The Cat, the Snake, and a Memory from COVID Times

 

     The Cat, the Snake, and a Memory from 

                         COVID Times

                 Subtitle: A balcony morning, a farm flashback, and a standoff I still think about

During COVID, our world shrank to a few rooms—and suddenly small things became big stories. One morning on my balcony, a mother cat locked eyes with a snake. What happened next still lives in the rustle of those bushes.

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1) The Tiny World We Lived In

Early morning, before my kids woke up, I walked from my room to the hall. Just a few steps… and my mind went back to COVID times.

“OK! Don’t ask what new story I’m bringing now,” I told myself—because most of my stories begin before I start.

Back then, our world was small: bedroom → hall → balcony → kitchen. That was it.

Were those days good or bad? Health-wise, very tough. No one wants that again. But they also gave us silence, slow time, and a chance to notice things we used to miss. Metro cities went quiet. People went home. Villages came alive. And technology became our lifeline—work, school, life went virtual.

That bigger discussion is for another day. Today’s story is smaller—and closer.

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2) A Balcony Morning

One weekend I was busy with my balcony garden. In the base garden opposite, a mother cat lived with her kittens. She’d been around for more than two years. My wife and daughter adored her. She even slept on our swing chair sometimes.

Our apartment is a mini-biodiversity park—birds, cats, dogs, snakes, and sometimes a surprise monkey. Neighbours care for greenery and animals; someone even made a little couch for the cats.

That morning, the mother cat sat very still. Eyes fixed. Body tight.

At first, I thought she was watching a bird. But she didn’t blink.

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3) Eyes That Wouldn’t Blink

I followed her gaze.

Sunlight hit the bushes and something faintly shimmered.

A snake.

It was looking back with the same focus.

For a moment, time slowed.

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4) Flashback: Pepsi vs. the Snake

That sight pulled me back to my childhood farm—and to our dogs: Pinky, Pepsi, and Singiri.

Once, Pepsi—short, brown, friendly but fierce—got into a fight with a rat snake. We heard her unusual bark and ran. The snake coiled tight around her. Pepsi did not give up. She bit the tail first, then the neck. It was a long fight. In the end, Pepsi won and came back wagging, proud.

That day I learned: even a non-venomous snake fights hard to live; a loyal dog will fight harder to protect.

Please visit my other blog on Pinky "Where Are You Going, Pinky?"

Note: “Pepsi” here is the name of our childhood dog, not the soft drink. 🐾

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5) Back to the Balcony

Now I was watching a fresh standoff: mother cat vs. rat snake.

The cat sprang. The snake coiled. They circled, hissed, leapt. For a second the snake looped near the cat’s neck. My heart stopped. The cat held her ground.

The photographer in me woke up. I ran inside, grabbed my camera, clicked the blur of fur and scales.

And then… silence.

Leaves settled. A quick rustle. The snake slipped deeper into the bushes. The cat stood guard, tail twitching, eyes still glowing.

I waited.

Nothing.

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6) The Silence After the Rustle

Did the snake escape? Or was it waiting under the leaves for the next move?

I don’t know. I never saw it again.

Even now, when evening light hits those same bushes, I catch myself looking—just in case the story wants a different ending.

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7) What That Morning Taught Me

• Small things can be big wonders. In lockdown, a cat staring at a bush became a story I’ll never forget.

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• Territory matters. Whether cat, dog, or human—we rise when our space, family, or peace is threatened.

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• Survival is persistence. The snake was weaker, but it did not surrender. Strength isn’t everything; refusing to give up is.

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• Roots and belonging. Like Pepsi protecting us, like the mother cat holding her ground—COVID quietly reminded us to return to what matters: family, home, and nature.

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Sometimes, suspense is the lesson. Not knowing keeps us alert. Keeps us alive.

Closing Note

A balcony morning. A farm memory. A fight that still lives—not just in the bushes, but in my mind.

As the standoff unfolded, I did what I always do—the photographer in me took over, and I captured it all on camera. 👀📸

The Unknown Person Who Became Part of Our Mornings

       The Unknown Person Who Became Part of Our Mornings

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The other day, my wife suddenly asked me, “Oyee! Some time back you were telling me about that person you used to meet every morning, right?”

I said, “Who? The one I used to talk about? That unknown person?”

She said, “Yes! That one. Why are you asking about him now?”

She explained she was watching some Korean series, and something in it reminded her of the story I told her about that person. So she wanted to know more.

I smiled and said, “Okay, if you want to talk about him now, I have to take you back in time. Hop on! Let me take you to the memory.”

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Flashback to 2019, Early Morning

It was 6 o’clock in the morning. My alarm started playing some song. I quickly paused it or hit snooze because, you know, early morning sleep is the sweetest. No matter what, the sleep god always pulls you back in.

After 10 minutes, the alarm started again. I told myself, “No, you’re not letting me sleep anymore. I have to get up.”

It was my routine to take my daughter out for a walk. She was still a baby then, so I used to carry her in my arms, take a small bag, and go out to get milk.

That was a small walk we did every day.

Since my daughter had just started exploring the world, I always let her look around. Our first stop was the play area where she loved the swing. She would enjoy playing there for some time.

After that, we’d go to the nearby store to get the milk.

While going to the store, there would be a lot of little things to look at — animated signs, birds, sounds — and she enjoyed all of it.

On our way back from the store, that’s when we saw him.

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The Unknown Person

How was he?

Tall — about 6 feet 4 inches — and probably in his mid-60s. By the way he walked and moved his hands, I noticed he was mostly left-handed.

We had seen him before, but never talked. This was the first time we actually interacted.

For some reason, his voice was so soft — very different from his strong body and look.

That day, he said, “Hi. What’s her name?”

I told him my daughter’s name.

He smiled and walked on.

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Our Morning Routine

This became our morning routine.

Next day, we saw him again. He was walking on the other side of the lane, but he came all the way to our side and said, “Good morning! Have a good day. Say hi to my daughter.”

This went on like this for a year or so.

Sometimes, we missed a day — either because we didn’t go out or he wasn’t there. But mostly, it was like clockwork.

Then Came COVID

And then COVID happened.

During the lockdown, we all stayed home, so there were no morning walks.

Whenever there was some relaxation in restrictions, I went out early to get milk — but without my daughter.

For a few days, I was able to see that unknown person again.

And then, suddenly — he vanished.

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The Void Left Behind

You know how it feels when a person you used to interact with regularly suddenly disappears?

Those small interactions — “Hi,” “Bye,” a smile, a little laugh — all positive vibes — suddenly gone.

It was strange not to see him anymore.

After some days, I asked the shop owner from where I bought the milk if he knew what happened.

That’s when my world shattered.

“Sir, he is no more.”

“What? What happened?”

“COVID.”

I heard from someone else that he had died.

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My Thoughts

I kept thinking about him.

He used to look so happy when he saw me and my daughter, especially her. I felt maybe he had a granddaughter around her age. Maybe that’s why he came every morning — to catch a glimpse of her.

The unknown person… even though I never knew his name, even though we never exchanged numbers or talked much beyond a few words, I felt really sad that he was gone.

He came into our lives as a stranger and left the same way — unknown.

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Back to Now

When my wife asked me about him, I realized this story needed to be written down.

We all have moments like this — times when we meet unknown people during travels, on trains, buses, flights, or just in everyday life.

People we talk to, laugh with, share little moments — but don’t know much else about.

And then they disappear.

As I told this story to my wife, she got a little emotional. I consoled her with one thing I always believe:

“Life will move on.”

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Have you ever met someone like that? A stranger who left a mark on your life without you knowing much about them? Share your story in the comments below. I’d love to hear.