A Small Story From Priyankita Sur
There always existed an unbroken thread of affection for dogs and other species, woven into every moment of my life as a child. However, I never foresaw that this fondness would evolve into a decade plus-long journey of friendship, nurturing and companionship with canines. The beginning of this chapter unfurled around October 2012, when we were starting a new venture – a Just Books library franchise in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Our premises was right on the main road and the parking spaces for business holders were available at the basement level. Unfortunately, with no vacant parking space empty at that point, I relegated myself to parking in the nearby by-lane. The landlord assured us that we would be allocated a parking space in the premises within a months’ time.
The interior work for our library started. My eldest Persia, a spirited cocker spaniel accompanied me most days. I had to park my car in the by-lane and walk to the main building with her. The challenge was – The streets harbored a small community of street dogs. Persia, the big bully would vocalize her disapproval at these four-legged neighbours, provoking them with her barks and yelps. My pretense to deter the dogs away by pelting small stones proved futile. They turned out to be too intelligent and figured out quickly that I had no intentions to hurt them. So, I replaced the stones with biscuits instead. Most of the dogs were friendly. A couple of them would come really close wagging their tails while some others would keep a distance. It was a simple gesture, but it created an unexpected bond between the 5 dogs, Persia and me.
Every time I parked my car, the dogs would come running. I kept Persia in my lap while giving them biscuits. Persia enjoyed this. She would continue being a bully and barking at these dogs feeling safe in her mother’s lap as the dogs ate the biscuits. The astonishing part was that these dogs understood we were friends now and decided not to reciprocate to Persia’s barking at them. I didn’t name any of them expect for a white buddle of energy – A male dog whom I called “Naughty”.
Time passed, and then came a day when we were allocated a parking spot within the main building. Sometimes convenience might not be our best option. Juggling between the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship consumed my days, and my visits to the by-lane grew scarce. A mother to a canine kid and to two 4-year-old human kids gave me an excuse to visit Naughty and his friends lesser and lesser. Once in a while, when I would go looking for my canine friends in the by-lane leaving Persia Aadya Arissa with my staff, I came back disappointed.
They, who initially waited for me eagerly, weren’t to be seen. The dogs had adapted to the residing flow of human’s in their lives. The once-familiar faces of my four-legged friends had faded into the backdrop of busy streets. Gradually, my visits stopped completely. However, these dogs left an indelible imprint upon my heart. Naughty and his gang taught me companionship, compassion, love, and the transformative power of simple gestures.
After, so many years, my heart still recognizes them as the catalysts for my journey of maternal love and compassion, spanning generations and species alike. For it were these unexpected moments with these 5 street dogs, amidst the chaos of urban life, that shaped me to be a mother to six daughters (4 dogs + 2 humans) and a soul mother to my 1 feline + 86 other canine ilk.