LOVE

LOVE 

Dr. Soma Valliappan

“The Shirt you are wearing is different”, I said with a smile. I’ve seen him quite often there.  But hardly did I ever speak to him. Hearing this from me, with a smile he asked, “It’s different, I agree.. but is it good or bad?

The conversation led to knowing him a bit more.  We both do our morning walk in the same ground. Other than the regular morning walk and his penchant is to play golf.  After the walk, he goes over to a  Golf ground in Guindy and play in open sun until 11 am.  Wearing a full sleeve T shirt  saves his skin from tanning. 

My curiosity next got shifted to the game Golf, and I asked an array of questions. With a broad smile on his face he asked, “Why not you join me today..to see for yourself?”  I readily agreed and got into his car.

Sitting  next to him, I could not avoid noticing a plaster just close to his thumb finger.

Driving smoothly,  he asked, “If you wouldn’t mind, may we stop for a while at my home before proceeding?”.  Though not sure for what, I agreed, .

He parked the car in front of the Gate, dashed in and came back very quickly with a bag in his hand.  

He drove towards Guindy. On the way to  the Golf ground, in a quiet corner with not many people on the road, he honked the horn twice, slowed down and parked the car close to the platform there.

My confusion got compounded  and asked him “Why we stop here?”  He again smiled and said, “Just wait and watch”. I got more perplexed  

Just then I noticed. A bunch of dogs sleeping on both sides of the road shook their slumber and came galloping towards our Golf playing friend.

He pulled out a few biscuit packets from the bag, tore off the covers and started throwing Biscuits on all four sides.  The hungry dogs bounced and began munching the strewn out biscuits. 

He got in the Car and started driving slowly. Just after another 10 yards, he stopped the car again.  Took one pocket of Biscuit and got down.  One in brown was sleeping under the shades of a tree, unable to raise the head and look at him.  He quickly unpacked and dropped the biscuits near by.  Looking at my curious look, he said, “Poor fellow...not well for the last three days” 

As we reached the golf ground. He  Got down from the car and.  Pulled out the golf clubs (the sticks as they call)  and hung over his left shoulder.  Then Handing me the bag with biscuits, he  asked queried, “Do you mind carrying this?”.  I said not at all.

The sooner did we enter the ground, from nowhere a bunch of dogs rushed forth.  Surprisingly they did not bark.  They were very quiet.  He went to a side space, took out biscuit pockets and dropped the biscuits in front of the dogs.  Here, at this ground,  it was  not only  biscuits but also a few bread pieces and  home cooked idlis.  I noticed, he was particular to  keep back one  pocket of biscuit  which he slipped it into his trouser pocket.

Dogs not fighting with one another and eating quietly appeared to me a  like a rare kind of behavior of dogs. Even more strangely, about 5 feet afar, a dog, drooling out its tongue and saliva shedding drops down, waited composedly for his turn to get the biscuits.  I could not restrain  and asked him, “How is ..that these  dogs are patient and waiting quietly?  “All by practice only.   I have been feeding these dogs – for the past four, five years including the covid  time”.

To my further surprise, dogs did toe him asking for more biscuits but ran away immediately.

We reached the ground and he started  explaining the nitty-gritties of the game and also did some ‘swings’ with the clubs. I felt bad when he shook his hands heavily and said, “Oh.. I forgot this and  it is paining”.

I said in hurry, “Don’t strain yourself Sir. Not necessary  to demonstrate.  Just tell me the details of the game. That is enough”. Our next jaunt was to the canteen.  There we had hot coffee.  As we were coming out, a whitish dog came running towards him. Almost dashed on him and then moved behind. My friend took out the held back one  from his trouser pocket and dropped the pieces by the side of the dog.  The dog finished that in no time. 

We started walking back to the car.  Despite my telling him, I would go back home myself, he was particular to drop me at my home on the way back to his.

On our drive back, I asked him, “The biscuits and Bread you may buy from the shops.  But what about those idllies?”.

“One day after I ate in Canteen, I dropped the left out idly and saw that the dogs ate it lovingly”. With a smile, he went on, “now a days whenever my wife prepares idly at home, keeps aside one serve for this group. 

We reached my home. I got out, bent down and peeped in to the front window of the Car. Thanked and requested him to drop into my home.  He politely refused.  “Thank you. You know it’s getting late for both of us.  I’ll surely come some other time”.  Just then I noticed his right hand slowly caressing his left wrist over the plaster.

I could not resist and asked, “Should be very painful. Is it a cut injury..?”

“No sir. We saw one white fellow near the canteen, don't you remember?  That naughty fellow, when I was about to drop  the biscuit on the ground, a couple of days back, in a hurry rushed on me and his teeth sank in my wrist.”

He said with a smile.

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