It was the month of August and the whole nation was reviving from lockdown. I knew that my lovely, rusty colour, female dog was about to deliver. She was restless for quite a few hours. We tried hard to comfort her. After massaging her forehead for a couple of minutes, she slept a little.
It was a lazy Sunday and I woke up a bit late. When I went outside, I saw she was waging her tail lovingly and five little puppies clinging to her Bossom. It was hard to categorize them based on their colour. Their eyes were sunk in their sockets and there was still some time in their acquiring of their ability to see the world. I gave the newly became mother some chapati and milk. She let me hold the infants. They were smaller than my palm. I carefully held them closer to my chest and then kept them safely near their mother, one by one.
In a fortnight they opened their eyes and start walking slowly.
One night when I went to see if they are comfortable, one little pup groaned at me. I smiled at him and picked him up.
'So you are the aggressive one.' I said to him.
He lovingly wagged his tail, a little afraid of height.
We started calling him junglee, the wild one.
Days passed and we become good friends. Junglee was a born warrior. He knew very well how to gather his food, without much dependency on others. He has this habit of sleeping in our home's backyard and used to shout until we open the door and took him inside.
He grew up into a strong, young dog. He was darn active.
At the end of January this year, I smelled something foul from him. I removed his coat to check the problem, I noticed a big eight inches wound with blood all around. I immediately consulted a veterinarian and he told me to clean it and apply an ointment. He healed in no time.
On the first of March, I had a flight to Bangalore. I was packing my bag a day before when I noticed a dog coughing near the backyard's door. I quickly went to see and it was Junglee who was coughing and panting like anything. I again consulted the veterinarian and he prescribed certain antibiotics. I told my mom to minutely monitor his health in my absence.
I was two thousand odd kilometres away from my home, but my heart was still here only. I was regularly in contact with my Mom and the majority of the conversation was revolving around Junglee and his siblings. He was no doubt improving, but his recovery was very slow.
I came back after a week and saw them all happy and excited. But Junglee had lost weight. He was weaker than before. Though he was still very aggressive and energetic, his rib cage was now visible can now clearly felt under his skin. He was having his food properly but still not gaining weight. I monitored his health for some time and felt that there is nothing much to worry about.
One Friday, I woke up when Junglee was sleeping with his sibling near the washing machine in the backyard. I went to the gym and came back after an hour or so. My Mom was panicking a lot when she said to have look at Junglee.
He was standing and there was foam all around his mouth. He was walking backwards when he looked at me. I called the doctor and he told me to bring Junglee to the clinic as soon as possible.
I carried him to the clinic. While driving, I saw looking at me with all-loving and generous eyes. For the very first time, I saw genuine gratitude in someone's eyes. I patted his head lightly and assured him that he will be alright.
We got his treatment done and he slept peacefully for the next five or six hours. After then he stood up again, walking backwards, and all that foam around his face. He was shivering too.
I again took him to the clinic. I again saw that gratitude in his eyes. And this time... I cried my heart out. I know what was coming.
After his treatment, I placed him on his sheet. He was fast asleep. I patted his head and let him sleep.
It was 1.36 AM when I heard something. It was a soft cry, more of a calling. I turned the flashlight of my cellphone on. I saw Junglee taking his last breath. I knew how this end looks like. I folded my hands and prayed to the almighty to make this easier for him.
Exactly at 1.38 AM, I heard all the dogs howled together in a unison, bidding farewell to Junglee. And he took his last breath and left the mortal world.
Junglee was gone. What was lying there is just the body where he was residing.
I had a very strange dream that night. I saw that Junglee is still alive and all his physical ailments are gone. He became a playful pup once again.
When I woke up, I straight away went to handover his body back to Mother Earth. I informed everything to the vet. He felt sorry for the loss and said that the reason for his death might be Rabies. He advised me to get rabies shots.
I went to the nearby government hospital to get the vaccinations done.
I was removing my shirt when I saw this little feather stuck to my shirt. I showed it to my Mom and said that Junglee has reached safely to the other world.
I know if you are thinking that this all is so dramatic and far away from pragmatism. But my dear reader, this is what happened. And this, not the first time this has happened. Feather is a symbol of assurance from the souls who have shed their physical body and crossed the physical borders that they are safe. It's a symbol that the mortals must stop grieving for them now.
But it's difficult. Every time I lose a pup, it breaks my heart. Something inside me also dies whenever I lose a pup.
And this is not the end. I'll keep living for them, looking after them, no matter whatever the circumstances will be.
So this is for Junglee - My aggressive little kid, whose gratitude-filled eyes trapped me forever in them.
HRN
