Human beings are a part of our everyday life. Our relatives, social circles, family etc become a part of a bond which is, even in today’s world, unbreakable. We laugh with them in their good times, we cry with them in their bad times. However, there are a few finer things which we tend to miss out. Those living beings which are actually a part of a family but are not considered as a family member by lots of people that I come across. They are our pets, our companions during tough times.
My dog was always considered as a part of my family. I think remember, around 16 years ago, when my dad got a phone call from one of his friend about a puppy which he was giving away. Dad immediately went out to his house to get the pup. My mom, my sister and me were at the window, as anxious as a would be father outside a delivery room, waiting to see and welcome the new member of our family. A rickshaw stopped and my dad stepped out. He turned around and made his way into the society with a small white snow ball [:)] in his arms. That very moment, a sense of happiness overcame me. The happiness, which at that age also, told me that we had someone new in the family. Someone cute, someone whom I can spend hours on end and someone who can be my companion for life time. My pet dog had arrived! Dad came and placed her in front of every one of us. The puppy, although only 4 months old was aware of the new surrounding and studied each and every one of the family while we were sitting around it. Then it made its 1st move, it slowly, hesitantly, moved towards mom and fell into her lap with ease as though requesting her to take care for life.
She looked like a god sent dog! To such an extent that Lord Dutta’s picture frame which was put up in our mandir at home had pictures of animals surrounding him. One of those animals was a dog which resembled in all ways to her. She always used to be there for me during my good times and especially my bad times. She came to me sensing that I was depressed. She was the solace that no one ever could provide me.
Life was beautiful for the next years to come as having such a cute bundle of joy in the family, someone who is more expressive than all 4 of us combined was really a blessing in the most convectional kind of way. I for one was very proud to have a dog at home. Not only was she a great companion but an awesome conversational piece with friends, relatives and all. I simply enjoyed the times when she used to undergo her mad spells of running here and there in playful moods and biting and tears stuff which was exclusive for her and also some stuff which carried some importance.
She was the most mischievous of us all. She used to hide socks, towels all in her little den and used to sit there and wait for us to come and take it off her. She used to give up her treasure but not before providing a fight! I still remember the day when we thought of getting her “married”. We got a stallion of a dog for her and made them talk in a room but to our dismay, they were totally not into each other and sat at the 2 ends of the room!!!
As years went on, the fun, the comfort, the presence grew more than ever. However, it seemed to me that whatever she used to do previously was something she began to avoid. For example, as our house was on the 3rd floor, she used to perch up onto a window with great speed and agility. However, as days passed, the speed and agility seem to slowly fade away. Although she didn’t ever have any illness in her early years, cold, cough and sightlessness were beginning to creep in. Her time was coming and slowly I realized the same.
I would never forget that week of August. She was trying to be the most cheerful one but wasn’t able to. She was constantly fighting the cold and the cough which irritated her to the max. Even in her worst conditions, she would make an effort to try and come to me. But then, on the unfortunate day of 31st August 2007, she left us. She went to a place where she could once again roam around freely; she could company those souls who had enough trouble in their stint here on earth. She would go and bring joy and happiness to the afterlife….leaving me alone.
Some people make an impact on your life. When they desert you or leave you, you feel lonely, left out, as if a part of your body has been separated from you. Same goes for living beings who can’t speak anything but have an enormous impact on your life with their presence. You don’t feel much when they are around you, when they come up to you with their wishful, hopeful eyes and give up all the feeling of belonging which they want to give without asking for anything in return. But when such things stop happening, you do feel cut off. Even today, I sometimes keep my hand on the side of the bed with a hope that she would pass under it……
But I know that she is there…watching us…not forgetting the house where she was loved and adored. That is why this year, on the same exact day, she sent her messenger, a small cat that came into our house, made it its own, visited places where she used to sit and then vanished the next day! I wonder if the cat came only to provide us with the support we needed to go through the day when we lost one of our family member, on the day when I lost one of my companions I had known for 16 years…….
