A Walk To Remember

It was drizzling in Bangalore.. The weather was slightly more humid for the last couple of days but I do enjoy catching glimpses of rain droplets dripping down through the branches and leaves of plants and shrubs in front of our home which almost has formed a thick wave, making the main gate invisible.. I was in a dilemma as whether to take my all furry friend, my dog “Buffy” out for his dose of late-night walk and jog or to make him play around at home..

I personally enjoy walking down the streets of our area which has plush green ailes on the roadsides and turns heavenly as it rains, I did decide to take him out.. As we did start our mixture of jog and a brisk walk, he seemed to be enjoying as he jumped with full velocity on to every puddle he came across.. As all other dogs had taken shelter to avoid being drenched in rain, he had nobody to bark at him and had his full excitement pinned on jumping from a puddle onto another or pushing himself into bushes on the street sides, walking out of them fully drenched with all the water droplets they had accumulated.. This was a fascinating experience to me for two reasons, the first being that I was wary as whether he would enjoy going out on a walk when it was drizzling as the common notion is that dogs hate getting drenched.. The second being that the fun he was having around was pretty much a child-like.. That's what we would do in our childhood when it rained.. When the porch of our home and the streets were filled with puddles, we couldn’t get enough of them as we played by making paper boats, while secretly admiring the other for having made better and bigger boats and only wished ours stayed and made it long..

I take Buffy out for almost a couple or 3 kms of mellow jog so that he doesn’t get lazy or put on weight and in the hindsight, it would even put him to good sleep thereby avoiding our neighbours complaining about how cranky he is.. When we were almost done with a km and half, the phone started buzzing and without pulling it out of my pocket I was sure it would be my wife who would be calling me out of worry as to what are we doing so late in the night on the streets when it's drizzling..

My furry friend seemed to be all bits enjoying and was in no mood to return home and so was I.. For a moment, as we sat down on a wet parapet near the park, looking at the forsaken streets, it seemed as if we were the only two in the world and we were always meant to bond this way.. There were no words spoken, but the moment was beautiful.. He didn’t bark or let out a squeal, he sat close to me as if he almost cuddled, and I put my arm around him.. Happiness as I always felt, was never in the most of the expensive things, rather it has always been around animals, birds and plants.. The joy that spurts out within when I see a new bud in the sapling, the joy I experience when my furry friend cuddles around and rests his head on my shoulder or lap, the joy I experience when a sparrow or a pigeon drops by to sip some water from the bowl we have left on terrace are something beyond the phonetics of any language..

As I relished the moment which was heavenly, I couldn’t help but to sneak onto my watch to only figure out that it was 10 mins to 11 pm and the call of reality, wife and mother waiting back at home for our return jarringly pulled me out of my thoughts.. As we started walking back to home, I couldn’t help but to thank my furry friend for the awesome moment which I would remember for the rest of my life when ever it drizzles..

Words don’t make for the happiness of the moment but the one around you does.. Even though slightly late, I have found my solace, not while resting in the cosiest of sofas, but while resting on the furry coat of Buffy, not while wrapping myself around a blanket when it rains, but while watering the plants when its sunny outside, not while watching a great movie with all comforts on TV, but trying to make my little bird, the parakeet understand that I'm his friend.. As I walked back the way home, I could feel my friend splashing the water by thundering his paws into puddles, still enjoying the night and the drizzle.. I did not have to ring the bell on reaching home as my wife was eagerly waiting at the doorstep slightly worried for the reason we were out in such a dark night when it was lightning and thundering.. I didn’t bother to explain her, but walked inside, smiling and thanking my furry friend for giving another moment which I would almost cherish every time it drizzles here on..