As I stepped into the kitchen, I was greeted by a scene that looked like a rodent version of "The Great Escape." Holes in my hamam qaleen, walls that looked like Swiss cheese, and vegetables massacred beyond recognition. The mouse had tried to break into the locked almirahs too, clearly aiming to graduate from Veggie Vandal to Master Thief. Furious and determined, I vowed to trap this little troublemaker. But as fate would have it, I couldn't find my old mouse trap at home.
Off to Shalimar I went, feeling like a warrior on a mission. I bought a shiny new mouse trap from a vendor near Shalimar Garden, ready to outsmart this kitchen conqueror. The next day, I set up the trap near the refrigerator, loaded it with bait, and shut the room door like it was Fort Knox. Not even 20 minutes later, I heard a triumphant clatter - Mission Accomplished! The mouse was trapped.
When I finally laid eyes on him, there he was - tiny, fluffy, and oddly charming. He looked more like a cute little adventurer caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. He darted around the trap, trying to figure out an escape plan. But after a few frantic attempts, he realized he was stuck. My initial rage softened as I stared at him. Those tiny, terrified eyes seemed to ask, "Is this it? Is this how my story ends?"
I felt an unexpected twinge of sympathy. Sure, he had trashed my kitchen, but was I any different from him? Stuck in my own life's traps? I decided against becoming a rodent executioner. Instead, I took him outside to an isolated plot, released him, and wished him well. "Go, little buddy, and live your best mouse life," I thought.
The next day, I confidently stepped into my kitchen, expecting peace and order. But guess who was back, sashaying around like he owned the place? The same mouse, now armed with the swagger of someone who knew the landlord wasn't a killer. This time, I set up the trap again, thinking this smart little critter wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. But no, he waltzed into the trap as if it were his personal Airbnb.
I decided to teach him a lesson - breaking his newfound confidence by keeping him in the trap for a couple of days. I gave him food and water, hoping he'd get bored and realize that my kitchen was not worth the hassle. But on the second day, as he sulked in the trap, a cat showed up like it was auditioning for "Tom and Jerry: The Real Life Edition." The cat pawed at the trap, batting it around like a soccer ball, trying to get the mouse out for a snack. Meanwhile, the mouse looked at me, eyes wide, as if to say, "Seriously? First you trap me, and now you bring in the cat? What's next, a hawk?"
After the cat's failed attempts to dine, the mouse grew visibly weak, ignoring the food I had placed for him. His once fiery eyes now looked at me with a quiet resignation. "Just let me go, or end it now. I'm not coming back, promise," he seemed to plead. That night, I couldn't sleep, guilt-ridden over tormenting this tiny creature.
In the morning, I drove him all the way to Dachigam National Park, thinking this would be a fresh start for both of us. As I released him, he scurried past the fence, then paused. For a brief moment, he turned around, raising his tiny head as if to say, "Thanks, pal. No hard feelings."
Since then, my kitchen has been mouse-free. But I keep waiting, half expecting to see his cheeky little face again, this time maybe with a tiny suitcase and a pair of sunglasses, ready for another adventure. For now, he's gone, but who knows? Mice are unpredictable, especially the cute, clever ones with a taste for kitchen chaos.