Veeru - the survivor !! (Concluding part)

My neighbours arrived this morning around 7am. I had not slept the entire night trying to figure out what I would do when I see them. I was not ready to face them on my own and wanted my hubby to be with me too.

As always I set out in the morning to the shop/gym etc and was walking back home. I noticed my neighbour’s car outside on the driveway. So I was ready to approach them and talk. As I got closer to the house, I found that the garage door was locked and so was their front door. So I walked home. I decided to have a shower and then visit and hand over their mails.

As I was just about to have a shower, my neighbour knocked on the door. I greeted him and lead him into the family area. I could see it on his face that my neighbour was shocked in disbelief. His wife and kids them came over as well. His wife gave me a concerned smile and apologized for the trauma and trouble we had to go through. I expressed how upsetting it was for us too and we did not know how it all happened. I tried to explain everything as it happened but with kids running around the house, whatever I said seemed to be fading away in their noise. I think they got the gist of it anyway.

The funny part was that when I asked my neighbour how many fish exactly were there in the tank, he told me 35 !! I was shocked. I had managed to remove about 15 dead ones and had found a few lying under a log but it was too deep for me to reach even if I were to put my hands in. So where were the rest ?? He replies that there were some other types of fish too that are always hidden under the log. Seemingly they never come out and feed on filth in the tank (like cleaners). I had no idea about that. Would they have survived even in that filthy tank from suffocation, if I had kept the pump ON? Would they have been able to withstand the rising temperature? I guess I won’t know now as they are all dead I think. I had switched OFF the pump once I had removed the surviving ones that I knew of. I did not want the water temperature to keep rising and then create some other problems.

Then I showed them Veeru. They were surprised to see that one among the lot had survived. He displayed his stunt again to all of us (fit frenzy). My neighbour touched the water in the bowl and said that he was freezing in the cold water and with no oxygen. He was almost certain that Veeru was going to die. I had seen this stunt happen three times to me before and was not going to give up. Quickly poured out some water from the bowl and added some warm water into the bowl. It is very unconventional indeed but works for me. Veeru came back in a few seconds. The problem with these type of fish is that you can’t leave the water to become too cold for them and they don’t handle change of water too often, quite well. I could not do both and so tried to keep the water warm to an extent by changing the water only once a day and hoped that the fish would survive. Veeru, that way has been the most accommodating type. He has put up with everything with me.

I asked them to take Veeru away in that same bowl. I was not sad to see him leave but really relieved. My neighbour is now cleaning up their tank to make room for Veeru. He will have new buddies soon I hope and life will go on. But the sheer determination and will of Veeru is something to be admired about. We all need a bit of “Veeruness” within us. Never give up attitude!!

 

Sheeba/Manchitra/Bindhu/Vijji/Jils/Anabika...........Thank you very very much for being patient enough to read through all of them and taking the time to post your comment as well. I did surely sleep well and am glad I tried to satisfy your curiosity. Anabika, thank you for your kind words of consolation. I am happy you liked it.

Jils, totally agree with you.......Veeru ki jai ho !!

 

Thank you Brindaarun. I am glad you feel so. I enjoyed writing it too. Infact got really carried away. I was planning on just one post for this. It then became 2 parts and later 3 parts !! Sometimes I find it too hard to shorten things and sometimes I find it too hard to expand !! I need to find a good balance. Thank you for visiting.