There is this pup among all others who very confidently walks into the house whenever she is bored. She insists on being entertained. We let her in and she runs around haywire inspecting everything that falls on her way. She refuses to respond to any beckons and calls unless a tasty morsel is being offered to her. She looks too busy all the while deciding which object to attack first. Sometimes it is the computer wire, sometimes the broomstick and more often my pair of stilettos. Recently though, she has taken a keen fascination towards the kitchen. She disapproves that it is set off-limits.

Last evening the lil’ one walked in with her brother who was equally ecstatic but didn’t share her enthusiasm for too long. Her brother got impatient in sometime and went back to the street where they play, but she stayed back. Since she was just in time for tea, she shared some muffins and vanilla wafers with us. The only thing missing was a tiny tea-cup and saucer for her. She stuffed in as much as her tiny frame would permit and then promptly settled down for a nap with the last half of the wafer.

On waking up she demanded she be let out. By this time the ‘Mummy’ was frantically wagging her tail in front of our gate and waiting for her little pup’s return. Without us noticing the little lady had actually slipped out with her last bit of wafer in mouth which she gifted ‘Mummy’ on reunion. She wagged her tiny tail at me, as if to thank me for the tea and slipped out through the wiring on the gate.

I keep feeding and playing with all the stray dogs who stay around my house. Invariably, when a new mummy-dog is giving birth she comes knocking for help and the whole lane helps out. Every new season greets us with tiny little pups. Some grow up and move away and the others disappear after a few days. So long my interaction with them was strictly to feed them and watch them play outside the gate. This little episode touched my heart.