FISH TANK

tak tak tak…tak tak tak

I kept knocking against my aquarium, but Harris was no longer scared of me…she was not diving into the depths of her ocean world just to avoid my pat. She wasn’t petrified of anyone no more…Her tiny little body was silently floating…there was no movement at all. I poured some of her favorite chips yet she remained still & did not budge an inch to savor her favourite snack. This was enough for me to realize that she was now gone forever… I had now lost my Harris.

In the meanwhile, Steve (Harris’s mate) was also very quiet…he kept swimming around her & staring at her – expecting her to move any moment…all in vain. He was gradually trying to come to terms with life without his partner…

Steve had realized now that he had to swim alone…

Live alone…in fact exist alone.

There was now no one to play with any more, no one to share with…I poured down some food for him too but Steve was in no mood.

Having lost Harris, I was now really concerned for Steve. I didn’t want to lose him too. Every morning before going to work and every night after returning, I ran to Steve, just to make sure he was OK.

I finally decided to return Steve to where I’d got him from as he did not seem he had the will to live anymore…once he was in the aquarium in the shop I was sure he would be better off with friends & foes from his species. One morning before going to work I could clearly make out that Steve seemed to have completely lost the zeal to live. I kept praying in my heart so that Steve would survive just one more day – I tried telling him to hang on so he could be with his friends very soon.

Obviously no one can fight destiny.

The next morning he was floating in his tank. His golden body was now completely placid…he seemed to be resting in peace…

Deep down my heart I always knew Steve would never make it without Harris. Now I realized they’d be together – in another world though.

As I silently gaze at the empty aquarium, I miss their silent hullabaloo. Somehow their presence had so much positive energy that it filled my house with life

Though I had bought them for a video project for one minor scene - they gave me the best shot of my film.

Their memories still linger when I am alone… their excitement to catch their chips, their frenzied moves at nights which sometimes frightened me, their playfulness & how nervous they both got when I cleaned their tank.

How much I was scared when I first took them in my hands. I was literally jumping and yelling & everybody at home found it quite amusing.

Now, as I gaze at an empty aquarium, I miss them so much. Must say my house was full of life when they were alive. I have never had any pets in my life so far…they were the first and also probably the last.

Steve & Harris – my rock stars !