365 DAYS 365 TALES

A CAT IN THE OVEN

The smell of baked cake brought water in his mouth. His stomach was growling to taste it. That timer of his oven was the only thing that was between him and his cake. Varun stared at it with purpose, like his eyes would speed the countdown. It still went at its own pace though, reaching the final two minutes now. 

This was all making Varun eager and frustrated. The wait was killing him; and that smell was a cherry on the top. Little did he know that something else was also waiting to add itself to Varun's woes. A little cat.

The aroma of a tasty dish had drawn the kitten to kitchen as well. It peeked round the corner to watch a human pacing up and down. He really looked anxious. The kitten purred a meow and strode to the kitchen elegantly.

Varun saw the little devil enter. His sister had this bad habit of bringing irritating animals in the house. If the cat is here, Anamika must be home as well. Probably gone to freshen up, he thought. Though it was tough to ignore this smell and do something else, but he knew she could be that exception.

The kitten meanwhile had found Varun's leg and started rubbing its back. It nuzzled its nose on the soft fabric before getting cozy on his boot.

Varun admired the kitten's abilities at that point. He was sure it was there to take a share of his cake. And it was doing everything in its might to lure him into doing that. But Varun wasn't someone to fall in such cute face traps. He kicked the kitchen aside and walked over to the oven to check the time.

Still a minute and a half remaining.

The kitten was also not someone to give it up so easily. Though in his very first impression, the man felt rude to it. But at the moment, the job to get some food was more important than personal emotions. So it purred again, louder this time, and went on to repeat its cuddling.

"Snap out of it kitty," Varun shouted, "You're not going to get a chunk of my cake."

And when Varun kicked the kitten again, it reached its endurance limit. Yes, stomach was important, but it had self-pride as well. Even if it meant no food, the kitten won't take any more of it. It went back to Varun's leg, and dig its teeth into the flesh.

Varun writhed from the bite. Though the pain was not much, this little kitten had gotten on his nerves now. And then he did something no one would have imagined. He opened the still sunning oven, grabbed the cake in his hand; and with the other, he stuffed the cat in the oven. The kitten tried to make a noise, but the whole kitchen turned quiet again when Varun closed the door of oven.

"Something smells really good," he heard Anamika's voice from the hall.

Hmm...this really smells good, he returned his focus on the cake. The chocolate cake felt heavenly in his hand. This was the first time he had baked a cake, and he was impressed by his own work. Not only the cake, but he had also cleaned the kitchen to the spotless it was before.

The black granite of his kitchen's platform shone under the white light. The boxes of chocolate powder and baking floor were neatly kept in the shelf above the platform. Some milk had spilled when he had taken it from the fridge humming quietly in the corner, but Varun had wiped it clean.

Satisfied by the clean looks of his kitchen, Varun carefully proceeded to keep the cake on the table. The teak-wood table they owned was not that big, but enough for their family of four to sit comfortably. His parents always sat opposite each other, while Anamika and he occupied the remaining seats.

Varun always sat on the chair facing the window. The clouds and the moon felt peaceful to him during dinner. There was a rule in his house, that they would have the dinner together everyday. Varun enjoyed that time the most. Listening to his sister's college tales, his father's unique clients; and the neighborhood gossip from his mother was the best time of the day for him.

Varun was about to sit on his chair when Anamika entered the kitchen.

"The cake looks really awesome," she said looking at the cake.

Varun bowed down in thanks.

"By the way," Anamika spoke again, "Did you happen to see a cat around here? I just bought it today. I'm sure I left in the hall before going up, but now I can't find it anywhere."

Oops, he was caught. He decided to remain calm anyways.

"Oh yes, it's in the oven," he said as if nothing had happened.

"What!" Anamika shouted as she ran to the oven and brought the cat out. The little kitten felt warm in her hands, and a little freaked out as well. "Are you mad or what?"

"The cat was feeling cold outside. It was constantly cuddling my jeans for warmth. So I thought oven would be a better option," he defended himself, "Anyways, it was only five seconds left on the timer when I kept it inside, its not like I was heating it up."

Cat and Anamika both bore the same angry looks. Both their eyes shouted only one thing, Revenge. Varun got up from the chair with the cake still in his hand, ready to make a run for his room. But the duo was quicker than him.

Both pounced on him, angry and hungry. Fists and claws landed in his stomach. The cake in his hand was not aloof of all this as well, hands dived in it, sometimes a face; and pretty soon all three had cake smitten over their face and hands. Finally when they tasted the cake, licking it off their hand, the fight was forgotten instantly.

An evening which started with a fight, ended happy and sweet with a cake.

***

I had read it in one of the guides across Wattpad, that to keep the readers interested, you should first keep the cat in oven and then describe the kitchen. 

So, I just tried to put the theory to test. 

And now, you tell me readers, did the boring description of the kitchen and dining table actually amused you only because the cat was in the oven? Or would you have found it interesting anyway?

cchinu (12/05)