A tribute to Cosmo

On a wintry morning, I woke up to a bright sunny day. The feeling of rising from under the covers on a Sunday morning is always inexplicable. The pack waiting for a gully cricket match added the cherry on top. With undone hair and half swollen eyes, I marched to the balcony to see the young sportsmen unruffling their feathers.

The moment I stepped out of my home, I found a friend of mine walking a pup, and to my surprise, it was an adorable white Pomeranian. A friend of his had given him the playful pup, which was running from end to end with utmost enthusiasm and energy. Soon, the pup started chasing after each one of us, leaving us gasping for air. Smitten by the child-like demeanour of the canine, we all forgot our game.

After a brief session of half an hour, everyone retired to his/her places. It was only in the afternoon that I learned the pup was roaming alone in the streets. At once, I escorted it to its rightful owner. But to my dismay, he refused to let the dog in. He lamented that his parents had decided not to keep any pet as it would become difficult to cater to the needs of yet another family member.

Meanwhile, ignorant of its cruel abandonment, the pup continued to lick my hands. I did not have the heart or the courage to throw it into a volley of problems. Thus, without seeking permission from my parents, I took it to my place and humbly requested my parents to shelter the pup till it grows up to fight its own battle. Somehow, my parents nodded in affirmation and we named him Cosmo!

Dashing and bounding about the house in his endearing manner, Cosmo soon became an integral part of our family. He would wake up early and greet everyone with a cheerful smile illuminating the home and the heart. Accompanying me to my bus stop was a part of his daily routine.

I still have vivid memories of how he would become hyperactive and start running in circles upon hearing the sound of my father's scooter. He would not stop until my father unmounted from the scooter and caressed him. Every day, my father would bring bread for Cosmo and he would relish the bread soaked in milk.

I often wonder how moralistic these canines are in a world that is bereft of ethics. I had seen many times Cosmo touching my parents' feet; whether it was out of love or gratitude remains a mystery though.

Years rolled by and we made many cherishable memories with Cosmo. But what begins must come to an end and so too was Cosmo's journey with us. He breathed his last on March 10, 2008, leaving behind a void that could never be filled. A chance encounter had become a lifetime memory.