Winters were yet to set in when one day, not long ago, as I was entering our block after walking our little angels, I spotted the silloutte of a small animal, probably a pup. It was well past 2100h and in the poorly lit corridor on the ground floor, I had seen that small little thing who had halted, probably having seen us. I came up but something inside me told me that the guy was hungry or week. There was some food lying in the kitchen and I took out some of it and went out. That little thing, instead of getting scared of two pets, had actually climbed up and had now been standing in our corridor on the first floor. And what a poor little thing it was...... just about less than a month old (or so he appeared in that state), he was thin to his ribs and looked starved. But he had a shine in his little eyes and he looked pretty cute with two raised ears. I fell for him at that very sight and our relationship started that very moment.
Next day, he was already waiting outside our door as we started to feed our pets. And soon enough, our neighbours who stay opposite us, across the corridor, pitched in too. So, he started having two and even more than two meals a day between two houses. Before we realised, he had become guard of our flank as he started to hang around. Soon enough, he started following Czia and lady from other house everytime they went for a walk. Czia, inspired by his jet black coat, christened him as 'Pyaaru Kaalu'. He would always be there to see eachone of us off in the mornings and receive us back in the parking lot as we trudged in at the end of each day. So, there we were..... he had a name, we had another member in our family and it all looked pretty good. As days flew pat, he grew into a handsome, healthy youngster with a shiny coat and a very playful spirit. We also realised that he had a great fan following among children of the society and though there were few disgruntled souls (like everywhere else), he had many friends, both human and their pets.
IN between, he missed his turn for evening meal only on two ocasions - once during Diwali when every year insensitive human beings make such creatures take flight out of fear (but he had returned two days later) and then last month when he just took a day off. I was, thus anxious a bit when he missed his meal the day before. And when he did not turn up yesterday nor was he seen all this while, I started to get a sinking feeling. I kept on checking out on him, the place where he would sleep downstairs or the area where he would always be jumping around. We were really worried by morning today when Deepika left for her office. Not content with my own search, I tasked two men to look for him in the colony and beyond.
It was 0945h and as I was getting ready to go to EBS for my exam, I heard what I had been praying not to be told by anyone. One of us, some insensitive, careless man behind the wheels had hit him the night before. Kaalu had been found dead by conservancy staff in another part of the colony yesterday itself and his body had already been disposed off. For a moment, I did not know what to do or say! It were Deepika's words that gave me some courage as she said that he would be better off being an angel, away from this thankless world.
The second angel over such a short time (Googlie had turned one in September last year) and I am now inclined to pray that may be we do not want any more angels! But that is selfish me. Life moves on and we will get busy with own chores but as of now, I am missing him terribly.........!! This post stands dedicated to you, my dear friend ......... may you Rest In Peace!
(Go safe........... this world is no longer a safe place to live in)
May his soul rest in peace...
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