If you tell me this is the end of the road, I should believe. Bcos without you I cannot move on..

Confessions of a canine lover

(Story appeared in Indian Express dailythree months back)

Well, they named the movie that won a plethora of awards and international acclaim as 'Slumdog Millionaire'.
But what amuses me is the various connotations of the word 'slumdog'.
Of late, like many people who were made to think about the lives of those mired in inadequacies in slums, both human beings and dogs, I, who used to hate dogs, have developed a liking for them.
But never in the wildest of my dreams have I thought of being a canine lover! In fact, my U-turn was not just because of the said film, but because of Rocky, the doggy who came to our family the other day. It taught me the broader meaning of love and the art of coexistence.
Having absorbed the images of stray dogs, I do think these creatures make news by often going for a biting spree in cities, spreading panic among people or chasing the vehicles doggedly during wee hours.
But when a doggy came into the picture, things changed drastically.
True to the adage, he came, he saw, he conquered...
That is what exactly the German shepherd did at home in the absence of his master's children.
It may sound strange. Even I wonder how a doggy can replace the vacuum of a beloved son or daughter?
For my mother-in-law, the idea of getting a pet to wipe out the shadow of loneliness, that has been haunting her since a long time, ostensibly, sounded absurd. (As she philosophically quotes now, 'most of the basic truths of life sound absurd at first hearing'.)
And, obviously, it was me who opposed it tooth and nail, citing enormous reasons to keep pets away from home.
Things do not always happen the way they ought to. When we brought mom-in-law to the city in a bid to keep her loneliness and boredom at bay, a burglary took place at the house in our native place, which was kept locked, forcing her to go back.
Even before that she had been losing things while travelling. However, the 'change' that we expected did not happen here. (For that we had to wait until Rocky came to the fore.) The burglary was in fact a blessing in disguise that helped us to think about having a doggy at home.
Soon she returned, like any other lonely mother after retirement. She got back into her daily chores, haplessly witnessed every sunrise and sunset, hoping to meet children during vacations. She kept calling them and, being a shopping maniac, she splurged money ( of course for things that are not necessary at all!) and advised daughters-in-law about the 'importance' of having such things at home...
Loneliness, for her, was something to be fought every moment, everyday, in life. For most of the elderly people, loneliness is inevitable. So much has been said and written about the problems that the elderly people living alone are forced to face. For my mom and mom-in-law, life might be a tedious existence, with enthusiasm and hopes fast ebbing away. Their days begin and end with numerous reality shows, mega serials and news stories steeped in sentimentality. Reports of elderly citizens being targeted in cities are more than enough to send a chill down my spine. (Thanks to the 24X7 media hype).
When Rocky came in, he literally took over the house, hopped his way into the heart of mom-in-law and made the house echo his barks. Apparently, he has helped her sail through her routine life without much problem. Minus him she could very well fall prey to depression. Now, with regained enthusiasm and ebullience, she often shares her sense of security which the doggy brought about. What surprised me is her new decision to take care of two stray dogs, which were found abandoned near the house.
But, for my mom, who lost her husband 10 years back and lives at our house called 'Orma' (memory), things remain more or less the same. When I show my concern of not meeting her often to make her feel good, my hubby, with a smile of confidence, throws the question:
Tell me which breed she prefers? Doberman, German shepherd, Labrador...?
Sound strange? But, now I should bow my head in shame and say:
That's not a bad idea at all.