Hey, I didn’t see you there. How are you? You can stay here as long as you want to. Oh, where are my manners? I’m the guardian of this universe. There are many universes you see. We guardians protect them from threats like supernovas and other celestial villains. When I’m not on duty I can be found lounging about anywhere as anything I wish to be.
Right now, I’m a tiny tabby kitten and calling a beautiful resort my home. The premises are well maintained and there is greenery all around. This place is very calm and peaceful but it’s quite uneventful as well. It’s very rare for something unexpected to happen. But today was a special day.
I was relaxing in the midst of some tall, sturdy bamboo trees when suddenly a girl dressed in blue crouched and started meowing. I was dumbstruck. I thought only cats meowed. Had humans updated their language? Then I realized that she was calling me to come to her. Me, the guardian of this universe, willingly go into the hands of a silly girl? Ha! I lured her with my adorable looks and darted into a clump of enormous, ancient trees. She couldn’t possibly find me in this thicket, right? But she did! Her eagle eyes spotted me with ease. She continued to try and coax me into submitting to her will.
I smiled at this pathetic attempt and ran like the wind, simultaneously changing my form to that of a swan, my fur transforming to feathers, my feet becoming webbed. I jumped into a nearby pond that had some ducks waddling around. Perfect. They would help maintain my cover. I waited for the girl to run after me. I wanted to see her befuddled face. I wanted to see her mortal mind try to comprehend all that had happened.
But all of my expectations were shattered. Nothing of that sort happened. She just shrugged as if it was nothing and went away with her mother, who arrived just now.
I was getting extremely annoyed. No one ignores me. Only I am allowed to ignore others. This was not the way I had to be treated. I demand justice!
I turned into my kitten form again and ‘hid’ in a bush. I was visible enough to be seen and covered enough to be considered to be ‘hiding’. The girl saw me and was about to come when her mother dragged her away. But I wasn’t going to give up. It was a matter of honor now. As soon as her mother was gone, I stepped out of the bush and slowly approached her. She crouched, as expected, and held out her hand. I was ready to ditch her, leave her alone, in tears. But her eager face made me forget all my bad intentions.
I was in a trance. Hypnotized, I edged towards her. She quivered with joy and then gently pet me. My body shook under her touch. My stone heart crumbled and I curled up in a ball, begging her to pet me, love me. I had opened up for the first time in my life and it felt amazing. The feeling of being loved is a special one and I, the guardian of this universe can now tell you that I’ve experienced it.
– Maleika Hussain