Returning home from school, 12-year-old Amit spotted a puppy by the roadside. Hearing its faint moans, he stopped his bicycle and had a close look at it. The little creature raised its head and returned the look with another weak cry.
To Amit, the pup looked like telling him, “I am hungry. Please help”. That melted the lad’s heart. On inquiry, Amit was told that it had been crying like that for more than 24 hours. Its mother had perished under a heavy vehicle. The other litter had been taken away by bystanders. But this one being very weak and frail nobody picked it up. It was left to its fate — to live or die.
When the little creature moaned again looking into Amit’s eyes, he felt as if it was appealing to him for help and mercy. The boy lost no time and gently picked it up. The pup moaned again — this time in gratitude. It was put in the basket attached to the bicycle’s handle. The pup’s white coat of hair was the main reason of attraction for the boy. It looked like a curled up ball of white fur. The pup was quivering; maybe, due to the weather or by hunger-induced weakness. The boy’s excitement knew no bounds. He caressed the pup even as he pedalled his way home. The boy entered his home with a bang, hoping his parents would be equally excited. But just the opposite happened. The parents severely scolded Amit for bringing home a ‘dirty’ street puppy.
“I brought this lovely pup because it had nobody to take care of it” retorted the boy adding, “Did not you say that dog is man’s best friend. Can’t we be friends of this poor soul in distress?” The parents were speechless. Amit being the only and a pampered child, his Pop and Mum fell in line.
After a thorough cleansing and bath it was allotted a place in the spacious house. Amit christened it as Sheru because the plush growth of hair around its neck resembled those of a white tiger. He would often describe it as “mini tiger”. The pretty little puppy had become an inseparable member of the family.
With the passage of time, both Amit and Sheru grew up. The bonds between them and later with Amit’s parents became stronger. Whenever the boy sat down for studies, Sheru would lie near him. It would frequently slip into Amit’s blanket and spend the night together.
With Amit and his father, Mukesh, a federal government officer, spending long hours away from home, it fell on the house lady to take full care of the little dog. That helped nurture a closer relationship between the two. She gave Sheru the best possible food. She would regularly take it to the veterinarian for health check up. However, the dog had not earned Mukesh’s warmth. Things were moving smoothly, but one day, Mukesh was transferred to one of India’s missions abroad. He was given little time to pack up and move away with his family. It was a matter of joy due to the prestigious posting and of sadness because they could not have taken Sheru along. While the mother and son duo was in a quandary and glum, the family’s head, Mukesh, was not.
While packing up, both Amit and his mother sobbed. The very thought of leaving Sheru behind was becoming unbearable. Finally, they reconciled to the inevitable situation. A couple of neighbours offered to adopt Sheru as their own pet and give it love in the same measure. Sheru was handed over to one of them. But on the second day, it managed to gallop back to Amit’s home. Another attempt with the second neighbour also misfired. Sheru was back ‘home’.
As the day of their departure approached, the intensity of their sobbing also rose. People were willing to take the dog, but Sheru would not go. Unwilling to spend any more time on deciding the dog’s future, Mukesh, who was in a hurry to join the new position, curtly told his wife and son to just chain Sheru at the main gate of the house and forget. That was done amidst cries. Sheru was given last kisses as they boarded the vehicles to take them to the airport. Sheru howled and howled as it watched the family disappearing before its eyes.
Some of the neighbours, who had come to bid adieu to the Mukesh family, broke down on seeing Sheru’s plight. A few of them tried to win it over by offering more delectable food. But it refused to eat or drink. It would howl and howl and then fall silent. Sheru’s well-wishers in the area did not want the municipal dog squad to impound it and then kill it. They kept a regular watch on it, coaxing and cajoling it all the time to eat. But Sheru would not even look at all the food placed around it.
For three days, it lay silent, without food and water, eyes closed. Occasionally, it responded to the call of any child of Amit’s age. Not finding him around it would close its eyes again. The food meant for Sheru was eaten away by other street dogs.
Then one morning, neighbours found Sheru not responding to calls. It was in eternal sleep. Houseflies were dotting the body. Soon after birth, when its mother perished under a truck, it was hungry and thirsty. It survived and had a brief but decent life. Ironically, Sheru was hungry and thirsty amidst plenty of food when it died !
Lalit Raizada is a journalist based in India.
