September 06, 2006: Lucky Passes On.

'' I felt his breath on my cheeks, and then it stopped.''- Ninni

Lucky was laid to rest this morning. A lot of things were laid to rest this morning and amidst storms there is anticipation of peace. Deliverance has happened, acceptance too. Only memories remain. Last morning, getting ready for work, I had a bad feeling. Someone was calling me from a distance. I couldn’t see who- and I dint have to. I felt him under my skin. Afraid to face the inevitable, I made Amma call Nalini Chechi. She sounded tired and her voice was fading. Ninni was in a silent mess, interrupted occasionally by brief outbursts of repressed sobbing. He was going. I had to be there, with her, for him, for me and for all that we shared. Just like I was there when he came six years ago.
I remember the distant Sunday from not so long ago as Nalini chechi, Sashi mama, Arjun and I got out of the car with Ninni nestled in Sashimama’s arms. She had been suffering from a strange pain down her back that left her unable to walk. X-rays, tests and scans revealed no orthopaedic causes. We were all baffled. And then she said it. ‘I want someone to be with when I come home.’ Sashimama is a scientist/professor at the agricultural university. Nalini Chechi was always juggling being a lot of things- a mother, a stock broker, a wife, a counsellor, a florist, a daughter, a retailor… Arjun was a big boy and good friends were few. She was justified in feeling so. Ninni had always wanted a dog she would call ‘Lucky’. And as the five of us piled out of the elevator and waited for the breeder to answer the door, we knew we would find her Lucky on the other side. There were six of them, five yellow and one black. The black one, owing to his natural distinction, seemed to have an edge over the rest to be the potential ‘Lucky’, until His Royal Goofiness decided to make his presence felt. It was feeding time, the bowls were out and the pack of six clearly knew the drill.
It was an overwhelming sight- half a dozen heart warmers huddled around an equal number of porridge-filled bowls, their tails wagging in excitement, tiny pink tongues laying covetous claim on the neighbour’s victuals, big brown eyes darting for any unruly run away morsel. It didn’t take long for this curious, playful, very hungry, handsome, and evidently dippy ball of energy to roll right into our hearts. With his ears rhythmically flopping on either sides of his face, he trotted around the house sniffing everything he could lay his eyes on; sticking his nose into all available crevices and then making new ones. She stuck her outstretched arms out towards him and called out, ‘Lucky’. He cocked his ears to one side, looked up at her with the warmest eyes and bounded into her arms. A fairy tale begins.
(to be continued...)
Thursday September 7, 2006 - 10:02am