Hero

Our Hero

 

True to his name, “Hero” is a handsome 3 year old Pariah who once resided in a narrow Khetwadi lane. My sister and I saw him grow from a clumsy playful puppy to a dashing dog. It was easy to sneak into the house at 2 a.m without our parents knowing but Hero ...he’d just somehow know it was one of us and For my mom, Hero had finally been THE dog! For a woman who would change her route if a dog was barking... would now get restless if she’d not see him resting in his usual spot on her way home from work. We got a shock when we saw Hero jumping on her and instead of fretting, she’d pat him with all her motherly tenderness. A sweet innocent creature managed to break her fear of over 40 years! 

Hero with my mother & me on one of his 
Sunday trips  to Marine Drive

Hero was not just the apple of our eye but also a favorite of the nearby building watchman, secretary and construction workers. In fact, he was family to all of them. Unfortunately, his playful nature seemed an eye sore to a few residents of our building who time and again tried to make sure Hero was taken away from the area on false pretext.

Hero enjoying the breeze at PDP on a summer morning !

One day prior to my engagement, Hero’s screams caught my attention and I realized the BMC had mercilessly tied him in a gunny bag. The neighbours this time had gone too far by filing a false complaint with the BMC about him “biting” their child. After a lot of ruckus and being comforted by Abodh that he’d be taken to the WSD kennel, I got my senses back and decided that the engagement must take the back seat. So while my (very) co- operative fiancé was handling 2 sets of confused parents, with the help of the Hero’s caretakers, we initiated a signature campaign to bring Hero back. Right from a 12 year old kid of a local tailor to a 60 year old lady (who signed in Persian because it is the only language she knew) joined hands to bring our dog back.

 Finally, with a lot of help from WSD, we managed to get Hero to where he belonged in 3 days – all happy and healthy ! Due to the constant harassment from the same neighbours, Hero now lives with his caretakers in their apartment not far from his old home. My family and I visit him weekly or whenever possible. The distance is only a number because he lives in our heart and we in his !

- Farah Dotiwalla, Mumbai