Ava halted in her steps, her ears catching a faint sound, almost lost in the night's gentle whispers. It was a meow sound.
She turned to Ibrahim and asked, "Did you hear that?"
Ibrahim confusedly asked, "What sound?"
Ava insisted, "A cat, I heard it." And as if nature confirmed her words, they heard another meow, this time slightly clearer.
Ibrahim suggested, "There might be some cats around. Let's keep going." However, as they started walking again, Ava stopped him, "Wait, Ibrahim. It sounds like a kitten. We should look for it."
But Ibrahim hesitated, "No need, baby girl. It might be a wild cat."
Ava insisted, "No, I need to find it." She looked arround the surroundings to locate the source of the sound.
Ibrahim sighed. Famous businessman or not, he was willing to do anything to bring a smile to his wife's face. "Fine, baby girl. The sound came from there. I'll check, but you have to stay here, okay?"
But Ava, with her puppy-dog eyes, pleaded, "No, I want to go with you."
Unable to resist her charm, Ibrahim chuckled and said, "Ah, Baby Girl, you're irresistible. Fine, come along then."
They approached the rustling bushes near the riverbank and the mysterious sound of a kitten's distress grew louder. Ava walked closely behind Ibrahim, her hand instinctively clutching his elbow for support.
As they arrived at the scene, they noticed a small gathering of people who had also been drawn by the mysterious cries of the stranded kitten. The soft glow of the night cast an ambient light on the cluster of concerned faces. Among the crowd, whispers and speculations floated in the air.
Ibrahim's sharp eyes identified the frightened kitten, huddled in the tree's branches, seemingly paralyzed by fear. The tree, tall and thick, seemed daunting in the dim light. The kitten appeared reluctant to make its way down, perhaps traumatized by an earlier encounter with a dog.
Ava questioned, "How did the kitten manage to climb so high?"
One of the onlookers explained, "A dog frightened the kitten earlier, so it sought refuge in the tree. Now that the dog is gone, the kitten seems too scared to come down."
Ava turned to Ibrahim, inquiring, "What do we do now, Ibrahim?"
Reassuringly, Ibrahim replied, "I've got this; don't worry."
Approaching the imposing tree, Ibrahim assessed it carefully. It was tall, but he seemed confident about climbing it.
Ava asked confusedly, "Are you planning to climb the tree?"
Ibrahim confidently affirmed, "Of course, Baby Girl."
Ibrahim handed Ava his phone and car keys. Although Ava tried to dissuade him, Ibrahim fearlessly began to ascend the tree. Unlike the other men who hesitated, Ibrahim's determination to rescue the stranded kitten was evident. His courage stood out, as he took charge of a situation.
With determination in his eyes, he grabbed hold of a sturdy lower branch. His palms, accustomed to the sleek touch of business deals, now embraced the rough bark of the tree trunk. The first few attempts were met with difficulty, as the tree's uneven surface caused him to slip momentarily. However, Ibrahim's resolve prevailed, and he adjusted his grip.
Witnessing this, the crowd began to cheer. Some of them recognised Ibrahim and praised for him with loud voice. Some wondered if he was indeed in Malacca, and others identified Ava as his wife. Some whispered about Ibrahim's courage.
Amidst the cheers, Ava, solely focused on Ibrahim's safety, whispered, "Be safe, Ibrahim; it's dangerous."
She felt her heart race with worry. She clutched the phone and car keys tightly, unable to divert her gaze from her husband's perilous ascent. Every time he maneuvered between branches, her heart skipped a beat.
Ibrahim strategically positioned himself, utilizing the protruding knots and crevices of the tree to anchor his climb. The crowd below gasped and cheered more for him.
The ascent was not without obstacles. As Ibrahim reached higher, the branches became thinner, and the foliage denser. The shadows played tricks on him, making the climb seem difficult. And the uneven surface of the bark and the occasional rustle of leaves added an element of suspense to the climb.
Finally, Ibrahim's nimble movements reached the distressed kitten perched high in the tree. The moment Ibrahim's hand cradled the frightened kitten, a collective sigh of relief emanated from the onlookers.
"Ibrahim, will you be able to catch?" Ava called out. It would be difficult for him to get down with the kitten.
He looked down at Ava. "Get ready to catch, baby girl."
Ava nodded, swiftly stowing the phone and car key into her jeans pocket. Ibrahim carefully leaned and expertly tossed the kitten toward Ava. And she caught the tiny bundle, eliciting another wave of cheers from the crowd.
When Ibrahim descended from the tree, Ava rushed to him with the kitten and embraced him with a hug. It was the first time she hugged Ibrahim, "Are you alright?"
Ibrahim also placed his hands on her back and responded with a playful remark, "Why do you forget I'm not that weak?"
Looking at his eyes, Ava told, "I was worried for you."
Ibrahim teased, "If you worry like that, then I'd love to climb trees every day."
Then Ava noticed the scratches on his hands and expressed concern, to which Ibrahim suggested, "Let's go now; the crowd is filming."
She looked around and saw the onlookers. She gently stepped away from Ibrahim, so that it would not be looked to awkward. "I'd love to pet the cat," she declared.
Ibrahim guided her toward the riverbank. "The kitten might already like you."
When they reached the riverbank, the kitten's features became clearer. Its white fur adorned with grey spots. Enchanted by its cuteness Ava expressed, "It's so cute."
They returned to the hotel room after a delightful dinner, but little did Ibrahim anticipate that the newfound member of their party—the rescued kitten—would become the center of Ava's attention.
Ava found herself in a different world with the newly rescued kitten. The bed became their playground, and the kitten wasted no time in turning Ava's belongings into playthings. Scrunchies became toys, and Ava's scarf, a canvas for the kitten's acrobatics.
The kitten pounced onto Ava's scarf, dragging it across the bed like a conquering hero. Ava, caught between laughter and exasperation, gently tugged her scarf away. "Oh, you're cute," she remarked, momentarily forgetting everything else in the sheer joy of the moment.
On the other side of the room, Ibrahim sat on the sofa. He was continuously watching them playing and he couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He clenched his fists, struggling to comprehend how a tiny furball had managed to outshine his efforts to bring joy to Ava. He called Ava's name in a soft voice but Ava was busy to click pictures of the kitten.
"Who knew I'd be competing with a cat for attention," Ibrahim grumbled, his eyes fixed on the unfolding scene. "This better be temporary—can't believe I climbed a tree for this." The idea of being outshone by a kitten struck, even for a seasoned mafia and most celebrated businessman like Ibrahim.
"If this furball wasn't attached to Ava, I'd have made it disappear by now," he grumbled again. Ibrahim's jealousy escalated with every playful interaction. If looks could kill, the kitten would have met its untimely demise.
Ibrahim cleared his throat loudly to regain her attention. Ava looked at him, suddenly recalling the scratches he acquired while rescuing the kitten. She had forgotten to treat Ibrahim's scratches.
"Oh no, wait," she exclaimed.
She hurried to the bathroom to wash her hands and returned with the first aid kit, sitting next to him on the sofa.
Ava looked at him and asked, "Why are you looking so grumpy? Have you got a fever again?"
She attempted to check his forehead, but Ibrahim subtly leaned away, signaling he wasn't in the mood for her touch. She wondered what could have happened.
Shaking her head, she gently took his hand, rolling up the sleeve to reveal the scratches, some of which had already formed clots. Ava started cleaning the wounds, carefully applying antiseptic cream.
While working she asked, "Are you angry now? Did something happen?"
Ibrahim sighed and positioned himself face to face with Ava, "Am I that easy to be replaced?"
Ibrahim explained, "You forgot about me completely after getting the kitten. I just didn't expect to be forgotten so easily once that little furball entered the scene. You're ignoring me entirely."
Pausing her efforts to tend to his scratches, Ava looked at him apologetically, "I'm not ignoring you. I... I'm just playing with the kitten. It's so cute."
Ibrahim inquired, "So, whenever you find cute things, will you forget about me?"
Ava murmured, "It's not like that. You're just getting angry over a kitten."
She resumed treating Ibrahim's scratches, and as she did, she noticed another scratch that seemed older, caused by a nail. It was evident that Ibrahim had received this scratch a few days ago. Ava asked, "When did you get this scratch?"
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