DeziGal

Six weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon, Vur dragged me unwillingly to play with puppies. He’s got a thing for dogs – which secretly, I kind of dig. It shows that he is affectionate, likes companionship, loves animals, and is ready for some degree of domestication. I chewed the side of my coffee cup, while he coddled the little fur-balls. Dubious of his proposition, I groaned – dogs are too much work. I have too many things to do, places to go, people to meet, and cannot get bogged down by dependency. Marriage was enough of a commitment, for now.

I watched him gently hold the little babies. A fearless man finally afraid of hurting another. After a few hours of watching him go nuts over the puppies, chasing them around, talking baby talk to them, my dormant maternal instincts suddenly came alive. My insides were mush, like warm apple pie. As he held one the size of his hand, carefully caressing her back, any remanents of ice on my heart melted. I was in love – with her biscuit brown coat and a pure white crown, her perfectly round brown eyes, and her cute little nugget nose. I wanted to take her home and be her mommy. “OK,” I said. Vur was smiling ear to ear. As we picked out the various contraptions needed for her first few weeks, my excitement was laced with some apprehension. After a 1000 questions and much anxiety, we got in the car with our little baby. As we drove away, Vur put his hand on mine, we looked at each other, and smiled. We’re in this together and we’ll be just fine, he said. And just like that, in a few hours, I became someone who, from this day on, is entirely responsible for another life.

That night, you couldn’t have peeled us away from her. We moved the furniture to set up her play area in the kitchen. Went through at least a 100 names as she stared, puzzled, at her new home. At bed time, we crated her. I am a sound sleeper – Vur is on the phone starting 6 am every day, and I never hear him. On this night, at 2am, I heard a soft yelp from the kitchen. I fell out of bed and ran. She had pooped on her blanket. Vur and I happily cleaned her and her home. We brought her to our bedroom and she slept on the floor next to me. She looked looked at us – and we at her. A word floated in my head - Meera! Vur loved it. So there we were, at 3am. Meera, Vur, and I - a little family. A new chapter. Meera will mark my 30s as I pass my 20s this year. I love you baby M!