Growing up I had heard so much about the Empress Market from my father. I never had the opportunity to visit; despite my new-found freedom…it never even occurred to me that I am old enough to explore this market (treasure, I had heard) on my own. So after 25 years, on one Sunday morning I finally decided to go on an adventure, My adventure kit included, my white car, my liz claireborne purse, a bottle of water and Abdullah uncle as my trustee side-kick. So after informing my dad and retrieving sufficient funds from his wallet I began my journey...
Quite a short journey it turned out to be, upon my arrival I started with my first venture, Murghi wala who seemed very keen on fooling the unfamiliar face as did the machli wala, the sabzi wala and the fruit wala aswell. The only person I found interested in assuring his rightful duties was the gentleman who had provided services of carrying my groceries.
My most desperate quest was for a pet, I had always desired to have a dog while I was growing up. Unfortunately as I was pressed on time and the grocery shopping alone had taken two hours, I decided to discontinue my partial adventure and head home.
On my way home I came across Delhi colony which is somewhat a grocery market in it's own. I decided to purchase some fish for dinner, as soon as I was done with the monger, I locked my trunk, ignited the engine and as I turned left around the corner...."Oh my God !" I shrieked with joy, there they were locked in a net bag under the chirping chickens, I stopped and parked my car on the side. I asked one of the boys from the meat shop to bring them to me,....it was love at first sight, their white furry faces with twitching pink noses and the sad look in the eyes just melted my heart into getting ripped off, yes I paid double the amount of their actual cost; the vendor charged me extra for my excitement and the fact that I did not want to eat them.
They sat in the leg area for the passenger front seat on the way home, as soon as I pulled in the garage I handed them to Abdullah uncle to give them a bath and he took them with a look on his face that said "Baji I will defend you against the worst robbers if I have to, but this is an impossible task", of course I welcomed that look with a smile and said "they are your new best friends so learn to like them".
I was really scared letting them out on the first day, as I recalled a memory of when I was twelve and with the same feeling as today I had purchased a baby chick and two minutes after letting it out of the basket I watched it fly away in the talons of an eagle. But I mentally prepared myself as I do not like to keep living things in a cage unless they actually deserve it, so I let them out in the garden, prayed to God and went to bed with a tingling in my stomach. The next morning before leaving for work I scanned the garden for two white furballs which were no where to be found and with disappointment I checked with Abdullah uncle, upon which he confirmed that the female was abducted by a wild cat and the male remains in the hole dug during his stay overnight.
A week passed by and he wiggled me good morning every day before I left for work, I was pleased but still refraining from getting attached to my furry friend. But now my "garden scans" had become less frequent, as in once in 15 days, mostly in the middle of the night "oh my God, I hope he's still there".
It has been two months and after two months of refraining from emotional attachment, I decided that he ain't going anywhere hence I might as well just give him a name, "Bunny Rabbit, Bugsy, Bunny Boo, Bugs Bunny, Butterbuny and Honey Bunny" (still thinking!!!) and of course such decisions require elaborate thinking and advisory, so I shall be hippity hopping on my way to Zurain's tonight for some coffee and bunny name questing.
