#25 Did someone say meow?

Cute or creepy, it's all in the eyes

Hey there,

This right here is your excuse to take a break from work or whatever else that’s stressing you out, grab a snack or a beverage, settle into a comfy spot and ask yourself a very important question…

Have you ever wished that you were born as something other than a human being? Let’s say a flower soaking in the summer sun or a bee buzzing around without a care in the world. Or a book on the top shelf of a library that rarely anyone bothers to take out or a firework that gets a “WOW” and an “Oooh!” from the crowd gathered. How about a pearl snoozing peacefully in the deepest part of the ocean or a 100-year-old tree that houses hundreds of birds within its branches? Maybe as the most popular person on the internet or whatever else appeals to you as the perfect way to live a life.

Well, I like the sound of at least three of those things, but my heart desires a different form entirely. One that all of us admire.

You see, when I was younger, I told myself that in my next life, I’d come back as a peacock, the most magnificent of creatures, and dance my heart out each time it rained. But later as I grew up, I learned that peacocks dance so passionately, with their feathers spread out majestically, gaining the envy of all other living creatures, not because these beautiful birds loved rain so much, but because they were *sigh* *eye-roll* males. And like other males, they just want to show off their skills or “flex their plumy muscles” in order to get the ladies. But it’s way better that a peacock chooses to get the attention of the girl he likes with beautiful choreography instead of sliding into her DMs with “Hiii dr” or “Wassup babe” or commenting something vulgar on her posts with poorer grammar.

Anyway, now as an adult (yikes), I think I would rather be a house cat in my next life. Because honestly, the life of a cat is the closest thing to a luxurious royal living, minus being the constant subject of media attention and tabloid gossip.

However, any time someone watches a cat for more than 2 seconds or pulls out their phone to take pictures, the furry lord assumes that the onlooker is a paparazzo. The cat will go on to shoot a deathly stare in the person’s direction and scoot away from the location with such elegant swiftness that neither the former queen nor the best athletes can master. All that is left for you to watch at most times is the furry hindquarters of his/her feline majesty.

scratch pole ft. furry hindquarters

I should admit that when it comes to cats, I’m part of the paparazzi too. My heart inclines towards dogs more than cats, yet my gallery filled with pictures of feline death stares suggests irony. And I’m not even exaggerating about the intimidation and power in those sparkly eyes, as if the cat is mad at me for pointing my camera at him and would very much like to run one of his razor-sharp claws against my cheek, or perhaps, my eye. Yet, I gather up all my courage and continue to take pictures of these creatures that remind me of lazy afternoons in the sun.

“…creatures that remind me of lazy afternoons in the sun”

These fluffy beings spend their days the way they please. No one, not even a whole army of soldiers can intimidate a cat. If you notice closely, house cats aren’t the ones that are tamed. It’s their humans that get tamed and turned into playing the role of the perfect cat-mom/dad that gets to devote their time, energy and resources to making the kitty’s life as comfortable and fluffy as possible. Meanwhile, the kitty gets to prance around, eat and sleep as he wishes, come and go as per his desire and get attention and love only when he wants it. Touch a cat when he is not interested and you’re sure to meet some vicious claws and teeth. As an introvert who is awkward at hugs, this sort of appeals to me.

Enough said, now I’ll let you be the judge of whether or not cats hate me and as a species, are very much interested in turning me into a nice South-Indian meal after which they would also turn my grave into a comfy bed to curl up on. Scroll down to be spooked!

The iconic “Nimmathiyaa saapda vidraalaa paaru! Vanthutaa, camera-va thookikittu” death-stare

Not even your yoga teacher can reach this level of flexibility

from when I went outside to check the source of the damaal-dumeel noise coming from my AC

I guess I understand why they say “Poona maari thiruttu muzhi muzhikatha!” (They do say that, right?)

Thiruttu muzhi part 2

“…as if the cat is mad at me for pointing my camera at him and would very much like to run one of his razor-sharp claws against my cheek, or perhaps, my eye”

Rawwwrr! I’m the king of the concrete jungle. Rawr!

chunky burrito

caught while he was grooming his pwetty paws with a pair of rusty scissors

Alexa play “Singam Ondru Purappattathey”

I don’t want to spook you with too much cat content in one day. Also, we’ve reached the maximum length for a Substack newsletter. So let me stop here and let you get back to the busyness of your life.

But do keep in mind, life is not always about money, a job, romance or binge-watching series. Sometimes it’s also about stretching your limbs and catching a nice, long nap without FOMO-ing about the next task on your to-do list. Catch a sunset, play with some puppies, get into a staring competition with a cat, or take an off day where you do nothing but things like dancing eating, sleeping and living the moment as you please.

Ciao! (More like meow)

- Aarthi. 🌻

What do you aspire to be in your next life? What kind of creature/life fascinates you the most? Let me know in the comments!