The winter sun was pouring into my balcony, warm and sweet like honey. The balcony was a flurry of activity with Raat ki Rani (Night flowering jasmine) bush that crept up the wall in full bloom. An assortment of bugs, flies and bees were humming around the hundreds of flowers trying to seduce their nectar. My third floor apartment balcony with bright yellow coloured walls and a rust tiled floor was making the mood warm and inviting.
Just then I noticed a curious pair of eyes staring at me with a mix of trepidation, fear and curiosity. Is it a rat I wondered, suddenly worried about the rodent problem which I had handled earlier this year. Oh no! Not again. Wait! It was certainly a lot bigger than a rat. It looked up at me with the front leg hoisted up in the air all ready to beat a hasty retreat if I so much as moved one step towards it. Nostrils flared, I could see its heart hammering against his tiny chest. As we eyed each other I realized we both wanted the same thing - that spot under the sun on the balcony.
Delhi winter is an experience not to be missed. The seemingly endless days of cold dreary overcast sky are broken by a few days of clear warm sun shining brightly in the sky. The warmth invites everyone. Everything seems brighter- glowing in the love that the sun showers on Earth. My little patio with a myriad of colourful potted plants and a wrought iron bench seemed perfect to settle in with my morning ginger tea, a packet of glucose biscuits and the daily newspaper. Even the macabre headline on the economic woes seems less depressing with the idea of settling in and soaking up the sun. However, just like everything else in this country, I would have to fight it out for my space.
His eyes seemed to follow me as I decide my course of action. While growing up, my parents had made me believe that all animals were scared of humans. Though there were days I doubted this presumption like whenever I spotted a cockroach lurking around in the seedy corners of the bathroom or when geckos darted across the walls of our house like unwanted pets. However, today was the day to be a believer. It was smaller than me, it had to be petrified. I took one purposeful step towards the glass door that separated me from the coveted spot, fully aware that it would be considered an act of aggression by my opponent and would hopefully send it scurrying down the opening in the drainpipe.
To my amazement, my worthy adversary seemed undeterred and continued to stare in my general direction with what seemed to me now as a look of amusement. Maybe, his parents had told him some stories about us humans too.
The next fifteen minutes were like an act from an awkward Bollywood movie- unintentionally funny. The various attempts to shoo away the pest ranged from various objects being flung at him to me acting like a ferocious lion ready to pounce on him and just like most Bollywood movies, were completely pointless. The glass door between the balcony and my room acted as his shield and my barrier. Without it - it could have been a full blown war.
An hour and several futile attempts later, I settled into a big floor cushion nestled uncomfortably close to the glass door, soaking up the sparse sunshine tricking in through the glass with my tea and the daily dose of depressing drivel a.k.a the newspaper. Two curious eyes continue to gaze at me- at more ease now. The line of control has been firmly established. The unspoken peace treaty signed.