The Kids and the three dogs

 

Both Somu and the kids have always been very crazy about dogs. i some how never had this kind of likeness for dogs. When we had got married and I went to Almora there would be a dog which would follow Somu. he had named him Moti and very sincerely it would come in the morning and evening. The kids were after me to get them a bycycle and a dog. i kept promising them that I would do this when we shifted to our house in the ground floor. In Vijaya Towers we were living in a flat and it was not possible to have a dog. I still remember that when we shifted to lakshmi Enclave Bittu was in 6th class and Tarun Varun in 1st and the moment our Truck landed with the luggage they kept pestering me when am I going to get a dog and a bicycle. i got them the bike soon but kept resisting the dog for I told them that managing the three was a handful and I did not need a dog to add on to my woes. Soon when the children were going to school they started feeding their Tiffin to a stray dog. Soon this dog started roaming around the house and the children named him a Raju Pande.( RP) I asked the kids if they could not find any other name for in the office i was known as RP.This was a brown colored dog and it would often come to the gate for breakfast and dinner, which the children would gladly feed. I still remember Tarun asking, “ Raju dinner me Kya Khayega” and I would tell him please ask him if he wants butter and cheese or just plain rice. However with in few years this dog was killed by people across the street who had built small huts across the road and since this dog had killed some of their chicken they were very angry with him. The kids felt very sad and Varun cried a lot. However soon they found another stray dog and named it Asara Pande. This dog also stayed for quiet some time till our front door neighbour who shifted newly to the colony became very attached to it. This aunty also took care of Asra and once they shifted to the city she took Asra with her and told varun to take care of another dog. Varun told me we have had Raju, Asra a hindu and a Muslim dog so we will now have a christian do and named the new dog, Smokey  Pande. Now Smokey is very much near the house. I feel happy because I do not have the task of bringing the dog inside the house and I can just feed it.  Earlier I used to get annoyed that I had to make chappatis for him but now I just get rice and boil it and mix it with milk and give it to him. It roams around. But both Somu and the children have kept shampoos with which they give it a bath. Our Milk man who works in the immologicals gives it injections and now Smokey is very much a part of the colony and can be found loitering outside the house in the lawn or sleeping ion the first or the third floor. Though i am no dog lover I cannot help but admire the dog for when ever I go out for the morning walk it just comes running from where ever it is and follows me to the walk. Even when my car enters the colony it comes running to greet me. Though i am not very comfortable with a dog jumping and licking me it shows so much affection. At least now with Smokey i am able to understand why people love dogs and how loyal they can be when you feed them. Being a stray do these dogs are not at all fussy and eat what ever you give them. They never demand any thing.