First Farewell

So it was that we cut open a Chameleon, Ravi and I. Ravi as I mentioned was a very early friend. His name meant SUN and he was very dark...these are the contradictions in naming, especially in India.

Chameleons change color, they said, according to the landscape the are in so as to camouflage. That day when we scooped out a Onion and pushed the Chameleon's head inside to anaesthetise, it turned a bright red and stayed that way in torpor...It lay spreadeagled with its legs pinned by steel rivets and panting...we could see the heart pumping. Then to put an end to its suffering Ravi took a knife from the box and cut its heart out.

And ofcourse after a couple of years we had to move from Pandavapura on account of my father's work which needed him to relocate regularly.
To this day I can recall how my heart sank on realising that I would be leaving my friend and going away ....never to see again...