STILL ALIVE IN MY HEART :)

I met Blacky when he was 3-years-old. After all my nagging, my father took me along to bring him home. Being small and knowing nothing about strong connections, I grew very attached to this innocent little monster.
We had built a small canal, just the way they show in cartoons.
Painted in red and white, the small place was where Blacky stayed at night.
It still remains untouched.

Of course, Blacky had to leave.
Cause I pampered him soo much. To the extent that he wouldn’t eat his meal until I fed him.
He used to bark to at me to say goodbye before I used to leave school and was ever excited to see me come back to him. 

I used to play with him everyday after coming back from school.
I even flunked my school once or twice just to play with him. before going to exams, I used to hug him and say , 'Champ, wish me luck' and would always come back saying, 'Can't thank you enough.' I am one of those kids who used to get up early and go for walk with my dad , but only a few know that I didn't really wake up everyday just for being a sleepy kid walking in the village every morning, but I woke up because I could take Blacky along with me.
I loved walking him around.
He always tried to chase down street animals pulling me with his leash.

He would never harm anyone.
He was just how angels would be.
My childish brain already grew fond of him so much that I used to cry if something happened to him.
One evening, he started shivering. Soon, he fell on the ground. Daddy immediately called the veterinarian and he told us that it was a major heart attack.
Being from a doctor family, I had the idea that heart attack is a big deal.
Never thought such things would happen to pets as well.

The whole night I sat beside him.
He would keep his paws on my lap trying to cheer me up. Then With tears in my eyes‌ and with my shivering hands, I held him tightly.
My Blacky was going to leave me soon.
Sometime after midnight I fed him his favorite biscuits and then the Doctor decided to shift him to the city hospital as his condition grew critical. They didn't allow me to come along.
And with impatient mind I waited for some miracle to happen. At 6 in the morning my father came back home, hugged me and told me, your champ will always be alive in ours hearts.
I couldn't even say my final goodbye.

It took me years to come to peace with his absence. He was my happy place.
My lucky charm for sure.
Now, everytime I miss him, I go to his room and imagine him beside me.
We learnt what affection feels like.
It is his memory that I cherish the most when I feed street dogs now.
I Visit pet cafes to re-energise myself, because I know, wherever my champ is, he is rooting for me, waiting for me, praying for me.
Stupid old dog waiting for me to feed him.

Uma