An angel called Bufi

 With 'Bufi' circa 1992

As I now contemplate getting a canine member for the family, I vaguely recall the day, long time ago, when I was introduced to one.
       It was a cold winter starting up in Gangtok, Sikkim way back in 1988. The clouds had started to gather near the helipad area of the Army cantonment where we used to live. Although it never snowed there, the winter breeze was icy and it was best to be indoors. As I rushed into our home one day, I saw an unfamiliar figure in the house below the bed. Buff...it went, and after a pause there was this muffled Buff again. It  was a feeble noise which suggested that it was a weak malnourished dog. She surely appeared weak but felt quite at home trying to Buff me away..

         We already had a Pomeranian ( a very eccentric one at that) and we didn't need another dog, was my first opinion. The 'Lhasa Apso' which later was named Bufi (obviously) turned out to be the most loving thing I had ever met. She was rare and special as she was brought from high altitude and as far as I can remember, during her entire lifespan, there was no instance of anybody in our house or any visitor feeling any hostility from her. In other words, she was an angel.

         It is said that time flies @ 10x for the canine kind and I recall the time when she was big enough and due for a puppy. Unfortunately, the pup died at the time of birth and she desperately tried to wake it up by continuously licking it for many hours whining with tears running from her eyes. Although at that time I realised the loss she may have felt, I didn't fully understand and comprehend the feeling until , years later, I became a father myself. It must have been torrid time for her but she was back to her usual playful self in a few days time which surprised all of us at home. This probably was her way of dealing with it.

       In a house full of boys (that's me, my brother, an army cook and my Dad's orderly) she was always treated as a female member of the house. She was a sharp contrast to our male dog - A Pomeranian named Tipsy- who probably was the cleanest dog you'd ever meet. So much so that he skillfully used to avoid the puddles of water when he walked. In contrast, Bufi would go where no dog dog ever dared to tread. She would roll around in puddles, dirt, dust and wet mud thoroughly enjoying the experience. Tipsy, the male dog, initially would have a jealous demeanour if more attention was anytime given to Bufi. In time, he realised that competition was stronger and appeared to ignore us  but in reality would continue to observe with the corner of his eyes. Bufi also had a special weapon- A call to Bufi in the house would just end up Bufi just sitting in your lap in about 10 secs flat. This could never be replicated by Tipsy who was 'conservative' by nature and avoided getting comfy on laps.

      As she aged, Bufi had an attack of a disease called 'distemper' for some time which resulted in paralysis of the lower body. We observed incredible resolve in Bufi during that period of time till medication brought about minimum movement. The firm resolve for conquering locomotion that was witnessed by us made her a hero in our family. She was a fighter and she was back on her feet in a short span of time which even amazed the vet.
     As I went away to college, I rarely met her and I remember her to be at her playful best whenever we met even after all the years. It was as though she never grew old. Even though now she's long gone, the memory of the energetic, loving, playful Bufi remains etched in my mind.
      In search of a dog now, I realised that I may have impulsively tried to search for my old pal. Maybe that's the reason why it has been more than a year now and am still looking. Even though a part of me wants her back running around the house with her feeble 'Buff' sounds, I hope that she's somewhere in a better place living a life what she truly deserves- A life of an angel.        

The Election Tamasha - Why I Detest it

Honestly, I tried. I tried hard to keep abreast with the party names, their candidates and what their past was and where they are currently connected. However, even after all these years, I just can't stand the sight of these guys on media in general and TV in particular. So much mudslinging, accusations with religion, caste and region based politics makes me feel nauseous to say the least. 

           Having said that, I understand that politics needs extreme strategizing. One such interesting instance I came across was to hear Gul Panag - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAqM4umVwnY. I also get to hear stories from my mom who is politically active in my native state (that's for my disclosure part). However, the elections, as usual, appear tumultuous here in Mumbai, to say the least. And with only 15 days to go, I am yet to make up my mind for deciding the party which deserves my vote (they say - its precious).

            There has been lot of social media at play now with many pushing you to vote and using the NOTA option if no candidate is considered appropriate. A interesting banner indicated- One should vote - otherwise someone else will vote for you.  To have a well informed decision for people in Mumbai there are websites available on what an elected member has promised and what has been executed by them in the last five years. One such website   http://mumbaivotes.com/  has the tag line- Don't vote. Select. It tracks and compare profiles of candidates from Mumbai and also gives complete details of work done as against the promises made.

              Hope similar sites are launched pan India which would give people like me take an informed decision without referring to the TV. The battlegrounds are set and it would be interesting to see who wins. Through my blog would like to send across a message to the candidates- Will vote for 'Honesty'. Any takers ?

Lest I forget

Holy Child School, Guwahati, Assam (circa 1980)

This is not about the war heroes or martyrs but is as important in each and everyone's lives. This is about people who have been around for most for the time in life which were passed  on to be your classmate, roommate, colleague, friend, acquaintance tailor, barber, doctor, waiter....just about everyone else other than  family. 

Everyone and every forward on whasapp/facebook tells me that family comes first and the rest is gravy. In good time, I realised that the gravy's just as important. As someone said 'there are no ordinary moments', there surely are no ordinary people. It because of those people in your lives which has contributed to make you what you are. How you react and don't react to many things and altered behaviour, inherent or acquired, comes partly out of that. 
Ok. So whats the point? You see, in school, the classmate that you're next to in the B&W school photograph was probably the most important reason that you would be in that particular place/section. You would do anything to be with the same person in the same class for the next year. A similarity can be drawn to the tailor you go to, the resturant you go to, the barber, the doctor. So, the sum total of all the said interactions have evolved you into what you are today. That's non reversible. And that, my friend, is the prime reason that you can't make NEW lifelong friends.
Heres a list of a few people that come to my mind. [You can add yours in the comments]. Mr. Surendra for slogging till 3 AM during grade ten school exams. Mr. Rajesh Sharma for teaching me to play hockey in school. Ms. Charu for attempting to get the photo and Mr Tomar, history teacher for letting me go. The lady in the parrot green dress during admissions in eleventh grade at school. Mr Sudipto Modak for all the help.The warden in Hostel no 3. Mr. Vijay Thakur, roommate in college. Mr Singh, the doctor at PGI, Chandigarh one night during college. Mr. Jignesh Jethwa for introducing me to computer games and Shri Nilesh Fuke to the internet. Shri Kishan (my dads army driver) for teaching me to drive. Beautiful women who made my heart flutter (and hence stronger). The person at Dadar railway station who guided me to my train. Mr. Satish Kamath for teaching me finance. 
Many of the people I mentioned above ( and others whom I've met during the journey called life) made an lasting impression and turned me into what I am today. They are and always will remain, part of my lifelong memories. I mention them here....lest I forget.

Attachments of a different kind

            Although attachment is the prime reason for suffering, it's sometimes hard to let go of certain things. As time takes a toll on our 10 year old refrigerator, I cannot help but remember the continuous service it has extended all these years, continuously toiling without a break.
             I vaguely remember the day it was bought...The start of summer and the old refrigerator going kaput ( which incidentally was a bigger one than this one). The selection was not very difficult one as there were a few models available in the Army canteen ( Yes...My father helped me get it). The search narrowed down to this Godrej model due to the Malaysian compressor it had which came with a good reputation. It was decided to go for it after a careful but quick decision. As my son was young ( 3-4 yrs old) , the refrigerator was an essential tool which had to do nearly everything, right from keeping the boiled bottles sterilised to keeping the medicines intact. 
              Many years later, the refrigerators objective being achieved, its relentless continuous streak (very much like a spent cricketer after a triple ton) ended and it started to break apart part by part. First the freezer compartment came apart and it needed some carpentry skills (thanks to practical training in engineering) of mine to fix that. Since it was not a frost free refrigerator, it needed to be defrosted time and again and again and again. I understand that this was something which prolonged its life much like going on a vacation and release the stress. Although the refrigerator was smaller than what most of the people I know had, there was no pressure to change it for a new bigger one from my family (although larger LED TVs were non-negotiable). It also helped disposing any food stuff which was more than a day old as there was no space. My wife also wanted to postpone any purchases till 2012 was over and I complied till the uneventful doomsday prophecy. The last two years after that have been tough and cleaning the fridge becomes more difficult for the maid and then the unthinkable happened. The bulb went down. How could it just switch off ? After a quick check it was diagonised that the bulb needed to be replaced. But I felt it was a signal for me to let it go. 

        The Maharashtrian new year - 'Gudi Padva' is a good time to buy stuff where stores give great discounts ( especially when its fallen on March 31 i.e end of the financial year). So with a heavy heart I went about shortlisting the ones that would just be right for us. The compressors have become 'invertor tech ' and the refrigerants 'eco friendly' and most importantly 'frost free'. There was a buy back offer too which I took which now needs me to part with the refrigerator which has spent 10 years with me. AND it was still alive. 
      The delivery boy came in today and set the new LG refrigerator up for me. He enquired whether the old one could be taken now to which I promptly replied ' I still have stuff in it, take it on Saturday'. As if on cue, the compressor in my old trusted 'Godrej'  kick starts.....and gives out the humming sound which makes me feel at home.