PUPPY LOVE 

“Chillar Party”, the movie is about a dog, by the dog lovers and of course to the dog loving audience. It is about saving a stray dog from being taken away by dog catchers. And it is saved by the kiddos of the said housing society.

NIKKI- She came to our house when she was just a week old. She was a ball of white fur with pink nose and two black dots which passed off as her eyes……….those soulful eyes! It was love at first sight for all of us at home. My brother was cheeky enough to bring home a pet without the consent of either of the parents. But, the moment they laid their eyes on her….they forgot to complain. She was a Pomeranian. She was the darling of our house, totally spoilt like we would if we had a younger sibling. She was with us for 7 years. She took a part of our heart when she passed on. We vowed never to adopt a pet again.

SONY – She was also a Pomeranian, adopted by my in-laws. She was very naughty. She had a strange fetish….as soon as I entered the house, she would snatch my hanky and rip it apart. Then she would hide beneath the bed and sulk. I had to go to her, first scold her, and then cajole her….then only she would come out to play with me. She did not do this with others……and so I always carried a ripped hanky around. She left a void in our hearts when she too passed on. My in-laws never adopted a pet again.

RAMU- He was a stray and the “Hero No. 1” a la our own Govinda. He was flamboyant. He had style and grace. He was tall and handsome. He was a cross between Golden Retriever and Combai. He had a thick coat of brown muddy hair. Those eyes…..all the dogs have beautiful eyes; it mirrors their trust and unflinching devotion. We don’t know how he came to be, but we always used to find his ass parked firmly in front of our gate. Sometimes, he would not even budge from the place. We should have named him “Hanuman” instead of Ramu, because he followed us wherever we went….sometimes even to the temple. He was like our own mascot. We were recognized because of him. He was strong and gained the respect of other strays in our street and became their undisputed leader. He marked his territory. There used to be some gang wars between the strays in the middle of the night much to the chagrin of the people.

He was a stud and had a slew of girlfriends. His harem grew, so did his brood and so did the menace. Neighbours complained to the authorities many times. Some of his girlfriends and kids were caught…. (Sad, but could not help) and my mom used to promptly let Ramu inside our house and shut the door on the dag catcher’s face!

There came a time when we had to be strict with him. We raised the height of our gate and compound wall. He was too smart for us. He always found a way to come inside the compound. We couldn’t help but love him. He had to be sterilized so we drugged him and sent him away to the animal shelter. He came back home after 15 days! He earned the respect of all the people when he returned……because (i) he was drugged when they took him, (ii) he was taken to a hospital which was almost 30 kms away from home,(iii) on the way back he should have battled the other street dogs when he was in their territory…..yet, he found his way back. We all were in awe of him. No one of the street called the authorities again.

Few years’ back he met with an accident, broke the joint of his paw. It got swollen and cancerous. His leg was amputated after some months…….he went on with his life making some minor adjustments…….his did not sit back or give up, he was as active as ever. Well, the cancer and age caught up with him ……….wow! He still can make me cry.

There has been a lot of pressure from my kids and hubby to adopt a dog. But, when it comes to puppies, I am a chicken! In anticipation of pain, I cannot give up on love, but no matter what, the pets live you shattered when they pass on. And I am just not ready.