He Was My Teddy

I live in the outskirts of Kashmir but for my education I shifted to Srinagar city. I took my admission in a well reputed Institute of valley and I was very satisfied with my progress. It was my 3rd month in the city and I had already planned many resolutions for the year 2020. In March 2020, I had planned to start a Youth club for those teenagers who are involved in drugs and addiction. For this project me and my team were ready to start awareness programs all across the valley. Our first awareness program was on 07 March 2020 at Public park Shopian. Everything was set up and well planned.

In the early morning of 07 March, I visited an e-paper as usual and guess what I read? I read the headline of newspaper which stated like this:

The Mayor of Srinagar has declared covid-19 lockdown in Srinagar

It broke me from inside. My all plans and resolutions vanished due to lockdown. My Youth club idea diminished. Due to lockdown I had to shift back to home. I was very sad from inside and I felt like I had lost something very important. Then I met someone special at my home that changed my lockdown experience...

During lockdown my family decided to reconstruct the old boundary around home. The new boundary was reconstructed within 15 days but there was a flaw in it. In the backward of home the boundary had a little gap in it. Not so big but enough for a dog or cat to pass through it. Initially I didn't pay heed to it as I thought it doesn't matter a lot.

One day I saw a dam whelping in the backward shed of my home. I let her give birth to puppies because I love animals and I didn't want to harm them. It gave birth to three puppies but unfortunately two of them died. Now there was only a single male puppy. Initially I didn't get that close to him but believe me that puppy catched my heart at once. He looked so innocent and naughty that I loved to play with him. I gave him food, water and shelter. I taught him so many gestures like; When I used to clap twice👏👏, he knew it's lunch time, when I clapped thrice👏👏👏, he knew it's dinner time and when I tapped the metal bowl many times, he knew it's drinking time. I also disciplined him, I taught him not to bark when there is any guest inside and not to poop in the park. I also made him skillful like he could backflip, stand on two legs and walk crawling. He used to dance as per the beats of music. He made everyone in my locality fall in love with him.

I had never thought that I would adopt my first pet like this. From regret due to lockdown to a skillful and naughty pet, this story is amazing. If there wouldn't have been a lockdown due to coronavirus, I wouldn't have met my pet. He made my lockdown easy and enjoyable.

I remember when I taught him how to protect himself from his enemies. He was crazy. He used to attack every kind of bird, animal and even plants. I think he took my lesson so seriously. He used to fight with crows. In my apple garden, I have made small pits so that birds drink water from there. But my naughty teddy didn't let the crows drink water from there. He used to chase them but as he was still a baby, the crows used to attack him back. When he felt himself in danger he used to run quickly towards me and hide behind me.

Another time I was in the same apple garden, and the main gate remained open by mistake. All the local dogs came inside the garden. I was sleeping in the net between two trees. My little teddy barked after them and I woke up. He chased those local dogs but his chase even couldn't let their eyelashes move. They chased him back and as usual my little teddy ran towards me and hid behind me. I laughed that whole day! He loved to take challenges but as he was still a baby he wasn't able to complete them. In winter, I made a special warm kennel for him. He loved to sleep there.

But, when the lockdown was lifted. I had to leave my dear teddy at home with no one there to take care of him. I got an urgent call from my institute to join as quickly as possible. I miss him from the core of my heart. I gave my cousin some money and told him to take care of him at least for winter. As per my cousin, he was never seen in that locality after that. He was my teddy...