(As told by Ammamma Parvati, while the children sat curled up on cushions in their home in Badangpet, the afternoon sun casting long shadows through the window, and the rhythmic sounds of someone practicing tabla next door drifted in gently)
“Come, my little chapatis,” Ammamma Parvati began, her voice a soft purr like a contented feline. She adjusted her sari and her eyes, usually filled with warmth, now held a spark of playful amusement. “Tonight, I shall tell you about a very curious cat who lived in our neighborhood, and his rather… unique ambition to learn how to play the tabla!”
Now, this cat, we called him Mittu, was no ordinary feline. He was sleek and black, with eyes like shiny green marbles, and he had a most peculiar habit of observing everything with intense curiosity. He would watch the children play cricket, he would follow the gardener as he tended the flowers, and he was particularly fascinated by the sounds that came from old Sharmaji’s house next door.
Sharmaji, as you know, is a renowned tabla player. Every evening, the rhythmic dhins and dhas of his tabla practice would fill the air. Mittu the cat would often sit outside Sharmaji’s window, his ears twitching, his tail swishing in time with the beats. He seemed utterly captivated by the intricate rhythms and the resonant sounds.
One day, Mittu decided he wasn’t just going to listen anymore. He wanted to participate! Perhaps he thought the tabla looked like a very interesting drum to tap on, or maybe he truly appreciated the music in his own feline way. Whatever his reasons, Mittu developed a strong desire to learn how to play the tabla.
His first attempts were… less than musical. He would sneak into Sharmaji’s open window when the old man was away and hop onto the tabla. Instead of producing rhythmic beats, he would create a series of startled thumps and scratches as his claws made contact with the delicate drumheads. The sounds were more likely to scare away birds than to create a melodious rhythm.
Sharmaji, upon returning and finding paw prints on his beloved tabla, was initially puzzled. He couldn’t figure out what was making these strange marks. He even suspected a mischievous rat had developed a strange liking for his drums!
But Mittu was persistent. He continued his secret tabla lessons whenever he got the chance. He would try to mimic the movements he had seen Sharmaji make, stretching his paws and tapping tentatively. Sometimes, he would even try to use his tail as a makeshift drumstick, with equally chaotic results.
The sounds Mittu produced became a bit of a local mystery. Neighbors would hear strange, erratic drumming coming from Sharmaji’s house at odd hours and wonder what was going on. Some even joked that Sharmaji was experimenting with a very avant-garde style of music!
One evening, Sharmaji decided to set a trap to catch the culprit who was defiling his tabla. He sprinkled some flour around his drums before he left for his evening walk. When he returned, he followed the tiny paw prints leading directly to his tabla. And there, caught red-pawed (or rather, black-pawed), was Mittu the cat, attempting another enthusiastic but utterly tuneless drumming session.
Sharmaji, initially annoyed, couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. The little cat looked so earnest in his musical endeavors, his green eyes wide with concentration as he tapped away with his paws.
Instead of scolding Mittu, Sharmaji had an idea. He started leaving a small, old tabla near his window, hoping the cat would practice on that instead of his prized instrument.
And Mittu did! He seemed quite pleased to have his own tabla. He would spend hours tapping and patting on it, his tiny claws making surprisingly rhythmic, albeit unconventional, sounds. Sometimes, if Sharmaji was practicing nearby, Mittu would even try to play along, creating a rather bizarre duet that amused the entire neighborhood.
Of course, Mittu never quite mastered the intricate taals and layas of the tabla. His music remained a unique blend of feline enthusiasm and accidental percussion. But he never gave up on his musical dreams. He became a local legend – the cat who tried to learn tabla, a furry reminder that even the most unexpected creatures can have the most surprising passions.
Ammamma Parvati chuckled, the sound like a gentle chime. “So, my little chapatis,” she said, her eyes twinkling with warmth and amusement, “remember Mittu the cat. It teaches us that it’s wonderful to have dreams and to try new things, even if we’re not very good at them! And sometimes, the most joyful music comes from the most unexpected places, even from the enthusiastic paws of a determined cat.” The children giggled, imagining a little black cat earnestly tapping away on a tabla, creating a hilariously chaotic rhythm, and learned that the joy of trying is often more important than perfect success.
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