Mitthu, The Parrot

A year ago Pinku had rescued four baby parrots from going down nearby. Pinku is my friend, Saroj's son. Saroj comes three times a day to cook at our house. Saroj, her daughter Mona and Pinku are our extended family members.

So the four baby parrots found a home at Saroj'shome. She used to feed them three times a day individually with a syringe. And as time passed they grew big. Their feathers came and they looked beautiful.

We had not seen these parrots at all. We use to hear about them everyday. One day we heard that two of them had flown away. Saroj was sad that day.

Then another day , a cat attacked one parroting the neck. Pinku tried to take it to the doctor

but he did he did not bother to look at him.

The last parrot remained, who was named Mitthu.

Saroj brought it up to our flat one day.

We were not used to birds at all! So we learnt, all of us to be compatible to him.

In the beginning he was quite calm and he used to perch on my leg for long durations. He used to look into my eyes as if telling me something.

So I started talking to him . He understood me, that's what I felt.

He started coming at 8 o'clock in the morning with Saroj. He used to stay the whole day with me and go back with them again at night.

We both had a good rapport. Though Saroj was his "Mummy", he loved to be with me also.

He listened to me when I spoke to him. l loved talking to him. Sometimes he would come and tell me to talk to him with his actions.

At tea-time, he would land up on the table from wherever he was. He would snatch the biggest biscuit from my bowl and run away on the table to the otherside like a thief. Nobody could use a mobile when he was around. He would try and many times did eat the mobile phone.

At least three times Mitthu had flown out and with a lot of trouble we brought him back. Once we showed him a Gems packet to bring him down from a tree. Gems was his favourite.

He loved making pieces of pencils and chewing up the rubbers on the pens. He wouldn't let anyone write either. He would get after that person's pen or pencil. He had become very hyperactive lately.

Sometimes I tried to lie down on the bed in our living in the afternoon. Mitthu did not like me sleeping so he would come hopping on to my ear and nibble it or start shouting right into my ear, which was visible.

He had learnt to say "Mai Mitthu" ( meaning _ I am Mitthu) And he would say that again and again sitting on top of my face.

He loved to eat the vegetables which Saroj used to cut for the meals. He would come down on the table and eat them.

Our daughter used to work on the computer and Mitthu used to constantly play with her fingers on the mouse. Playfully Momo, our daughter used to get hold of her beaks but Mitthu said nothing. He seemed to enjoy playing with her. She also used to share her food chips, Thumbs up and fruit beer with him. He loved these stuff.

I realized that because of Mitthu we were interacting more among ourselves. We laughed more and definitely lived away from the mobile phone. Mitthu taught us the importance of moments and of the joy of being together.

One day in July, Mitthu was down at Saroj 's house from where he flew off. Everyone tried a lot to get him back but in vain. He comes to the nearby trees sometimes and makes sure we notice him.

We love him very much so we are also happy he is free.

God bless him.