My Stray Hero’s (A True Story) Part-I

One Day as I was traveling with my sons in a car for an official trip to New Delhi from Chandigarh (INDIA).We all were sharing the official talks and how to represent our plans in a seminar at New Delhi, all of sudden our driver stopped with the sudden break and when we saw in front of us was a Bus which all of sudden applied the brakes to save a stray dog but unfortunately, the dog was crushed under the wheels of the bus and the body of that dog lay scattered on the road. The traffic stopped for a few minutes they all thanked God for saving their life but everyone ignored that unfortunate Dog.

I was greatly moved by this act but could not do anything today also as I could not do on the day when my Hero Zinky met the same fate and I was only a spectator at that moment also. Our Car also started moving and I was still looking the tattered body of that stray dog when I Went Flashback into the past and suddenly the tears rolled down my eyes. Seeing this my elder son asked me “Papa what is the matter, so many dogs are crushed in the same way in traffic but your weeping makes us more anxious to know why you are weeping?”

My sons had never seen me weeping and they always thought that I was a very tough guy, but they were not aware that I was like a coconut tough from outside but very watery and soft from inside. So their seeing me weeping was really a great thing of surprise as no one weeps for the stray dogs crushed in such a manner. My Tears were not stopping when both of my sons insisted me to tell the reason behind this accident and they politely asked, “Papa we know that you a great and tough guy who can even laugh off the biggest troubles of the life but you’re weeping in such a small accident there may have been a great background behind it will you please let us know that. “Wiping my tears I told my sons you are very right by this accident my hidden memories have oozed out.

Son’s when I was very young and was studying in the IIIrd standard at St. Joseph's Convent School, in Kanpur (UP) at that time I was with my Father who was serving in the Indian Air Force and was posted at that place. I use to go to school on foot as it was nearly a kilometer away from our residence. One day as I was coming back from school I heard a very small puppy crying in the bushes which lay on my route. I went near the bushes and saw a very small and feeble puppy crying for her mother. I saw here and there but his mother was nowhere to be seen. I gently picked up the puppy and thought that I will put the puppy in a safer place as it was coming towards the roadside. As I went a little inside the bushes I Was Stunned to see The Three puppies already lay dead on one of the hedges platforms. This moved me a lot and I could guess it that their mother may have died and could not feed them. Without wasting the time I picked the feeble puppy and carried this pure white color stray puppy to my home.

Seeing this small puppy my hand my mother immediately started scolding me, “You have stolen a puppy from her mother and what his mother will do when she will find that her puppy is missing she will curse you Go and drop back the puppy at the same place.” I politely replied to my mother that his mother is dead and her all other puppies have died and told my mother the entire story. My mother was moved by this and she told oh! My child you have done a great deed, she hugged me kissed me and told that we will keep this puppy with us. She immediately fed him with the milk in a small crucible and puppy being hungry emptied the crucible and sat comfortably on the cloth and after a while feeling comfortable, he was so tired and went to sleep within no time. I was very happy with this new friend. The next test to pass was the “Yes” from my tough Father.

As my father came from his duty I Was really worried that will my father approve this. After having his lunch, he called me and told me that he was very happy with my deed and he patted me. This was the signal of his approval which no other than my mother may have taken from my father. I felt all above the clouds and immediately went towards the cloth on which my puppy was sleeping. As I went there I found that the puppy was not there I ran here and there to see where the puppy is. At last, I found the puppy just outside our back courtyard walking as if making the inspection of my house and searching for his mother. I picked up the puppy and took him to my father and showed him. On seeing the puppy my father told me that the puppy was very small and he will need the attention of his mother for survival and if you see her mother searching for his puppies you must give back the puppy to his mother. I had no other option to say yes to my father. In the evening I immediately went to the same bushes to see if the mother of the puppy was searching for her puppies or not. This was all in vain as no dog was seen there. I returned and told my father that there was no dog seen at the place where the puppy was brought by me. My father told me ok but still, keep in touch with your friends and that place to know where about the mother of the puppy.

Now my duty while going to school and coming from school was to know the whereabouts of the mother of my puppy. The puppy being small used to weep and cry for the mother and I used to pick him up and roam with him in the back courtyard and would feed him little milk and thankfully he used to sleep in my lap and I would carry him to my bedroom and sleep with him and he was comfortable. Two days past but no trace of puppy’s mother this condition of my father somehow did not appeal to me at that time but today I realize how empty life is without the Mother. My Caring mother is no more and now the things that father told me at that time are better understood by me. I left my evening cricket playing and was always near to those bushes. It was on the fourth day that one of my schoolmates saw me sitting and he came to me with his friends and asked what for you are sitting here near the bushes. I told the entire story, hearing this one of the friends who happened to stay near that bush locality told that a few days back a dog had come under the wheels of the truck and died and it lay on the other side of the road in pieces and nobody bothered but after few days the municipal people came and picked up the left remains of the dog but we were surprised to see that they had also picked up some dead puppies which were stinking and died. So they told us that the dog died under the truck was the mother of those puppies. To be true I was initially pained but from my core of the heart, I was really happy that now I can confirm this news to my father and permanently keep the puppy.

I, immediately rushed to my house and out of joy I told my father that the mother of the puppy is dead and narrated him the entire story. My Father told to my mother that how innocent he is that today he is happy over the death of the puppy’s mother, One day when he will realize the importance of the Mother he will feel it. My mother told, “leave all such things aside, you should be proud of my son that in such a tender age he has such a golden heart and brought the surviving puppy to our house which otherwise may also have starved to death along with his other brothers & sisters.” The next day was Sunday and I took the puppy and gave him a bath which was really exciting for me as and when I poured water on my puppy he first uses to cry then shake his entire body wetting me. To my surprise, it has now turned into a clear white smart puppy. I took my puppy to my parents who now had accepted him to be kept with us were very happy. They told me to now keep his bed, utensils, soap, towel, pillow, bedsheet, etc. and he will sleep in your room. I was overjoyed at this and was very thankful to my parents especially to my mother to whom I am dedicating this true story. My Father asked me since he has become your friend and our family member so now he should have the name also.

In no span of time, I replied we will call him “ZINKY”. This name was readily accepted by my parents.

NEXT PART WILL FOLLOW: