TO BRUNO WITH LOVE -1

This blog is dedicated to my first and only pet, Bruno, a Finnish Spitz.

I remember how I detested dogs and was scared of animals and on the contrary all animals were attracted to me hehehehhehehe sounds funny but yes, it was so. If there was a lizard on the ceiling it would purposely device its strategy to fall of me and my mum would always send me to take a bath!!! If I walked on the road then a stray dog would follow me and escape was just impossible for me even if I sped to my house unless I hired a rickshaw. I would grow extremely nervous if I encountered a bull on the road, especially when I wore red, reminded me of the bull-fighting scene! I still remember how a cow chased me once and I ran like a mad person to save myself from being tossed in the air and a man on bicycle saying "Arre madam, Gow mata se darte ho!" Believe me I felt like boxing that dork there and then. Even a grasshopper wouldn't spare me. I happened to go to a confectionary shop and from nowhere came a grasshopper and rested on my neck and I almost convulsed hysterically, hubby dear laughed saying, "Must be an old lover!!!" Huh! He wouldn't spare any occasion to poke fun!

Once while travelling to Delhi, I felt a tickle in my finger, which I didn't pay heed to and simply dozed off but an hour later, I felt it again and when I opened my eyes I screamed like hell! Would you believe, a bee was resting on my finger for the past one hour but the most amazing thing was that it didn't sting me! And then it struck my mind that animals liked me! OMG was I an animal in previous birth? baaaaaaaaaah! Naah, I must have been Jane, remember Tarzan's gf! lol! So that was the kind of relationship I had, with all animals, though the affinity from their side was much more than mine, ok , to be very honest, they scared me and I didn't like them at all! Duh! How mean of me! But it all changed when Bruno entered our house

Ok so let me begin with the whole episode of Bruno's homecoming:

My brother was thirteen then, the youngest sibling after two sisters i.e. my younger sister and I. He was lucky enough to stay at home since a good convent school started in our small town. We, my younger sis and I, were the most pampered visitors at home because we stayed in a boarding school. As usual, we were home for summer vacations but this time totally unaware what our cute little naughty brother was up to he had a plan a real secret plan he conspired with a cousin, living in a nearby town and according to the plan, left early in the morning with a basket in his hand. My father was a part of the conspiracy so he sent an escort along with my brother. We were totally unaware about what mystery was about to unravel on his return.

"Where were you and what is in this basket?" I enquired.

He winked and grinned. "Show me the basket," my younger sister ordered him.

She caught him and asked me to open the basket. Bewildered, I opened the basket and shrieked as loudly as I could, "A dog!!! Maa look what he has got, I am not living here, how could you allow him?"

"Just imagine a dog wagging around in our house!!! God, they smell and who's going to take care of him and his shitty business? You get out of the house along with this pet of yours," I shouted at my brother.

"You walk out if you want to, we are staying," he replied taking the pup out of the basket. It was an open war!!! The moment my brother put the puppy on the floor, I jumped and stood on the chair so that he couldn't reach me and my sister burst laughing, "Look how scared didi is by this cute little puppy." I looked at my sister and retorted, "Et tu Brutus?"

Even mom could not control her motherly heart and succumbed. There was some sort of enthusiasm in the air with this little pup but I did not surrender, rather the idea of living with a pup scared me. I somehow couldn't digest that how come my hygiene conscious ma succumbed so soon? Everyone in the house, including my dad was going gaga over the activities of the little pup, though I was inquisitive too but put on the,"I don't care" attitude.

At night mom made a cozy little bed for the pup in the corner of our room. Gone are the days of sleep, I thought. Many questions bothered me, like what if this pup jumps on our bed? What if he dirtied our room etc? But as we all settled to sleep I lay wide awake just to keep a watch on the pup. When all slept I saw the pup curled up like a baby, softly I walked to him and covered him with a blanket. He looked so cute, his white fluffy hide, his light brown ears and a brown patch on the back, Oh my, he was the most cute pup I had ever seen! The moment he opened his eyes, I sprang to my bed, saving myself to be bitten by him. Then I watched till he dozed off again. Well, that night I felt very sad for him, I thought my brother did not do a good thing, separating a baby from a mother. I remembered how I felt when I was in the boarding, away from my family; he too might be missing his mother, his siblings the same way as I did. My heart melted as I could relate his plight to mine. I made up my mind to mother him till I was with him and give him lots of love, well, I just had few days on hand as I was supposed to join the first day of my college.

Next day, I still pretended that I was not very keen on keeping him but then we had to decide a name for him. Opinions and suggestions flowed. There were many disagreements. Strangely enough, pets sound better in a "phoren" name other than Hindi. At that time, I was reading about the Italian philosopher- Giordano Bruno, so I suggested, "Bruno! How about this name? It's stylish and uncommon too." Mom conjoined and innocently said, "Haan aachha naam hai, uske kaan (ears) bhi brown hain!" I was feeling a bit awkward especially after reading about the personality so tried to suggest another name but all liked it so much that the pup was finally christened Bruno. Thereafter, Bruno became a part of our family. Perfect family picture!

P.S. Continued in the next part…

To Bruno, With Love-2

Continued…

I took the responsibility to discipline him. We had a big house so he was never required to step out of the house for the nature's call. The courtyard was all his. It was always kept clean for him. He loved to play with ball, so there was a big pack of ball for him. He would play with us in the lawns and loved to roll on the grass, chase the squirrels and butterflies. He also made friends with a squirrel who would visit him every day. Animals have their own way of communicating with each other and also with humans; it's for the humans to understand them. He faced all the problems of teething just like a baby does. Our home furniture was the most appetizing food for Bruno while he was teething.

I still remember how wagged his little tail and licked my hand for the first time, which I washed at least hundred times lol! "Hey I don't like this licking business, its feels so yuck and wet," I said shrinking my nose. 'Somebody has started developing an affinity towards Bruno,' said my brother, naughtily winking at my younger sister. 'You better take care of your chappals before Bruno eats them, he is teething and will nibble all the things in his way," I warned, trying to change the topic. Soon Bruno became the apple of everyone's eye. There were two people he would always bark at, the dhobi (which I think all dogs do because of the popular Hindi phrase 'dhobi ka kutta, na ghar ka na ghaat ka!') and another was our family Pundit (strange but Bruno always barked at him), "Mom, he must be a crook," I would whisper in her ear and she would show me her big eyes asking me to keep quiet. Like everyone, we always used the standard dialogue, 'It won't bite, very friendly dog!" My statutory warning: Never trust this dialogue hehehehe. There were instances when my brother prompted him to bark and scare people he didn't like and Bruno wouldn't do that he would rather bark at those he personally didn't like, so that was when we realized even dogs are opinionated. "Never take a dog for granted," is what my sister always muttered. Bruno was a vegetarian, because we were vegetarian. My mom or any of us fed him just like a baby. His sparkling plate contained chapattis, dal, curd etc. He lived royally!

I got an additional degree, a dog trainer's one (Lol!) and thanks to Bruno for that. Best was when he would sit in front of the TV. and pretend as if he could understand everything and like adults, he used to doze off in between. It's fun to see animals dozing!

I trained Bruno but he taught me a lot more. He taught me what unconditional love was, how to always be cheerful and flash a smile the moment we rise from sleep. I learnt to keep quiet and sit by when someone was not in good mood. I learnt to be protective towards all around me, show happiness, when I was happy. I learnt to understand a person's feelings through his/her eyes or ex-pressions. I learnt compassion, and to respect everyone whether human, animal or even a plant. I also realized that Mother Nature has given us herbs for every ailment because when Bruno was not well he refused to eat anything and would find his cure from the herbs in the lawn! Though he had a vet to look after him but homeopathy always worked wonders for him.

I also learnt that when a loved one came home, one should always be at door to greet them and show the excitement in our eyes, to practice obedience when something was in our best interest. To know when someone has wrong intentions and not allow him to invade our territory, I also understood that no matter how often we are scolded when must get out of the guilt and make friends with the person annoyed. He also taught me the smartness not to bite if a simple growl could set things right. I learnt never to be hypocrite (well I never was) and not pretend to be what you are not. Avail every opportunity of attention and felicity and dance when happy. I also came to know that everyone feels lonely and sad at some point of time and how to bounce back and stay cheerful. And I also learnt the most important lesson from Bruno, "If you love somebody, show it!" But when I practiced all, I realized that the outside world was not that beautiful as Bruno's world. Well, it wasn't all that bad either! We all learn lessons from our own experiences and allow destiny to play its part.

Days flew like seconds, we grew as family and at one point of time we all had to part to make our own family. I still miss Bruno (my best friend and tutor) and those fun filled days. Bruno lived for almost 14 years and expired due to old age. It is really sad to see a pet leave. I got into the habit of blessing every animal to be born in the form of a human. Now, I am not scared of animals. I have a sympathetic corner for them.

25^th March was Bruno's first death anniversary; this blog is a tribute to him. Thanks for stopping by and reading. Dear friends, always remember the old adage, "Live and let live!"

P.S. If adopting a dog can bring so much happiness in life then imagine how much happiness one can experience adopting a human child. If the idea of adopting ever crosses your mind, then do it without a doubt. God Bless All!