Just like that-

As you all know by now, in those days, I was not comfortable around animals. Sparky didn’t look like one so I wasn’t too scared to be near her. My kids had wanted to gauge my bravery by putting me through a test when Sparky had been about two months old. Shloka put tiny Sparky in my hands while we were walking on the road in front of our house one day. I could feel her heart beating and her warm body wriggling to get out of my strange stiff hands; it was like she knew I wasn’t very comfortable holding her. Sparky moved around so much that I couldn’t hold on to her and she slipped and fell on the road with a yelp, I don’t know who screamed louder, me or her?

Shloka picked Sparky up and gave me an accusing look, I was so scared that I had caused irreparable damage to Sparky that I kept on asking her, “Is she okay? Is she hurt?” my husband and son also rushed out on hearing my cries, after ensuring that Sparky had survived her first fall, they trained their eyes on me. I just kept wringing my hands and crying, ‘I can’t look after her, give her back to Sukhi. I couldn’t even hold her safely in my hands; I am a bad person…” I continued crying even after they assured me that Sparky had not been hurt at all. Sparky too joined in the fun and shared her excitement with all by trying to bark.

I said sorry to her and patted her on her tiny head and she forgave me in an instance, just like that, but it took me a while to forgive myself. I am so glad my family didn’t take me seriously and send Sparky back to Sukhi’s house. I would have missed out on her loving presence in my life and my kids would have not known the unparalleled joy she brought into their lives. My husband dotes on Sparky and he would have lost this precious connection with her. When asked who would he save first from a burning house, his instant reply had been, ‘Sparky.’

By Sulekha Rawat

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