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.