Toronto Diary - A Dog Called Dylan

"O Papa, don't call him a dog! He is our little big son," protested Anshul, my daughter-in-law. I had casually called her pet dog, Dylan, a dog. Dylan is, by the way, an integral member of my son, Bhanu's family. It is a three-member family. Bhanu, my son, migrated to Canada almost a decade back in search of greener pastures. Anshul followed him, and after some time, they were blessed with an adorable son which they chose to call Viplav, in spite of our loud protests; we wanted a benign name for our grandson in preference to this rather explosive name.

But how does this dog fit in the family frame? As the little kid grew up, he, like other kids of his age, started demanding that he must have a pet. Socio-economic dynamics of western countries, including Canada, does not allow people to have a large family. There is hardly any social network here; no family web to support a person in distress. One has to prop oneself up in any kind of trouble or emergency, or tumble.

So the pestered parents caved in to the persistent demands of their kid and decided to buy him a small, cute companion as all their excuses proved lame and tame. So, the search began, and soon they zeroed in on a pretty diminutive lap-dog. But, no! The little Viplav rejected it with a sweep of his hand. "No, I don't want this puppy," he insisted. The poor hapless parents! Could they do anything? No choice! तीन हठ: बाल हठ, त्रिया हठ, और राज हठ. इन तीनों के आगे तो सारा ज़माना झुकता आया हैI 

So, the search began again. He had a specific demand. The pup must have an orange coat. His parents struggled hard to decode this demand until they realised that their baby wanted a dog with a golden hue. That is how they decided to go for a golden retriever. Add to the जिद्द of the child, the insistence of the parents for a pure breed dog. We, "the people of India '', are not much bothered about the breed of dogs, though there is always an insistence on a pure breed of men and women. In Europe, they call it "blue blood". So, the search for the blue blood dog went on, till they pinpointed a pure-breed golden retriever puppy. The little Viplav too liked it, and his smiling eyes clinched the deal.

But I forgot to mention one vital fact about Dylan. He was procured with great effort. Not only was the wait long, Bhanu and Anshul had to undergo and pass a difficult and tortuous interview. The pet farm owners wanted to be doubly sure that the guys purchasing the pup were socially responsible, psychologically stable, and financially sound to rear the puppy! 

The cute little puppy came with a long list of instructions about his feed, bath, medical advice, and what not. The house resonated with its squeaks and squeals. The little Viplav felt mesmerised; the pup had captivated his heart. He was always hovering over the cute little thing. But the parents soon realised that rearing a pup was more troublesome and more problematic than bringing up a child. And costlier too! A vet was decidedly costlier than a paediatrician. And then, it had to be given an insurance cover. It became more bothersome to travel with two kids.

However, soon they realised that what came as a consequence of the childish insistence of their son was now the apple of their eye. The little puppy was too cute! It followed them and Viplav and looked at them with such adoring eyes. They were so soft and so full of love. And as he grew, his coat of golden hair acquired an extra glisten. In a span of three years, Dylan, the cute little puppy, grew in size to look like a ferocious-looking lion. And then Anshul tied a colourful scarf around him. Now Dylan struts about the house in a style that matches no less than the iconic hero Devanand.

But why am I giving you these petty details of this dog Dylan? Well, as I said in the beginning of this write-up, Dylan is not a mere dog; not a mere pet. He is Bhanu and Anshul's "little big son." And as I write this, I can vouch for my statement.= While Viplav is, like his name, loud and explosive-- he jumps around, juggling and giggling things, Dylan is GENTLE and QUIET. I haven't heard him bark even once during my week's stay here. He follows Anshul and Chunchun wherever they go. But if Anshul cuddles her son, Dylan would jump and try to usurp Viplav's seat. Obviously, he feels jealous and vies with Viplav for mom's love.

Sometimes it is fun to watch these two kids indulging in धमा चोकड़ी. The way they grapple and wrestle with each other is memerically interesting. Yesterday, Viplav was playing with a soft toy. Dylan was sitting by. Suddenly he jumped, snatched the toy, and ran away. Viplav ran after him and tried to snatch his toy back. And how they struggled for the trophy! They eyed each other with the intense passion of rivals in love with the same girl. Then Dylan tore himself free from Viplav's stranglehold and ran off. Only half of the toy was in his wide jaw, while the other half was in Viplav's hands. For half an hour, they did not speak to each other. Then very slowly, they inched towards each other. A move for reconciliation and rapprochement. Soon, they were घी-खिचड़ी again. 

Of course, his craving for attention and love is natural. As a privileged son of the family, he too needs to be caressed with love. There is a healthy rivalry between him and Viplav for mom and daddy's love. When they go for an outing, he is the first to jump into the car and settle in his seat. If they are going for a walk, he must also go with them. Heavy as he is, it is difficult for Anshul or Viplav to keep him on the leash. 

But he is so lovely and so loving: his presence can't be ignored. Majestic in looks, Dylan is saintly. And this is no hyperbole. There is compassion and contentment in his eyes. They are so soft, so full of love. करुणा ही शायद वह शब्द है जो डिलन को परिभाषित कर सकता हैI 

And what is the significance of Dylan in little Viplav's life? I find him friendly and compassionate towards his peers. He reaches out to others and tries to help them. In spite of his tantrums, natural as they are for a child of his age, he is sensitive and sympathetic. I suppose Viplav has got these qualities from his association with his dog. Dylan is his friend and his brother. They make a happy pair. And if they are happy, you can be sure that their parents are happy. And that makes us -- their loving grandparents -- also happy.