Cock's Advocate

My Ex-landlord Mr. Muniyappa was very pious and religious man. Few years before when I was an unmarried bachelor, I was staying in a single room house on the terrace of his three storey building. Mr. Muniyappa's source of income was from house rents he has been collecting from multiples places in the locality and the business was doing well. It was a year after my stay he had completed a building at new site and he was preparing for house warming ceremony for the same. He had also given me an invitation card to attend the same. The event was fixed on a pious festival day and fortnight prior to the event, a red and brown feathered cock seen roaming around the terrace of the building where I was staying. I became aware of the cock when it sounded louder than the alarm I set for waking up in the morning.

The next day I asked my land lord jokingly, 'Since when you have gained interest in poultry?'

He replied, 'Oh! this cock... It will be sacrificed on the event of house warming of our new building'

I asked 'What? to be Scarified?'

He humbly said,' It will wave off all the bad omen and evil out of the place  and house will be warmed'

My vegetarian soul went out for the feathery creature and his morning cuku kooooo ko ko ko kukokoooo disturbed my sleep. All my thought got converged on the creature and the feeling of that that the life will be lost and the loud sound will be silenced haunted me.

Just five days prior to the event I thought to give a try little advocacy for the life of the innocent soul. 

I straight way went to Mr. Muniyappa and told to spare the life of the cock.

he said 'What?'

'it is 21st century sir...modern era.... ages of iPhone ( which he also held one)'

'However modern we are, this is our traditions. We are religious people.'

'Sir, these are blind and erroneous traditions. Leave tradition and religion apart think logically....imagine you are the cock..'

'what? Mind your tongue....'

'Please sir, Imagine you are at the place of the innocent creature and you are about to be killed for making some one's house warmer? how would you feel?'

'Mister go to chicken stores and tell your philosophy there, they will tell you  have gone crazy. I understand your thinking process 'cus you are vegetarian'

'Sir, I know The cock is reared to be cut into pieces to become briyani, chicken lolypop, chicken pakoda, chicken kadai masala, grilled chicken etc. but it's the business not religion.'

'What you want to say, am I against religion?'

'I just want to say don't spill the blood of an innocent soul on a great day of your life.'

Mr. Muniyappa became thoughtful. His daughter (a science student) who was listening our conversation insisted her father.

'Papa, uncle is saying right' 

"But you calling me UNCLE not right!"

The life of the cock was spared.

What happened to the cock?..... Hope my readers are curious. But instead I want to know 'Why you are so? Have you ever been so curious about a cock?

It died a rightful death.....in a chicken shop...... might have been served as a plate of Briyani or chicken lolypop to our mouth watering appetite.