Reine was a gift from my mother when i stood first in my French class at the Alliance Francaise, Chandigarh,India. She had promised to get me a puppy if i did well in class. I was probably a born dog lover; so all i could ask for was a puppy.I could not think of any other befitting name for my precious girl; so we called her "Reine"; and she did truly reign in our home and hearts!
They say, let the pet choose you than the other way round; and am so glad Reine chose me. When i saw her first, she was a little puppy who along with her sister was up for sale.Imagine ! Deiciding on a price for something priceless ! She came to me on her own and i couldn't resist picking her up and holding her close to my heart. Reine felt at peace too and there began a story of implicit trust and unflinching loyalty.
Reine was the first puppy i ever had and i had begun my self-paced learning sessions on puppy care; it was quite an interesting experience. Bringing Reine home was not free from opposition from my grand-father. He let me have her on one condition: if the puppy remained quiet and didn't wake anyone up by yelping that night, i could keep her forever; else, she would be joining her siblings the very next morning. How i prayed to God that night ! As if my baby girl sensed my fears,my puppy dog slept like a log all through the night and ensured she stuck to us till the very end. I had placed a piece of jute cloth that she was used to sleeping in, in her previous home and an alarm clock ticking next to her in the wooden crate i had prepared for her. There is a belief that the ticking sound of the clock reassures the little puppy and is very much like the heartbeat of her mother. This helps them feel at home in their new surroundings for the first few days. When she wanted to relieve herself during the first night she spent in her new home, she used to softly wriggle and scratch the sides of the crate with her tiny paw nails; and i used to take her out and when she was done, we sneaked into the room, feeling a strange sense of mischief-laden happiness. This ,we did four times. We did not let the opposing elder in the house even have the slightest doubt about our actions. That was it. The first ordeal overcome successfully, Reine was mine forever now, oh , my clever puppy!
Reine was so fond of cuddling up in my lap and i loved singing lullabies for her as she enjoyed her puppy naps. This was when we actually started to bond in a special way and grew closer to each other. My puppy taught me to love and care for someone unconditionally.
Regular visits to the vet for her deworming and vaccination schedule kept me busy and well-informed as well; i got to learn a lot about canine health. Never once did Reine whimper when she got her shots. She was all patience personified.
As the months passed, my greyish brown puppy grew darker and taller. Her coat went through a metamorphosis and it was so surprising to see the way she grew out of the greys to the browns and to other shades of colour like black and off white. The final outcome: a beautiful, lissome female GSD; my once helpless little puppy was now a one year old naughty girl, full of energy and curiosity.
She loved to jump down the couch, run like mad and get on to the sofa; the sheer speed would push it backwards. then, she'd head straight for the couch again. She did this religiously; probably her own way of spending the pent-up energy. She'd surely have been any coach's delight at the Marathon!
It was everyone's wish to celebrate Reine's first birthday; so our party girl , though very possessive and not so social with furbabies of her kind, did have a birthday bash afterall. The neighbours' kids were all invited and my puppy got gifts too. I personally stitched a few motifs on her doggie coat that she was to wear on her birthday. She was so well-behaved and graciously let everyone click pictures with her. And i was sure to give the kids their return gifts as well.
My father's frequent transfers, owing to his nature of job made us go places. The first time Reine travelled by train was from Jallandhar to Lucknow. The way the Indian Railways treated their pet travellers was far from pleasant; so we decided she would fly with us everytime we had to move to another city. Reine flew to Delhi, Coimbatore and Bengaluru so many times; the ground staff of Jet Airways at the airport would fondly call her their "Frequent Flier". They always treated her as a special and privileged customer.
My Regal Reine !
Reine was my very special friend and soul-mate. My days began with filling fresh drinking water in her bowl and ended with whisking up a warm cup of her favourite bedtime drink, Maltova or Boost. I used to narrate stories to her in an endeavour to make her finish her meals ! Boiled eggs and carrots , Reine doted on them. I just had to start peeling a carrot in the kitchen and she'd be right beside me that very moment, salivating as she waited eagerly for her treat. And i would wonder " Reine, are you really a doggie or a rabbit?"
That was one of those times when Reine became "Superman" or "Superdoggie" simply because she would appear from nowhere.
I loved to stroke her and brush her. She was not too fond of bathing, however. Never fussed about it, but not too eager sort of.
Her fur coat shone like silk after a bath and i loved my girl that way. Whenever she spotted a friendly neighbourhood canine or cat, she would go wild. All her fur would stay right up and she'd look like a hedgehog for a while.
She would bark in different tones to convey her feelings. Reine would just do anything to go for a drive in the car. All we had to say was "Fetch your leash" or "Tata polama" ( "shall we go out?" in the tamil language) and this furbaby would run like a crazy fox all around the house taking out shrill cries of ecstasy. Once in the car, she would bark at her fellow brethren as if to say " Hey guys, wanna join me? Isn't it too boring, having to walk all the time?" She spared no animal, small or big. They all had to listen to her "bow wows" as she passed them by ,riding in her car. She associated the car with so much adventure and sheer joy; she taught me to appreciate even the smallest pleasures in life. She lived in that very moment and lived it fully.
I used to swell with pride when people gazed at her in awe. She was no doubt magnificient and fierce-looking; only we knew the coward cleverly camouflaged behind the ferocious exterior !! My girl was big and bold and no doubt the most beautiful.
Each dawn was the beginning of a new life for Reine. She loved to greet everybody at home in the morning. She used to love it when i called out" Good morning, good girl". So much love and loyalty packed in so small a being......i find it amazing ! She taught me to live each day as if there were no tomorrow.
Reine snored quite a bit while she slept. She always made it a point to sleep with me on the bed, she needed that human touch. And in winters, i used to love the feel of her warm fur against my body and it was quite therapeutic. She was a natural healer, my doctor puppy. She used to have the wildest of dreams sometimes. The twitching of the ears and the tip of her muzzle,her half-open eyes and fast moving paws......all as if she were chasing a prey. She was an awesome football player and if she played cricket, she would've been the best fielder ever, and contained most of the runs. She loved to play " catch" too.
I used to pretend that i was crying and she'd run to me and try to lift my hands from my face, so she could lick it to her heart's content. She was so caring and sensitive always. Are all good traits innate to canines alone ?
Reine and I developed a strong bond , one of love, trust and the purest form of friendship in the nine years and eleven months that she spent with me. A relationship that enriched my life to a great extent. She wobbled into my life as a toddler puppy, grew up to be a naughty loving girl and lived on to be a wise old grandmom. A life well lived indeed !
The 27th of February 2007, that fateful day snatched Reine away from us forever. We lost her to tracheal collapse and CRF (Chronic Renal Failure). It all happened within a week. It was shocking to see the x-ray reveal a tracheal collapse when she had no symptoms whatsoever; except that she was not too keen on eating like she did before.
Soon, CRF followed to make things worse.
Reine and I had the worst nightmare of our lives , the night before she breathed her last. We had just got her home after her routine administration of drips and IV shots. She was experiencing difficulty, breathing. I was right beside her all through the night, tending to her, much the same way I did, the first day she came to her home. I knew that Reine was holding on to her life despite all the pain she was going through; such was her will to survive..........she was such a fighter !
That morning, i told her all about her life; caressing her ever so fondly. Her weak frail body was trembling with exhaustion over the night's ordeal. I thanked my pretty daughter profusely for being in my life and making it so memorable; and also apologized for those times i had rebuked her when she played naughty. I knew she was slipping by and i was helpless. The most vulnerable moment of life, it truly was.
We rushed her to the clinic; her Blood pressure was plummeting; so the vet could not find a vein for giving her drips.
Reine was still holding on.....and we were asked to get her back in the evening.
Then suddenly, that weak tail did wag one last time.....she spotted my husband (he was doing a training course in another city). He had flown down just to be with us and tell our little girl how precious she was. That moment, i knew what unflinching loyalty and gratitude meant. She was waiting to thank her father for taking such good care of her in the latter part of her life: for so lovingly dressing her wounds following a minor surgery in her leg and for all those happy long drives that he took her for. She knew she had left no dues now and so, decided to quit.
I noticed a bluish glaze enveloping her faithful, loving, hazel-brown eyes. We carried her back to the car, her all-time favourite spot. My Reine took two long laboured breaths and it was all over. The vet tried to revive her with a life saving shot; it could not get her to breathe again. My daughter left me all of a sudden and i was least prepared for such a sudden farewell. I closed her eyes one last time; didn't know what actually had hit me. I rested my faithful companion's soft head on my lap and called her name and asked her to wake up. I knew she didn't because she couldn't hear my call.
Reine was laid to rest below the Hebbal Flyover and a gravestone erected in her honour.
I realized it was her unconditional love and warmth that made me pine to have her in my arms once again. She truly has taken away my smile and so many years of my life too. I might no longer be able to gaze into the faithful eyes of my dearest friend, daughter, teacher, mother,call it whatever; but i know i just have to close my eyes and think of Reine and she appears.....it's such a vivid experience.
She was my baby, the daughter i might never have. It's truly astounding and humbling to know how, within such a short span of life as 10years, some furry being can teach you so much about life- live simply and love truly.
Reine has left me a legacy: innumerable precious gems by way of sweet memories that'll be my strength to sail through this life till i meet her at Rainbows Bridge............to be forever with her ,this time.
I still have a lot to accomplish, my sweet little angel. I need to tell the world what a lovely companion i was fortunate enough to be blessed with and what great lessons in life each of these furbabies have to teach us.
I still feel the warmth that i used to while stroking your forehead and planting a kiss on your soft smelling furry little head.
I miss you so very much, Reine !
And as i go to bed each night, i wonder how long this pain of losing you will last and the answer emerges "It'll last a lifetime."
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