8 Years Of Togetherness | 13 January 2025

Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow

I remember blasting music in my car on the night of January 21, 2017. It was around 10 PM, and my friend had decided to tag along with me. You might think I’m making this up, but that night, the house I was going to was located in a far-off society, and I was scared to drive there so late. Eight years later, I find myself living in that very same society. Small world, isn’t it?

That night holds a feeling I might not be able to describe in words. It was the day I was going to get Arya. At the time, I didn’t know she’d be called Arya. I had never kept a pet before. Pets weren’t allowed in our house because my dad used to say we wouldn’t be able to take care of them. But I really wanted a cat, and my friend’s cat had given birth to five kittens just a week earlier. My friend had agreed to let me have one of them.

Looking back, I think the best thing that has happened to me in the past decade is Arya. I named her Arya after Arya Stark because I knew she’d be brave, just like her namesake. She lived up to my expectations and more. I think I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love Arya.

Everything in my life has revolved around her since the day she came into my life. Today is January 13, 2025, and it marks her 8th birthday. Did you know there’s been a lot of research comparing a cat’s age to human age? Most studies believe that a cat who’s around 8 years old is equivalent to a 50-year-old in human years. Wait. What? NOOOO.

I can’t lose her—not until I pass away before her. She’s given me so much to hold onto: so many happy memories, so many kittens. Did you know she used to play with me so much? The most random things—running behind me, jumping on me, kicking, and play-fighting. But now? She’s getting old.

Look at her. I took these photos a couple of hours ago. It’s evident that she’s getting old. She has lost that playful spark in her eyes that she used to have. I just wish we could go back to the time when she wouldn’t stop running around, always asking for attention. It’s not that she doesn’t ask for attention now, but her playfulness has decreased significantly over time. Now, she just sits and watches her granddaughter playing around.

Happy birthday Arya. Happy birthday to the most well behaved cat I have ever seen in my life. In these 8 years she has never given us a single moment of distress except for the time she was kidnapped by neighbors. Thank you for being my friend and thank you for being a part of our family. I hope to see you live another 100 years.