My pandemic friends

For someone like me, a pandemic lockdown is a dream come true. Work while you want to work, cook what you want and eat only when you need it. Zero needs for unnecessary pleasantries,saved commute time. Its just what I would do for the world, if I become incharge of it for a day! Productivity was expected to shoot up the roofs – But it didn’t happen. My schedules become irregular and I started missing my beautiful mornings. And on the other side, though I was having some unpleasant conversations at work, I actually started craving for those moments where we connect with another mind. I came up with an idea that would address my need for connection and setting a routine. During the lockdown days I felt guilty of not feeling the pinch of it and somewhere I wanted to express my generosity .The idea of feeding the dogs in my street felt like one act, many goals in one deed!

But I was never a pet friendly person,for purely selfish reason, I started feeding the dogs in my street. They were 4 in number , one alpha male and three girls! During the initial days I used to share my biscuits with them. They would all eat and go away except for one dog! She would just stand near me and refuse to eat. I was too afraid to touch , started by patting the head after few days. That dog would get more joy out of it than from food. I was slowly being moved. The alpha male was the opposite, he would focus only on food, the other two girls are shy of humans but very gentle.

Few weeks in to it, the routine was set. Now I started buying small packs of dog food and dispense them instantly.With time the friendly dog became more friendly. Living in a shared building that has the landlord stay right below me, I didn’t want to go homeless feeding the homeless dogs – so I used to ensure that I go atleast few hundred metres to feed them. But one morning, when I was a bit late, two dogs were waiting in front of my gate with that an yearning and fondness in their eyes. Now I graduated to reserving a container for dog food at home and store a months worth of stock. While it was helping my routine as well as give a good early morning meal for them, feeding them post 10 PM was even more delightful. They would be more playful. I began looking forward for these interactions. And that friendly dog named Kalu is a darling for many in the streets. She was the one who taught me what it is to be wanted for! She would demand affection and wont let you move until she has got her quota of few minutes for a day.

And around this time someone else started sniffing the dog food inside my home and would window-crash and try to open the container when I am out of home – a cute little cat! By the time I open the door, this cat would fly away! Such an adorable cat, but it was scared of strangers and thought it isnt possible to be friends with him. One night when I was on my way for night dog feed, this cat realised I had food and asked me for it and walked down the stairs with me. It was an earnest request for feed,I dropped some dog food and it did eat that. I started placing the feed in front of my doors and the cat became a regular! It helped that my next door neighbhour was away. Slowly the cat let me touch it while it is busy eating. Cat got a new feed store, the human got a new infant like animated meow machine. The relationship continued until corona restrictions were lifted and the neighbhours returned. I didn’t want them to disturbed by the meows, so I had to chase the cat whenever it came for a while. Somedays I would let it come in and close my doors:)

I have a small balcony-dry area behind my kitchen. If the cat can enter it making its way by jumping from adjacent building through the grills, then I can resume my relationship as a secret affair. I was also scared ,what if the cat misses the jump,so I was skeptical. I tried leading the cat from front door to the balcony, feed him and close the balcony door. In a week , the cat learnt that its feed store has changed address. Every morning at 530 he comes and meows me up! In recent days, when I keep food for him, he let his friend eat it and whine to me. I have named this cat as whisker and if he doesn’t show up I feel some life missing in my life. But the cat does care only for the food!

I have gone from being strangers to earning the trust of these creatures and I am extremely proud of it. The dogs shower me with attention and I feel happy when I see them eat well. I used to give them chicken treats, even started cooking for them at times. I still have a big treat pending for them. I always thought in any relationship we should speak out , understand each other’s pains , needs and act accordingly. But with babies, we cant do it for they neither do speak nor do understand us. It’s our onus to understand them do everything for them and we mostly do it without any complaints. But with adults,atleast I start having expectations! I expect them to make sense, and my admiration or even interactions are conditional on that sense. These dogs and cats have given me a lesson in unconditional love. The dogs were givers, irrespective of whether I feed them, they need my attention. The cat is a receiver, he is focussed only on food, but just because I happen to like him, I recognise his calls, make him eat when he doesn’t eat! Sometimes you got to do the same to humans it might make the world around me a little better place. My pandemic friends taught me my first lessons on communication beyond reason and language.