"One beautiful/horrible/terrible/fine night.....," that's how stories are usually begun and the trend will go on in a time to come. I would like to begin my short narration in a way that has been pass to us.
One night, maybe I was in a 5th grade, our group friend planned to make a simple celebration among ourselves since winter has approached. After discussion on requirement of edible items (and of course some drinks), one of the friend, I don't remember him, urged to have chicken. Chicken! I thought. "Where shall we get?" Said I. Those days it was not difficult to get chicken but we were broke. Though all of my friends were son of a civil servant their pocket money would lavishly waste in buying useless things. "Not very difficult," one friend broke the silence and looked at me, "we'll eat the one we've been waiting for since a year ago." Another friend slapped his own hands together and reaffirmed, "I think we'll have to catch and keep ready tonight itself," he continued, "Tashi your mom should not know about this. If she question us we'll lie." I nodded. Couldn't spoke a word initially but I hid unhappiness and told them that my mother doesn't have any right to poke into our business. Soon we directed towards my house to catch the rooster.
A year ago same group of us were returning from Kalikhola after swimming in a winter day. We were drenched except upper half shirts. Our eyes were red and face somewhat dried due to exposure into water and sun for a longer hours. All of us were hungry, every time we would be in this condition and crazily we always find a reason to go for swimming and that too without parents notice. Chungku took out Nu. 85, if I've not forgotten, and gave it to Ngawang telling him to buy junk foods. Out of nowhere one friend suggested him to buy a chicken. Ngawang and Chungku went to a nearby house to buy chicken while rest of us were eagerly waiting for them to return. I noticed Chungku smiling and not Ngawang as he was behind. "Chick!" Said I. I couldn't imagine what we were doing and what we'll be doing hence. Chungku said, "our money is not enough to buy a fully grown chicken," he smoothly placed chick into his palm and patted then continued, "uncle was kind and gave us this little so that we can have it when it is fully grown." Hell I thought to myself. "Tashi can we raise this at your home?" Said Ngawang, at this rest of them were showing their pleasing expression, "We'll tell your mother that this is a Tshed-thar." I couldn't deny but I didn't show approving sign. Any way I listened to whatever they suggested and convinced my mother too.
I peeped through hole to check mother. She wasn't in the house. None were bothered to inform her even if she would have been at that instant moment. Common mission was to find rooster. Probably I knew where rooster sleeps but I was pretending behind them mimicking every action & only hoping to see my friends getting hopeless. Sad thing was, I did not notice any of my them losing interest or getting hope less. They were doing everything to find. Finally one of the friend saw on the branch of a small mango tree that has grew in front of our thatched house. My heart was beating but in pain. I could not spoke any word that would lead to save a rooster's life. Bearing a pain inside, I could only wear a mask they've worn. But it wasn't as simple as you may have thought to catch a rooster, eh! Even hours of chasing was not an easy task to catch. My friends were sweating while some even quarrelled when they missed a catch. In between I had to take advantage of their tiredness and told them to try next day. Somehow rooster got inside the piled up firewood that has been kept in our down floor. There wasn't any chance of getting then. I sighed with relief thinking, it was all over.
This doesn't end here. You know what we had in plan B? It was to manage one chicken by any means and that must happen in the same night. So we thought of sneaking into neighbours house. I was trembling when a lion-hearted friends sneaked in without any second thought. The only thought that striked was how to escape if somebody sees us. Funny thing was my friends couldn't manage what we wanted but they brought a homemade/handmade pickle. "Run!" One of them whispered, "towards the school." I never thought of turning aback not even once. I don't remember how I reached school campus, when I turned back there was none behind me. Finding a place to rest my bum I felt like laughing. Few minutes later I could hear my team's nearing me. "What were you guys doing?" I enquired them in a whispering tone. "Bring here. Let me taste." They were giggling. "We must try morrow. Let's keep our eyes during day time. Ours is a Tshed-thar we cannot kill." Ngawang said. Four of us didn't say anything & just focused into eating pickle but that didn't mean we disagreed! I felt like, I was hearing a magical word. Embracing four of them I departed as it was already late night.
I was not present during the second night's hunt. Heard they could only steal whole pickle from that same house. And rest what they did is a mystery to you (readers) all, and may be me too? Chance is never zero.
Shall I consider this as a fate or a karmic connection? Although we have intentionally raised rooster to be eaten like a glutton, irony is, it has earned a Tshed-thar's title. We were not able to eat rooster because we created a white lie? I believed in 'intention matters' philosophy but it didn't served the purpose at least in our childhood story. What we've intended and what we've seen is opposite; meant to be killed and at last raised as Tshed-thar. My families were helped by rooster every morning substituting alarm clock of the modern world. Nearly after five years of stay with our family, mothers acquaintance wanted a male chicken for the chicks purpose. She had given when I was away. Story doesn't end here but my narration.
Note:
Tshed-thar---> Freed animal from near death situation or animals that are raised against butchering.
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