14 years back, on this day a few minutes before a quarter past 6, Bruno, our beloved Dobermann passed away as I carried him up the stairs to our fifth floor flat, 9/97 at Arjan Vihar, Delhi Cantt. Sometime during our upward trudge up the stairs, he tilted his head upward to look at me and then, all of a sudden, I felt a tug as his soul left the body and his head dangled lifeless.
He was quite weak and had a restless night; I'd carried him for his customary morning walk, removed his chain and told him that he could run around wherever he wanted and pranced around to initiate him into action. Instead he sat motionless, gave me a long gaze fully knowing that his end was near and was perhaps, pitying me for my ignorance of the impending catastrophe!
Lekha's and my world came crashing that morning, never to recover from the shock even to this day. There's a photograph of his in our bedroom and today in front of it, I spent a minute thinking about the good times that we had together. I can never forget:-
* His delightful capers and whenever we used to wrestle with each other, never once did he like
me having an upper hand!
* The happiness that he showed always on my return, by the vigorous shaking of his hind, a warm
lick and at times, standing on his hind legs with his paws on my chest and literally breathing
down my neck rather excitedly.
* The way he used to pull me from one edge of the road to the other while on walks.
* The extremely careful manner in which he used to behave when Lekha used to take him out for
the walks! If going by the stairs, he used to traverse a step or two, look back every now and
then to confirm that she had negotiated them.
* During our mock fights, he used to join sides with her and made it clear as to where his ultimate
loyalty lay and no, I'd no cribs on that!
* Any stranger who was in trousers and dressed neatly, passed his muster. The dhoti/lungi clad
variety, invariably, incurred his wrath as he howled at them.
* Initially, he wasn't inclined favourably towards our maid, Babli but was fond of her husband,
Bunty, who used to take him out for his walks during my absence! However, during his last days,
he took an affinity for her....
* When we used to pack our bags to proceed home on long leave during the winters, he used to
watch and brood over it.
* It was a thrill to watch his excitement when his bag - an apothecary's companion - was being
filled with his stuff.
* His proprietorial attitude while travelling in the I A/C coupe of the Rajdhani Express. He just
hated travelling by the dog box in the guard's cabin which we'd to resort to once! The attendants,
too, had got used to him and gifted him an extra piece of meat during meals.
* During the last week, I still remember the way he used to look at me through the rear view
mirror during the up and down journey to the vet at the Presidential Estate. Was he sad at the
prospect of leaving us, I wonder? He used sit at the center of the rear seat so that he could see
me.
* The helpless look that he gave us on urinating on the carpet during his last night and the quick,
deep and noisy breathing all through that wretched night.
At the end of it all, I'd like to believe that he was happy with us and sad to leave us.
RIP Bruno. Miss you every minute, my dear. Our prayers and tears.
Tailpiece.
Our maid, Babli, gave birth to a healthy baby girl the very next day and I'd like to believe that it's Bruno, in his present avatar. The li'l one's name is Renu and she's now in class IX!
He was quite weak and had a restless night; I'd carried him for his customary morning walk, removed his chain and told him that he could run around wherever he wanted and pranced around to initiate him into action. Instead he sat motionless, gave me a long gaze fully knowing that his end was near and was perhaps, pitying me for my ignorance of the impending catastrophe!
Lekha's and my world came crashing that morning, never to recover from the shock even to this day. There's a photograph of his in our bedroom and today in front of it, I spent a minute thinking about the good times that we had together. I can never forget:-
* His delightful capers and whenever we used to wrestle with each other, never once did he like
me having an upper hand!
* The happiness that he showed always on my return, by the vigorous shaking of his hind, a warm
lick and at times, standing on his hind legs with his paws on my chest and literally breathing
down my neck rather excitedly.
* The way he used to pull me from one edge of the road to the other while on walks.
* The extremely careful manner in which he used to behave when Lekha used to take him out for
the walks! If going by the stairs, he used to traverse a step or two, look back every now and
then to confirm that she had negotiated them.
* During our mock fights, he used to join sides with her and made it clear as to where his ultimate
loyalty lay and no, I'd no cribs on that!
* Any stranger who was in trousers and dressed neatly, passed his muster. The dhoti/lungi clad
variety, invariably, incurred his wrath as he howled at them.
* Initially, he wasn't inclined favourably towards our maid, Babli but was fond of her husband,
Bunty, who used to take him out for his walks during my absence! However, during his last days,
he took an affinity for her....
* When we used to pack our bags to proceed home on long leave during the winters, he used to
watch and brood over it.
* It was a thrill to watch his excitement when his bag - an apothecary's companion - was being
filled with his stuff.
* His proprietorial attitude while travelling in the I A/C coupe of the Rajdhani Express. He just
hated travelling by the dog box in the guard's cabin which we'd to resort to once! The attendants,
too, had got used to him and gifted him an extra piece of meat during meals.
* During the last week, I still remember the way he used to look at me through the rear view
mirror during the up and down journey to the vet at the Presidential Estate. Was he sad at the
prospect of leaving us, I wonder? He used sit at the center of the rear seat so that he could see
me.
* The helpless look that he gave us on urinating on the carpet during his last night and the quick,
deep and noisy breathing all through that wretched night.
At the end of it all, I'd like to believe that he was happy with us and sad to leave us.
RIP Bruno. Miss you every minute, my dear. Our prayers and tears.
Tailpiece.
Our maid, Babli, gave birth to a healthy baby girl the very next day and I'd like to believe that it's Bruno, in his present avatar. The li'l one's name is Renu and she's now in class IX!
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