My Furry Friend

When I was young, I used to visit my grandparent's house in Gorakhpur every summer vacation. On a walking distance from their house was a park and everyday, I would walk in that abandoned park and play on the swings. On one such visit to the park, I found the park had someone other than me. She was tinier than me. She looked like she was starving and she was lying on the ground. She was a 3 or 4 month old stray puppy. I picked her up and brought her to the lawn outside our home and gave her water and two slices of bread dipped in milk. She enjoyed her meal. Once the bread was finished, I thought she wanted to eat more so I went to get some more food and when I came back, she disappeared.

Next morning, when I was going to the park, outside the doorstep, stood a familiar face, a brown coat, and a wagging tail. I decided to call her "Brownie." Since that day, Brownie came daily and had a meal at our place. Sometimes I fed her a chapati, other times boiled eggs and before we knew it, Brownie was now a healthy dog. She was not a malnutritioned puppy who laid helplessly on the ground, she was now a puppy who walked, ran, barked and played just like a normal healthy puppy would.

When I went back to my hometown in Allahabad, I told my grandparents to leave some food outside for Brownie and I always asked about her every time I talked to them on the phone. I couldn't maintain that though. Years passed, I couldn't visit Gorakhpur as frequently as I did and I couldn't check on Brownie.

Almost four years had passed since I met Brownie. This summer vacation, a visit to my Grandparents in Gorakhpur was planned. The first thing I did after getting home was to go to the park only to find it empty. I walked the streets calling out "Brownie! Brownie!" In hopes that I could see a familiar face and a wagging tail respond to my calls as she did before. All I received was silence and strange looks from people walking by. In despair, I walked home. When I asked my grandparents if they knew anything about Brownie, my grandmother mentioned that she used to come regularly for some time but she suddenly stopped. What could've happened to her? Did someone adopt her? That must be nice, I thought. Has she started living in a different locality? All I could think of was Brownie. What if a car failed to see a puppy on the road and drove over? No, no, no I hope that didn't happen. I was frantic. What if she found someone else who fed her? I hope she did, I thought.

My family convinced me to get over Brownie. She's doing well wherever she is. I wasn't taking that for an answer. I went out once again, to look for Brownie. I found the answer I was looking for. It wasn't something I had expected. I found the answer near our home, a familiar face, a brown coat, a wagging tail. Brownie was an adult. She wasn't alone. Surrounding her were five little faces, with coats brown and black, wagging tails and the cutest puppy eyes. I led the litter and the mother home and they had a feast. They ate to their heart's content. Brownie and her litter visited us occasionally. Brownie was doing well. She never got into trouble and she survived. I remember her being a petite puppy who grew up to be a rambunctious dog and now a mother of five who is doing well without human help. The puppies are healthy and together as a family, they spread joy.