The Christmas Gift

The thing that had her transfixed was a little toy tiger. It was majestic and adorable at the same time- tawny, with black stripes and a wooly soft texture- the features that the girl liked the most, though, were its button like pink nose and long impressive tail. She bought it on impulse as a Christmas gift for herself, even though she was a little too grown up for soft toys.

She went home and kept it on her pillow. Every evening she would spend some time stroking the fake feline and relating the day's happenings to it.

The tiger seemed to listen and understand her. The girl marveled at its creators. The creature seemed so real! Sometimes, she wished it was, but then nobody kept tigers at home. Tigers belonged to the forests.

Last month her friend surprised her with a gift. The girl held her breath. It took about ten minutes for her to take in the miracle that stood in front of her.

Standing in front of her was her toy tiger come alive. It was almost as if she had dreamed it into reality. On closer scrutiny, the pet turned out to be a little tabby cat with an uncanny resemblance to her toy tiger. It had the same sort of unique stripes running criss cross throughout. The girl was especially awe-struck by the same rosebud pink button nose and the long regal furry tail. After a cursory dekko around the house, the kitten located an old shuttlecock and proceeded to play with it in the most engrossing and engrossed manner. It would hide under the sofa, and then pounce on the hapless shuttlecock like a predator attacking its prey!

The girl christened the kitten Chanchal because it was so lively and active. A week later, Chanchal (Still in the teething stage), having scratched and ripped the furniture apart and broken numerous things including four phenyl bottles in quick succession and a Ganapati idol (much to the distress of the elders of the house) had also earned the sobriquet of 'Agent of Chaos' and 'Devil in Disguise'.

The aloe Vera and tomato saplings lay uprooted and lifeless on the ground- again the benediction of the kitty.

One day, the girl was feeling a little blue and was crying for some reason. She had assumed that she was alone in the room and was amazed to find Chanchal sitting next to her in what seemed like silent support. 'Go Puddy-tat, go!' the girl ordered, reading the signal wrong and assuming that Chanchal was up to some mischief again (Unconsciously, the girl was imitating her mom, who frequently called Chanchal as Puddy-tat. Apparently Tweety the bird calls Sylvester the pussy-cat that in a cartoon strip).

Chanchal refused to budge and even placed its paw on the girl's thigh in a consoling manner. Much moved by this gesture, the girl, smiling now, stroked Chanchal and pronounced it 'The sweetest angel on earth'. The havoc of the previous weeks was dismissed as the temporary antics of a baby cat, which indeed it was.
PTO

Chanchal is sitting on the pillow right now; face to face with its near identical twin- the toy tiger.

You must be wondering how I know all this. I ought to- I am the girl in the story!
It seemed like Santa Claus, in my friend's form, blessed me with the best Christmas gift ever, much in advance!