My Pet

I never had any pet since then.

I was about fifteen years of age when one fine day my mother brought a small little puppy as a pet for us. Actually she didn’t bring it. It came running after her when she left a shop nearby. I don’t know what breed it was, but it was a cute one.

My brother was overjoyed just like any other kid of his age. He named him Brunni.

The lowest shelf in the alcove was designed as his home. My brother himself did all the interiors. A rug and big cushion formed a perfect bed for him. Next day he got two new bowls for his food and water.

Every morning and evening he used to take him out for a walk. As for me, I was just too busy with my board exams that I had no time to play with him. In fact I just shooed him away. Whenever I entered the house, Brunni ran to greet me, and I ran away from him. I was always scared of dogs. But I just loved to see my brother playing with him in the garden. I had never seen him laugh so much. He learned the meaning of words like care and selfless love. Pets love you unconditionally. That’s the beauty of life. It has its own ways of teaching and enriching you.

A month passed. My maid servant once took him for a walk while my brother away was at school. Some construction was going on there. He ate something there, which he shouldn’t have. Pet are like babies. Lack of attention is dangerous for them.

Brunni vomited twice that day. My brother and father took him to a vet, and he gave some injections to him. But his condition worsened within two days. He didn’t eat or drink, nor, did he respond to my brother’s calls. He just lay idle all day long.

My grandma suddenly remembered some hygiene issues. We might get infected etc. One day, in our absence, she got it transferred in the shed downstairs behind our house. His condition went from bad to worse. We were sure it won’t survive. But just to leave someone to die was not acceptable to me and my brother. But all our tears and requests were in vain. I realized generation gap for the first time then. Children love unconditionally but as we grow, our love gets manipulated.

My brother sat with him all day long. I was waiting in my study, for my brother or for Brunni’s death, I don’t know. Suddenly, my brother came crying into my lap. I understood.

I Got Married!

…..And I had a tiny tear rolled down my eye. The moment was magical. He filled sindoor (almost, allover my head) and I was complete. Quite filmy na!! I won’t say that I was dying to get married but yes, it was a high priority task; one has to get married after all. But I had never, even in my worst dreams, imagined that all those long and endless ceremonies would touch my heart so deeply.

Flashback…………………….
Sometime in July 1998
Place: Class 11-B, Dr. Virendra Swarup Education Centre, Awadhpuri, Kanpur.

I was just out of high school. As a tomboy I never really had any friends who were girls. So all the naughty boys were my best friends who just taught me to play a new mischief every other day and roar with laughter. I was good with my studies too, hence, the leader of the gang. One fine day, a classmate came to me and asked if I can lend my Mathematics notebook to a newcomer who had just joined. After some initial apprehensions I lent my notebook on his responsibility as I didn’t know the guy.

A day later a new face appeared in front of me with my notebook in his hands. With certain hesitation, he started the conversation:

“Your notebook ma’am.”
I burst out laughing. Not laughing, I was literally roaring. For the first time in my life somebody has considered me good enough to be addressed as “ma’am”. A friend standing behind me cautioned me that I was scaring the poor chap. Somehow I came back to earth and once again looked at him. I still remember that innocent expression of his. He stared at me in complete dismay not understanding what was so funny. I controlled myself and continued the conversation:

“What’s your name?”
“Shan.”
“Hi Shan! My name is Ragya and you can call me by my name (as if he was supposed to address me as didi) and no need to say ma’am. Okay?”
“Yes ma’am.”

I didn’t laugh again.
He continued his expression.

Ten years later………………..
Date: 9th July 2008
Place: Lajpat Bhawan( My wedding venue), Kanpur.

It was about 7:00 in the morning. The date had changed to 10th July long time back my wedding anniversary would still be celebrated on 9th July.

The priest asked Shan to fill sindoor and he, perhaps, over obeyed him and filled it all over my head. I still don’t understand why that tear rolled down. I am not that romantic, as some of my friends claim, nor was I enjoying those proceedings so much, but there is some divine emotion maybe, which blessed us in that moment. I don’t know. Immediately after that all our relatives showered flower petals on us and I could feel the whole world overjoyed and complete.

I got married.