Dear Jet Airways,

We are waiting for your condolence call. We know that if you had

personally known the deeply loved pet cat who passed away while she

was under your care that you would have called already.

Obituary for James Dean:

James Dean was a beautiful grey striped Indian cat with beautiful eyes

who belonged to a Japanese born Desi girl, Preeti Varma. The adorable

tomboy was mistaken as a male kitten…hence the name…but the name

stuck. James was a little daredevil trouble maker like her namesake.

Preeti’s flatmate, Gigi Bedi, nicknamed her JarJar after the goofy

Starwars movie alien character, and she certainly had a goofy side

too. Before we took her for the cremation we were giggling about each

precious memory we had of the little fur ball that stole our hearts.

She was a cat with many colours to her personality. To me her mew

sounded like a pigeon cooing. To Preeti it sounded like a dog barking.

To Gigi it sounded like a spoiled girlfriend whining to her boyfriend

about not giving her enough attention or spoiling her with enough

treats. Sometimes her mew sounded like she was innocently asking,

“why?”

When she visited our house for a month I’d often find her lounging in

our bathroom sink and she trained my husband to put on the tap for her

to lap up fresh water whenever she wanted. She was happy with the

simple pleasures of life…a bite to eat…a comfy spot for a

nap…and when she wanted a cuddle she’d land in your lap…demanding

attention like the little diva she could be….she was such a

beautiful creature…playful and yet mysterious…friends who met her

wanted to adopt her…but I think really she had a way of adopting

us…and making us her humans. We will always belong to her in our

hearts.

Dear Jet Airways,

Something went wrong. The fine print says that you are not liable in

case of injury or death. But please guide me to understand what this

means to you, in terms of what you stand for. Where is your heart on

this matter? Does it mean that after you have done every thing within

your power to take responsibility for the safety of animals in your

care…that then…if something truly unavoidable happens…then you

do not wish to be held accountable. I can understand the legal

perspective. But where is the perspective on how you feel about the

loss of life? Please guide me…I want to understand your heart on

this matter.

If you are already absolved of liability regarding death then why did

no single employee of your team express a single “I’m sorry” to

Preeti. I thought that surely this had to be due to the fear that

such a statement could be held against you in a court of law, but it

seems that you have already protected yourself legally. So again I

ask…please guide me to read your heart on this matter.

Why do you offer to transport animals if you do not have anyone

working for you who is qualified to handle them? Why is there no

veterinarian in case of emergencies? Please guide me…I want to know

that money is not the bottom line here…

Why do you not advise passengers to bring a leash and collar for the

pet if you are going to ask them to remove their pet from the cage

while you Xray the cage separately? Why do you not have a waiting room

or a separate cage available during this procedure? When James became

frightened and ran under the Xray machine why would you find it

acceptable for your employee to refuse to listen to our experienced

advise regarding handling the animal? Why would he feel certain in his

inexperience that poking the frightened animal with a stick would be

an acceptable thing to do? It can only be that no one has any

knowledge about animals in your place of work…but then guide me

please…why on Earth would we have been led to believe that we could

trust you in this situation with James?

We were sad about the loss of James today. But what really crushed us

was the way you treated Preeti after her cat was allowed to perish

under your care.

Hiding a mistake does not make it go away. You are at fault here. We

do not condemn you. We were waiting for you to bring Preeti a cup of

tea, to hold her hand and express your sincere condolences at what

must have been something beyond your power…but then why did you not

do this?

Why did one of your employees laugh cruelly and crack a joke about

what happened? Why did you make Preeti wait for hours while you

withheld her passport to sort out paperwork? Couldn’t you have let her

mourn first? Why did you prevent her from holding her beloved pet in

her arms for so many hours?

Why were you so guarded about showing Preeti the CCTV footage? Why did

you make her wait such a very long time to see it? Why have you

withheld the footage of James being transported into the Siemens lorry

that carried her out onto the tarmac? This is not, we have discovered,

a legal thing for you to have done…please guide me…if you are not

liable for the death of James then why did you not rush forward to

show us what happened?

You said only, “The cage was open. Your cat is no more.” As we have

the cage with us and it is perfectly intact we have yet to understand

how it was that the cage, which was bound shut with a wire, could have

been opened by a cat. She did not have supernatural powers.

When James jumped out onto the tarmac and her life was crushed beneath

the Air India vehicle why then did you not go to her? Did you not see

that the cat was still alive and needed the caress of a human hand to

sooth her as she passed from this life? Why did you not bring Preeti

to her that very instant? Why did you allow a crowd to gather, watch,

and do nothing? Please guide me to understand your heart in this

matter…

Were you afraid to pick up the body of this beautiful cat? Why did you

ask a garbage disposal man to lift up her body for you? As I

said…you did not know James…if you had known James it would have

been you, dear reader, who would have bundled her in your arms, your

heart breaking as you did so.

You have confused us so, Jet Airways…because what we have been

waiting for…is a sign that you have a heart that represents a Delhi

we can be proud to be a part of. And yet…Delhi did not fail us.

While Preeti was grieving alone, in tears, unable to comprehend the

coldness of your treatment…a mother and child approached her…two

of your passengers. The mother bought Preeti a bottle of water. The

little girl gave her a hug.

Thank you Delhi.

Later on, we exchanged stories about James and travelled to “Paws to

Heaven”, a remarkably lovely interfaith crematorium for animals. Gigi

carried James past wild flowers into a beautiful room filled with

posters and pictures of many beloved pets who had passed from this

world. Some day I hope to go back and read all the stories. They were

a moving testimony for life and how small creatures can change our

hearts in enormous ways.

The gentle folk who manage the crematorium greeted us with shy sad

smiles, and handed us incense as they asked us to pray for the

departed. We prayed for you James and I know that we felt something

tremendous in that room. It was your love. A powerful thing that we

were so blessed to have experienced. We had uninterrupted time to

mourn and to pass your body into their care. They received your body

with reverence. Who thought of building such a place? An airport of

peace for tiny souls…Its existence moved us.

Thank you Delhi.

with Love,

Tara Chowdhry