The Barking Memory

It was the winter of November. Muniya had been eagerly waiting for her grandfather to come home. A surprise was being awaited. It was sound of a car applying brakes that she heard and she came to know, it was time. She did not run out of home like any kid would do out of happiness. She was shy and reserved. She silently waited for Amma to recieve her father. Standing in, she waited for her grandfather to appear out of the door left half-opened.
He came with a warm greeting and slowly zipped off his jacket.
"Look! Look! What do I have? "
To her surprise and amazement, a small white puppy tried to show up, its eyes barely opening. A sight never experienced before seemed so cute to the innocence of the little girl. She spread her hands forward to hold the living toy. She had never held one before. Her small hands around the little puppy posed the most sweet moment of the time. Her mouth open with joy and eyes disagreeing to blink.
It was a  Pomeranian. The aura had suddenly lit up around with grandfather's laugh and Muniya's happiness. It was a happy welcome to 'Pepsi'. Pepsi was the name given by Amma to the little Pomeranian. Muniya was only nine and Pepsi was an addition to the kid's fantasy.
Years passed on. Pepsi was turning into a young and bright handsome dog. As soon as Muniya used to come back from school, it was the first glance of Pepsi that she used to have peeping out of the huge perforation of the gate. While Muniya used to cycle, Pepsi used to run along the long stretches of road with her. Everybody in the family took his great care. Amma used to feed him by her own hands at times.
A kennel was arranged for him. He was given a home.
Just that Muniya's elder sister did not like the sight of him. He was never welcomed by her. Never embraced. It was her general resistance towards dogs and not anything specific.

Pepsi was almost the age of Muniya's younger brother, Guglu. Both of them grew together.

Along the years, studies took over Muniya's days. 

Time granted transfers to her father and eventually they reached a new place, Dalhousie. Pepsi seemed to turn old by that time. Muniya expected him to stay young though. If not young, then at least young enough. 

Daily routines of the family seemed to neglect Pepsi at times to his dismay. Muniya often realised his gloom and got him into her room where she and her brother used to sleep. She used to place his bed-carpet in her room. She could sense Pepsi's loneliness, his dull face by the days, his dropped tail, his resistance to food and what not.

College had summer vacations going on. Muniya used to caress him almost everyday while basking in the sun and shade. He had turned cold. College began again. It happened for the first time that Muniya was not able to get back home for a straight stretch of three and a half months. It often dawned upon her during college activities about Pepsi and his existence.


A few weeks before going home, she recieved a text message from her elder sister. Muniya was struck with shock. Her fear had taken a real turn. 

In tears, Muniya thought,
"How does it feel when you realise that you have been living under an impression of somebody's existence which no more exists. Woebegone!" 

Muniya remembered the last sight of him. That was all she had of him. A few pictures. Just that. It is a sense of attachment that builds up over the years inadvertently and Muniya did not even realise. Nobody did. Every body cried. Amma. Guglu. Muniya.

When Muniya reached home, Guglu took her to the site where he was buried.
"Come! I will show you where is Pepsi."
Muniya refused to go there but on Guglu's insistence she went.
"This is where he is (buried)."
Guglu touched the site. Muniya did not come near.
"Don't you want to touch?"
Muniya refused. 
"I daily come here."
Muniya remained quiet.
"Come back Guglu."    That's all she said.
It was a void created in the memories of their childhood. 

Time is a great healer. And Muniya initially tried enough to get along and learned to smile through the coming days.

A barking memory of the mute creature persisted.