Siya was excited to leave Bangalore and head to her long-awaited holiday in Himachal Pradesh. After working at a stretch for months, she couldn’t wait to escape to the peaceful mountains. Her parents, who lived in Delhi, would be joining her too. The weather, the mountains and the peace, everything would be theirs for a whole month!
She reached a day earlier to settle into the guest house before her parents arrived. As she sat by the window, sipping her coffee and watching the mountains, the caretaker of the guest house arrived, worried. “Ma’am, there’s been heavy snowfall in all parts of the state. So, the flights to Himachal have been canceled. It’s going to be difficult for anyone to get through for the next few days,” he said.
Siya’s heart sank. She quickly grabbed her phone to call her mother, when she received a message from her. “Dear kiddo, our flight got cancelled because of the snow. We’re stuck here in Delhi for five more days. Stay safe and we’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Well, what now?” Siya muttered to herself, feeling disappointed. “I was looking forward to seeing them. What will I do alone for so long!”
The next day, Siya spent her time at the guest house all by herself. The snow continued to fall heavily and the roads remained blocked. It was peaceful yet lonely. She spent her time reading books and watching snowflakes but felt dejected with how her holiday had begun.
Then, on the second day, as she was laying on the couch of the living room, she heard a soft sound, like a tiny cry. She froze for a moment, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her. She stood up and followed the sound to the porch. To her surprise, there was a wet, trembling kitten, looking up at her with big, wide eyes.
“Oh, you poor thing!” Siya bent down to pick up the kitten. She quickly checked the area but saw no sign of its mother. “Where’s your mom?” she asked the kitten who was meowing loudly by now.
Siya rushed inside, wrapped the kitten in a warm towel, making sure it was clean and comfortable. As she sat with the kitten on her lap, she heard more meowing. She went to the same place and found two more small kittens huddling, looking lost and scared.
“Looks like I’ve got company,” Siya grinned to herself. She took them in too, one by one, cleaning and feeding them milk. Slowly, the kittens filled her days with their playful energy. She spent hours with them, watching them chase each other around the guest house. They became her little family.
Almost a week later, Siya heard a knock at the door. Her heart raced as she opened it. Standing there, with big smiles, were her parents.
“Mom! Dad!” Siya exclaimed, rushing to hug them. “I can’t believe you’re here! It feels like forever.”
“Sorry we took so long,” her mom said. “The logistics of getting here were maddening. But we’re here now!”
As Siya’s parents stepped inside, the kittens, who had been running around the room playfully, suddenly stopped and looked towards the window. To Siya’s surprise, it was the mother cat peeking in from outside!
“Look, Mom! The mother cat is here!” Siya said.
Her mom smiled. “It seems like more than one family is reuniting right now! ”
Siya laughed. “Yes, I thought I would be all alone but these kittens came to my rescue. And now, we are all here! Maybe it was all for the best! ”
With the snow still falling heavily, Siya, her family, the little kittens and their mother enjoyed the warmth of the guest house together for a few more days before they started venturing outside. While it wasn’t the holiday she had expected, it was one she would never forget.