A last-minute phone call, a mad dash to the airport, and finally a blue basket was handed to us at cargo. This was nine years ago. Disco, (he brings a spring to my step every time I am with him) had arrived. A tiny shivering fur of ball in a fruit basket that had reached me in Delhi after a flight from Mumbai.
We soon learnt there isn't much to separate a puppy from a new-born baby. Disco lapped up Cerelac (toddlers and puppies love it equally), too small to face the world, he was cuddled on
razais (it is not easy to constantly get under your bed to retrieve a scared puppy), he was hugged tight when he had nightmares and made his little noises of horror.
These days sadly, his huge dreamy eyes are full of questions. Disco's Golden Retriever nose perks up to an awkward tilt when he knows the answer, but doesn't want to face it. They say love knows no boundaries. Sadly, mine does.
I have been living outside India for the last couple of years. Disco disliked the change - and fell so sick that we had to fly him home. The doctor - fine, vet - insisted he was spoilt, but Disco doesn't travel well - not even for a car ride. He was hospitalized for days after his flight back to Delhi and barely survived.
So we live apart. Me in Abu Dhabi, and him with my family in Delhi. Does he feel lost? Absolutely. Does he feel betrayed? Terribly. Does he go around taking it out on people? Never.
My favourite photo of Disco
All he wants is his comfort zone, sleep at the feet of his loved ones. Go ahead and laugh, but my kids call him "Disco
bhaiyya" and they celebrate his birthday just as though it is theirs.
So when we visit, those big soulful eyes want to know why the reunion will end once again with him being left behind.
Disco spends the first night of our return awake by my bedside. He wants to show he is unhappy with me and barks till he tires himself out. Only when I sleep does he slip out of his tantrum, kissing my face for the rest of the night. Neither does he forget my brother, who was the first person to pick him up from that fruit basket (years later, Disco would sit awake the whole night next to my brother's luggage which had arrived before its owner from Europe).
The Prime Minister may be packing those suitcases every other week, but I dread taking mine out. Disco looks at one and stops eating, my girls look at him and start crying. In fact, he doesn't go anywhere near food when we leave (he refuses to even come to the gate), just as he doesn't eat when he sees us. If you know a Retriever, you are aware of how rare it is for them to turn their nose up at food. Disco is exceptional in another way- he's vegetarian.
My daughter and Disco, when he was 7
Many still ask why I named him Disco. He made me happy and he made me want to dance. And he has my unquestioning faith. He has sat guard next to the bassinet of my new born babies, not even allowing friends to come near them. Today if my girls love animals with a passion, even trying to hug stray ones, it is because he has taught them to trust and love.
My doctor once saw a picture of Disco and nodded ambiguously. "It's not healthy, get him off the bed", she said. Two minutes later when the nurse had left she added quietly, "As a doctor, that was the right thing to say, but as someone who has four dogs, I would say go with the heart."
And I have, as have so many around me. There are several who will question my sanity if I say one of the reasons I am moving back to Delhi next month is for Disco. We need to catch up, him and I. His golden brown hair is slowly turning white, but his eyes remain unchanged, filled with love.
We may not leap around as much as we used to, but Disco and I belong together.
(Jyotsna Mohan Bhargava worked with NDTV for more than a decade and now writes on a variety of topics for several news organisations.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.