Do we love our pets enough?
It was raining outside.
While the rain was spattering at the windows, her heart was pounding hard.
If only she had anticipated the worst, she would have seen this coming.
She sat in the dark, with tears in her eyes.
The kajal was smudged and mascara spread all around her eyes.
She still had the car keys clutched in her hands.
Tears were streaming down her face.
She was melting inside.
She was least bothered about the wet dress or the runny nose. After all, she had lost the love of her life - to an accident.
It was her fault, she thought.
She should've kept a check on his activities and endeavours.
She lay there on the floor, in the corner, traumatized.
Till how long? She had no idea.
And then one strong moment, she made a resolve, wiped her tears, stood up, hung the keys in the socket and climbed the stairs up to her room.
In the right hand corner of her room, was a small, carved wooden temple. She was a staunch believer of Lord Krishna.
She was in a dilemma.
Although she wanted to meet him again in her next life, she didn't want him to get tied up in the circle of birth and re-birth!
Out of love and empathy, finally sympathy won. She let his soul rest in peace!
Standing in front of him, folding her hands and closing her eyes, she made the most tender prayer of her life - to let his soul rest in peace!
For a split second, her eyes went moist.
But she knew she had to be strong.
For them. For his family, his friends.
She took a deep breath, shed the last tear and as she descended to the ground floor of her lavish two storeyed five BHK villa, she was making a mental note of all the things that would have to done after his demise.
First and foremost, his burial.
She made a list of all the people who had to be informed, and broadcasted a message narrating the crux of events of the evening.
Soon, too many condolence messages started pouring in.
But she wasn't interested. So she kept her phone aside.
Since the parents were abroad, she had no immediate family to turn to.
She was the sole decider of the burial - scheduled for the next day itself.
It was tuesday afternoon. The gardener should turn up soon enough, she thought.
Yes, he would be the best man to dig up the grave. He knew how it was done, for he had done that before.
She ordered bright red roses to garnish his grave the next day. The flowers were to arrive afresh just fifteen mins prior to the burial.
She climbed down, locked the keys, and went out.
It was just a 5 mins walk. The rain had slowed down to a soft drizzle. She took no pains to carry an umbrella with her.
The chawl next to her society was where his dearest friends lived.
At the entrance of the chawl was a small temple. The pujari had been kind enough to shelter them in the premises.
Just as she entered, all six of them rushed out to greet her.
They had grown tall now. After all, they had turned two just the previous month.
They licked her all over. She never liked that, and they knew that. But today was different.
They could smell him on her, and that was what made them lap her all over.
She stroked them on their face and back.
Soon the pujari came out. She informed him about his demise and invited him and the friends for the burial scheduled the next day at ten in the morning.
She left the temple with a heavy heart. The rain had stopped altogether by then. They followed her back to her home, without her being aware of the fact.
As soon as she entered the gate, she was startled with terrible shrieks of the dogs who had been following her from the temple.
They had seen him, lying dead, in a pool of blood in the verandah.
Their best friend had been run over by a car.
They were reeling over their loss, and silently blaming her for her incompetence.
She should have never allowed him to leave the home unattented.
She should have kept a dog chain to keep a tab on him.
Yes, it was her fault.
And this was not the first time.
Previously, she had lost two puppies in a similar plight.
She went back to them, carressed them, and brought the blood soaked pet and his friends inside.
All of them sat there in that table-lamp lit hall for quite some time, shedding silent tears, and mourning the loss.
He was not just a pet, he was family.
She loved him like a kid.
He had been the most intelligent, most handsome pup she had ever come across.
She knew, he could never be replaced.
His love and his loyalty could never be replaced.
Such is the love of pets!
Sometimes, the best medicine is unconditional love from your pets!
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