Non-human friends...

The latest dog is Somu. Lazy fellow, just curls up, comes running for food, starts dancing when we come home after a gap of a few hours, wags his tail two times if we say, 'Eno somu?'. (I guess, he got his name from the dog Sridevi adopts in the movie 'Sadma', who was also called Somu). Has become a nasty old fart off late, ganging up with other dogs and barking viciously at anything that moves.

Thunder! !!! The heroic fighter who killed 2 snakes before succumbing in the third fight. Lovely yet scary fellow.

 Then....a street mongrel at Manasa, who would promptly visit us at food hours. Would understand and respond when we spoke to him. He had tears the day we moved out.

 Then the pet which my Sister had, 'Hershey'. Saw him just once. He was so much a part of their family.

 Two decades ago... 'Dolly' and her little breed of pups. Her small pup 'pluppy', who made us bleed with immense grief. Still remember that lovely innocent eyes, oozing warmth and love.

 Then tommy....the owner's dog in our rented house. When we moved to our new house, this guy ran behind us for nearly 5 kms and stayed with us. Would do a to and fro from our place and the owner's place everyday.

 And the one in this pic....my oldest pet in my native village. Have a very hazy memory of running off with him to drive away a calf which was grazing near my granny's newly built house, only to be admonished and driven away by the calf's owner. The way I'm holding his back...he must've been a dear friend.

 If you think back and remember all the faces that enriched your life, made you smile, gave you joy, taught you things...just made your life richer by their mere presence, these faces stand out along with the human ones. Sometimes, more prominently than the humans.

A dream comminity...

Last night I was in a dream.

It's a small middle-class urban community living next to a sea-shore, and I'm a part of it. The kids are asleep as it is 2 past midnight but most grownups are awake, indulged in one activity or the other. There are several families around coming from diverse backgrounds but we all feel like one big joint family! The love, bonding and relationship between us is absolutely real and genuine--nothing to fake.

I see archana sitting with the ladies and drawing rangolis - maybe it's a festive day tomorrow - and placing radiant earthen lamps at strategic points on the design. It could be a mandala she's designing as a part of some sacred consecration. I enter a big hall and see my mom involved in some banter with several eldery ladies. There's much laughter and joy over there. A friend calls out, inviting me for a midnight stroll along the beach which is shining in the moon light...there are othere friends as well who're already waiting. I tell them to move on because a new family has arrived and I want to be introduced to them.

It's a small family -husband, wife, kid. We introduce ourselves, the rules regulations dos donts are explained but it's all fun nothing rigid or strict. A good part of the community is over there, everyone's a friend to everyone but there's something in the air that's almost palpable, something you can almost touch and feel.

 And that is... a beautiful sense of well-being, joy, love and affection. Deeply experienced feeling of oneness between all of us, something like as if we all are a part of one gaint organism. Zero negativity - a literal heaven on earth!

Who doesn't want to be a part of such  a community!!!