Companion by Ashima Syal | A Short Story

I was stationed in Mumbai, the busiest city ever. From the outside, I had everything, a sea-facing apartment in Madh Island, a respectable job of an IPS officer. It's not easy to be in the police force, Afterall you are always on duty. And once you reach home, you want someone to give you the feel of home. Now, most of you would think that probably I wish for a partner with the intention to get married. But that is not the case, for my life mantra is career over love. But as they say, the more you move away from love, the more chance it gets to build a home within you, in ways you would never have imagined.

Though my house gave me the solace of the sea, it felt a little incomplete, why would it not, a home is made by the people living in it. Sitting in my verandah on a Sunday afternoon, I felt the need to talk, to care, to be there. “Maybe you can get a pet,” my mind’s window whispered. The idea of getting a pet was interesting. I knew for sure that bringing a dog to share my house with me was not an option, for I wasn’t ready for it. I loved turtles but keeping them at home was not possible. I then settled down for a fish. I always wanted to keep a fish in my house, a round small aquarium with the orange fish.

The next morning, I went and purchased the aquarium, I named my goldfish Reo. Reo was comfortably smiling in her new home. She gave me intriguing glances, with every glance of hers, the joy to pronounce her name again and again kept on increasing. Finally, I had a companion to come home to. Reo was like a child to me, all her meals were given to her punctually, without fail. I could afford to delay my meals, but not hers. She was the only company I had.

My cook, Divya Taai, used to cook meals for me. On all the times when I was not travelling out, she used to take care of Reo’s food. You can learn so much from animals, what you can never learn from humans. Even though animals cannot say a word, the narratives they convey in silence are some of the most conscious lessons of life.

Before Reo, I was all to myself. After work, I used to have a small bite, then go off to sleep. But after Reo, my same routine life had turned colorful. In all my loneliness now, there was someone to look forward to. Previously, I was surviving with life’s reality but now I found myself living, living to be able to share my silence with Reo, see her glance, see her eat, just watch by her. One quality about animals is, they never complain. They hold no grudges, no blame, they accept you like a blank slate. They never question you nor do they judge you. The greatest realization that Reo has given me is that it's important to find that one reason in life that makes you feel alive, despite your current reality.

At the end of the day, all that an individual wants is not only to love but be able to love. And after Reo, the new me, just became livelier to the tune of life, a new beginning to learn responsibility and resonate with a companion.

Ashima Syal, is an Author. Ashima has authored two books of poetry and has co- authored in more than 16 anthologies. Ashima's poetry has been featured in the Kumaon Literary Festival and at the Lit Live, Mumbai Literary Festival. She draws inspiration from her everyday life to write.