Sheru, My Guardian Angel

Sheru wasn’t just an ordinary stray dog in my neighborhood,he was my guardian angel. I like to believe I grew up with him, though in truth, it feels more like he saw me grow. I’ve always been terrified of animals (special shoutout to lizards for being my lifelong nemesis) and to make it worse, I’ve had my fair share of scary experiences with stray dogs. Every time I tried to show affection, something went wrong. 

Except with Sheru.

Sheru never once threatened me. Instead, he protected me. There was a fierce dignity about him, almost like he was the mukhiya of the paw samaaj. He carried an elderly, wise aura, which is why I never babied him the way people usually do with pets. He simply wasn’t the type to be babied,he was a leader. When I was in 10th grade, Sheru passed away. And even today, I miss him deeply. The hardest part? I don’t have a single photo of him.

Then, about a year ago, life gave me a strange kind of déjà vu. After shifting to a new house, not too far from my old one, I met Bholu. And if his name doesn’t give it away already, this guy is literally the most innocent creature ever. He looks exactly like Sheru, almost a replica, except he doesn’t carry the same fierce, energized aura. Sometimes, I even joke about Bholu being Sheru’s illegitimate child because the resemblance is that uncanny. Bholu is soft, gentle and quiet. But every time I see him, a part of Sheru comes alive again in my world.

This time, I do have a photo. And maybe that’s life’s way of telling me that memories don’t always have to stay blurry.They can find new forms, new faces, and stay with us in unexpected ways. ♡