Turning over a new chapter in our relationship, my friendship with Rocky turned almost three months today. It was because of his unfortunate accident that we had met each other for the first time in our colony lane. I was returning home from office and had just entered the lane when I saw this young doggy lying at one corner of the road and whining in deep pain. I was told by my neighbours that he had got hit by a tempo, and that had left one of his back legs badly injured. I wanted to check his injury but since he wasn't too familiar with me, so he didn't let me go near him. Being scared, instead he wanted to run away from me. He tried to stand on his feet but could barely walk, he was in visible pain.
His injury had left him confined to one place and thus he would not be able to go find his food, I thought. Life of a homeless, street animal can be very hard. I couldn't have just left him to his fate. I was worried thinking what if his injury was really serious? What if a bone in his leg had got fractured or dislocated? It was hard to imagine a young pup crippled for life to provide for himself in this big bad world. He must have been only six or seven months old, an entire life was ahead of him!
I was tired, so came upstairs, to my flat to refresh but his heart-wrenching cries continued to bother me. By then, it was already nine o'clock and I had no idea of any vet living in the vicinity nor did I have any experience of treating an injured dog, that too a possible bone fracture! I called Mummy and she suggested me to wrap a wet cloth soaked in a solution of turmeric powder and water around his injured leg and also to give him warm milk mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder, just like we humans do to get relief from pain. But would he allow me to do that? Well, he did. He had probably understood that I was a friend.
He was also very hungry, I had given crumbs of rotis dipped in milk and he finished off the mixture in a jiffy. The turmeric milk had an immediate effect, I guess or else probably God listened to my prayers - he fell asleep as soon as he finished his food, his pain had probably got alleviated somewhat. Luckily there was no fracture in his bone, the vet who examined him the next day confirmed it. Since then I started feeding him rotis soaked in milk two times a day - in the morning before leaving for office and in the evening after returning home. He showed improvement with each passing day and gained some strength as well because he was now able to walk. And finally a day came when he could run full tilt.
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| Rocky waiting for me to serve him his meal |
By now, he has probably gotten aware of my timings - at what time I leave for my office and when I would return back. So every day early morning at around six, he comes and sleeps outside my door on the verandah and waits for me. Initially he used to do the same thing during the evenings too. But now he doesn't come upstairs during the evenings, instead he comes to my lane and waits for me downstairs. As soon as I prepare his meal and serve him, he finishes that off quickly and then quietly goes away. He has probably understood that some of the other residents in my building aren't too pleased by his presence! Most people, sadly, have a strong aversion to the street animals, I wonder why.
Anyway, our random encounter with each other that day (when he was hit by the tempo) has since then grown into a special friendship, that has been sprinkled with lots of wonderful moments throughout. So I thought of celebrating this Friendship day with Rocky in our own special way.
I didn't have to ponder for too long on what special dish to prepare for him today. Of what I have come to know about his likings up till now is that he loves eating crumbs of roti or chapaati (the Indian bread) thoroughly soaked in milk, cerelac, mashed rice and milk, mashed cheese, mashed ripened papaya pieces or boiled carrots, the occasional ice-cream cones, and of course his favourite -- dry-roasted chiken chunks from Ilyas's dhaba. For that matter, Rocky isn't too fussy about food (except when I try feeding him mashed rice mixed with dal or boiled veggie-stew
; he isn't too fond of them, though he finishes them off most of the times but he does that rather reluctantly). But the special occasion that it was today, I had to prepare something special for him -- something that was princely and something which he would relish eating. And given his fondness for milk-products, I prepared kheer tonight for his dinner. On the way, I also took his favourite dry-roasted chicken chunks from Ilyas's joint.
Like always, Rocky greeted me with enthusiasm, squealing and wagging his tail in joy, but today he was also literally beaming from ear to ear. Probably he had somehow sensed it that I had taken something special for him today and not the usual fare of cerelac, crushed biscuits or rotis and milk. Nowadays Rocky gets so impatient that he often doesn't want to wait for me to pour the contents into his bowl (just the same way as I used to be as a child when mummy was to serve me my favourite dishes); he almost wants to snatch the food away from my hands and eat them
. He was so excited that he started to bounce up and down around me as I was pouring the kheer into his bowl. But I was giving him kheer for the first time, so he took a few minutes sniffing it before starting to lick the kheer from the bowl. And the kheer was probably to his liking, he was happily licking up from the bowl. Two more guests (two other stray dogs Tiger and Laali) joined him; luckily I had taken enough kheer with me. And when the kheer was finished up, it was time for the roasted chicken pieces to be served. All of them gladly started nibbling on the chicken chunks from the two paper trays and chewing on the bones. Sadly though, I had taken chicken pieces only for two and they were three guys to share them. In a few minutes, the chicken pieces too were polished off and they sat there (probably satisfied) licking their paws.
Rocky was looking the happiest of the lot. I wonder if he knew what the occasion was today but he definitely had a sparkle of pure joy in his eyes. I sat with them for a few more minutes, as Rocky continued to playfully run off and come back to me, sometimes licking my hands as I stroked his back. Finally it was time for me to return back, and in his customary fashion, he followed me to the corner of the road and from there, returned back to his friends. I too came back home satiated and happy. A day and an occasion well spent
.
Sometimes I wonder what if Rocky wasn't born on the street, shelterless and instead was born into a reasonably well-to-do family? He wouldn't have been wandering here and there each day, searching for food. Instead, probably he would have been playing and enjoying all day with toys and his masters. After all he is just a little puppy. Probably he wouldn't have to worry about his food ever, he would have been timely served. If only he was as lucky!
A whopping number of shelterless animals sleep on empty stomach each day. It's a persistent struggle for them to find enough food to eat every day. Though we mayn't expect ourselves to be able to bring home every deprived being that comes in sight or to arrange food for him all the time but it doesn't take much to forge friendship with at least one homeless animal, to provide him with just enough food regularly to ensure that he doesn't go to sleep hungry.
While wandering on the streets searching for food, these deprived creatures like cows, dogs or cats are often found trying to dodge attacks by hardhearted passers-by who chase them away with sticks and stones. Other than food and shelter, these speechless animals probably seek only a few moments of affection every day. Everyone deserves to have a place to feel loved, safe and valued... everyone seeks a friend's arms to wrap him in. Friendship needn't be made only with fellow human beings. Look around, open your hearts and hold out a hand to the four-legged or the winged creatures too! They will surely give back as much love, in their own characteristic way
.
"Jaanwaron ko bhi Pyaar deke dekho, Pyaar hi paoge tum"
(Adapted from the tagline of Cadbury Celebrations)
