My First Love with an Urchin

It was love at first sight - My first love. The moment I saw him, I knew that we have a deeper connect which is much beyond the physical dimensions of this creation. He was just few days old - white as snow, nimble as a deer and sounded like a humming bird. He barely knew how to stand but used to tumble towards me; the moment I was in sight. I couldn’t help but lift him in my arms the same way I lifted my son when he was born. We immediately named him guga, the pet name we used to call our son when he was few months old. He was born to a street side bitch whom we lovingly called mumma. My habit of walks in the wilderness often brought me face to face with many creatures whom we often don’t see in open and we generally developed shared understanding of each other’s habitats and mutual non-interference. From parrots of kota, crows of gopalpur, to deers of dhana and neelgais of hissar, I remember their reactions – all of them were bewildered to see a human amongst them; but later became used to me and were happy whenever I passed their private space. DRDO Township in Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad was the first place where we found street dogs in abundance. Each corner was earmarked by a group of canines which was defended fiercely by them and no other canine from outside dared to enter their space.

This one such space where guga was born to mumma. She was most understanding and patronizing mother that I had ever seen. Often, I saw her feeding her puppies even when she had no food and always sacrificed her own scums for them. The attitude of the people towards these canines ranged from deep love to open hostility. As is often the case with any species, few of the dogs had felt threatened from stick wielding kids/people and had shown some antagonistic behaviour towards them which had led to hostile reactions from many folks in the township. Me and my wife were often the targets of hate and ridicule for feeding them daily. It became a daily ritual for us to visit the corner where guga used to life with his few siblings and give some milk and bread to them. After few weeks, he was good enough to walk and started following me within his marked territory after he had his milk. Even when he was just few months old, he became protective of me and used to make sure that I pass safely from his territory. One day he picked up a fight with neighbor’s German shepherd who was almost 100 times bigger than him when we were passing their house. Luckily for him, the German Shepherd was leashed, otherwise that would have ended his life. The days grew in years and our routine of feeding him and 2-3 others whom he had befriended became more of a ritual to us. We often missed our prayers but never forgot to visit them and feed. After few days, we started knowing their distinct food habits – flair for spices, sambhar than daal and roti rather than rice. While others accepted whatever we gave them, guga was very particular for roti and didn’t touch anything else. Like a recalcitrant child, he used to show us his tantrums and often rejected food when it was not to his taste. I often joked with my wife that finally there is someone who has guts to tell her when her food was not tasty (I never dared this in my life for obvious reasons).

As often is the case, there is always a struggle amongst the canines for their space and dominance. Few dogs became hostile to him and he shifted towards our mess in DLOMI. It was now easier for us to feed him and I started getting up early in the morning to make sure that I give him some bread. Thanks to him, I have still not broken the routine of my early morning walks. One day I didn’t find him in the morning. I was worried and looked around frantically but was all in vain. Later at night he returned with a broken leg. Someone had hit him with stones and stick and he was in pain. We did what we could – put some ointment and haldi, but it was going to take some time. Moment he saw me after his injury, I was taken aback by the emotions he showed to me. No human being could explain their pain and hurt the way he put across his pain to me – wet eyes, small growls and pointers to all the places where he was hurt. Who says dogs can’t talk – it’s just that we humans don’t know how to listen. Anyhow, he recovered after few days and again started walking around. He was the only one who could roam around all places in the cantonment without hostile reaction from anyone else. He was smart, had loud voice and knew how to handle other canines and make friends with them. In the world of canines, getting acceptance from wild groups is a great achievement and I often envied him for this traits and hoped that I learn a few things from him.

He used to roam freely in the cantonment and there were few other people who used to feed him, but I still always worried whenever I was not in town. Often dogs have sixth sense. When we were going for few weeks to our home in Himachal, he again came to DLOMI and stayed in front of our house. When my stuff was being loaded in taxi, he was very uneasy and tried to talk to me. The moment our taxi started for airport, he started running behind it and growling.?I didn’t know why, but I felt a pain in my heart while leaving and my eyes were wet. This was the time that I knew that – I had fallen in love with him. He met us like a mad child on return and was reluctant to leave my house even for few moments. Now he was one and half years old and good enough to defend himself and fend for himself. Still the bond of a child and father kept growing stronger and both used to feel happy to see each other. His mother mumma had delivered babies two times now and his clan was the largest in township. He often used to meet his mother who had shifted to a new location and it was serene to see their love whenever they met. Mumma had grown old and sick and was hurt by someone which disabled her one leg. My wife cried after seeing her in that condition and our only question was - how can someone hurt a creature who has been so docile, loving and full of motherly love all through her life? I just wish humans could transpose their feelings onto these creatures and see how they feel when hurt. After few months of sickness, mumma passed away and I often saw guga staring at the place where she used to sit. Loss of loved ones is always painful and guga had felt it himself.

After few days, I felt that guga had become normal and once again started roaming around the township. We used to eagerly await the evening time, lovingly cook food for them and happy to see them running towards us when they saw us coming to feed them. I think it was unfair of evolution to have removed tails of humans. If humans had also wagged their tails rather than tongues, this world would have been a better place to live.?Life is full of uncertainties and twists and so is the same with canines. Just when I had thought that life had settled into a routine and guga will happily spend his life here, the tragedy stuck. Early in the morning when he has crossing the road, a speeding car hit him and left him bleeding profusely. I was going for my morning walk when I saw in the pool of blood. That stopped me in my tracks and reminded me of our wounded comrades when they were hurt by mine blasts or other enemy fire. I tried to stop his bleeding by my hand and whatever I had but it was too late. He would have passed away much earlier but I think he had borrowed some time from his god to bid final goodbye to me. He knew that these were his last moments, his pain was gone when I touched him. I could feel the serenity which has fallen on him and he slowly passed on to another world - may be to a better place which has some place for them, where people are not hostile to them and where their feelings are understood. We humans have run so fast that we have forgotten that this world is not only for us but also is meant for other creatures who feel and respond the same way that we do and we won’t survive a single day if they are not with us.

I will always miss my first love and wish that we will meet again in some other life, in some other form but with the same love that bounded us together in this mortal world.