Some memories last forever….. people in those memories stay with us forever….
He was my first friend, companion, partner in crime. He was also the first one I felt threatened and jealous off as I had monopoly of being the youngest in family. He was also the first one to make me realize that nothing lasts forever. He was my best dog.
He was few months old when I first saw him, playing beside my father’s bed. I was back from school tired and miserable(yeah there was a time I use to be miserable in school..what a fool I was) and I saw him looking at me with his small black eyes..with amusement or may be fear. My sister screamed with excitement the moment she saw him….went ahead and picked him up in her arms…and he…looked at her with same confused eyes….. papa was grinning…..ma frowning….and me confused as him.
We decided to call him Tipu, after our favorite character on television Tipu Sultan. My sister has a history of christening people with ‘different’ names. She named me worry, one of our dogs was called Squeezy….. because when we first saw her she was all squeezed inside my uncles jacket(everything has to be logical with her) our last dog was called Cesar…dunno why but may be because he was full of energy and everything he saw was as if he was to ‘conquer’ it.
So this one was welcomed in our family by everyone except ma…reason she hated dogs….leave dog she couldn’t imagine any insect in her house littering around so she did best in her power to get rid of ‘that’ dog. Ma tried to bribe us (sis and me ) told that she going to get a doll house (wohaa!!) for us only if we tell our father that we don’t want that dog…me being a seven year old was like who cares about the dog…errrrr….i did actually….. so little greedy me was confused.
We sisters consulted amongst us. My brilliant sister found brilliant way to get out of this ‘dharam sankat’ which would shame bade se bada neta in this world. She told me “let’s go to papa.. and tell him …he’ll get both dollhouse and we get to keep the dog”....my eyes were full with admiration for my elder sister…how talented she was.
Eventually we didn’t do much as tipu gradually won heart of my mother by his antics… you see he was a very smart dog for he knew…keep the lady of house happy…and all your worries are taken care of…
He gave utmost attention to what my mother said….followed her like a pup everywhere(literally). Did exactly what she wanted in fact after some days my mother started giving his example when we disobeyed her she was like “Ek tipu hi hai jo meri sunta hai learn from him” . He was extremely protective/possessive about her. When my mother use to come back from work she had to cradle and coo him for 20 mins pampering him like a kid.
He use to only eat food prepared by my mother’s hands and discard everything else. Ma in turn made all exceptions for him, my family is(use to be) a pure vegetarian even eggs were not allowed in kitchen at that time but for him this rule was relaxed. In few days he became an indispensible part of my family hence started our journey together which I have cherished to this date
