and sleeps again. Pratyasha keeps looking at all its antics. She smiles. She feels like hugging the cat, taking it inside the room and opening the glass door. But, somehow she can't. It's difficult to keep a pet inside an apartment. The pets dirty the apartments. Once they own a house then they can keep a pet. That's what she and Rajib have always planned. They have also planned to avoid being pregnant and having babies in the initial years of marriage. They have had a fast life. Traveling jobs for both hopping cities for the last 5-6 years. They have waited for the right time. Once they settle. But now their doctor has been saying, settle now or never. In this new city, now they have started running against time. To settle finally before it's too late; - before all the plans become wishes of the past!

Pratyasha waits in the guest room exactly at 1 pm after she finishes lunch that her maid makes in the morning. This guest room is planned for the most awaited guest in their life. She has even planned where inside the room the cradle will be put up. Last week, she couldn't believe her own ears when Rajib called her up and gave her the good news from a blood test result. She had screamed in joy at the top of her voice. She had never felt so excited. She had gone running to the balconies. The front one was brimming with flowers and fruits as if all had joined her in her good news. And then she had run towards the rear balcony to check out whether that cat had come. The cat had been coming for the last few days. She had seen a ray of hope in that cat. Yes, that day the cat had come and as usual had fallen asleep. Pratyasha wanted to hug the cat so badly! She had kept looking at the cat and tears of joy had filled her eyes.