Snowy

I


“Stand still on the pavement, let me pay the fare. Don’t go any where.” His mother said.

Rick was standing there but his eyes were roaming all around him. Suddenly it falls in him. A tiny puppy, black and white. He was also watching him, wagging his tail happily.

He went to him and looked at his mother. She was busy paying the driver. He patted the puppy and fished out a biscuit from his bag. He instantly ate it up and started to lick his boots. Rick looked for another biscuit but there were none.

By then his mother has finished, “Don’t play with street dogs baba, they have germs.” She said. “They sleep on the dirty roads or other places; there is no one to clean them up so they become infested with all type of germs.”

“Don’t forget to wash your hand properly after reaching home.” Tanisha was not very fussy but careful.

“Okay ma.” Rick said, he turned his head, the puppy was following him. He looked back once more after reaching the gate of the Housing. The small puppy looked sadly at him when he realized that he can’t follow him and sat down outside the gate.

“Ma, he is hungry.” Rick looked at his mother pleadingly.

“Okay, take some rice and milk outside the housing complex and feed him.” She said.

It became a daily routine thereafter. The tiny puppy following him to and fro auto rickshaw stop. Waiting patiently for little food outside the gate.


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II

“Tanu, I have been transferred to our Murshidabad office.” Ritwik said. “We will have to shift there within next July.”

“Don’t worry about packing I will contact packers. All you will have to do is supervise.”

“We will get a small bungalow of our own, with a small garden outside it. It will be a great relief after spending so much time in these stuffed match boxes.”

Rik was listening intently to the discussion his parents were having. “Ma, will I have to leave Snowy here?”

“Sorry baba but yes. We can’t take him there with us.” She said.

He went away after eating his dinner. A few minutes later Tanisha saw that he was silently standing in the balcony. She softly went there and saw Snowy standing near the Housing Gate. Wagging his tale at him.

She retreated to the kitchen, heavy hearted. She went to the balcony again, Rick was still standing there. “Go to bed babu. You will have to go to school tomorrow.”

Rick silently obeyed her. She tucked him in and went to watch the news with Ritwik.

When she came to check him before sleeping she saw that his cheeks were stained with tear.

“Can we buy a puppy for Rick?” she asked.

“Why? All of a sudden?” Ritwik did not know about snowy.

She told him Snowy’s story.

“Let’s take him with us. We will get him examined by vet.” Ritwik said. “We will be traveling in the truck along with the goods so we can always take Snowy with us. Cant we?”


She hugged him tightly and smiled.