Blogs by Kumar Biswas: The Eternal Bonding

The story of Badal as told by Sonali Sen Biswas and scripted by the author.

Badal, the Badshah

Daily feeding of the streeties (the four-legged friendly furry creatures living on the streets of our locality) was one of my regular tasks. I would go to feed them every night. Earlier I would go to the park of the locality in the morning as well as in the evening to feed them. However, there was much of opposition and resistance from the ‘educated’ and well to do people (both genders inclusive), towards my feeding those strays. There were several incidents of heated arguments with them as they were against the feeding of dogs in the park. According to them the parks were meant for humans and not for ‘dogs’, that too street dog. These dogs might carry infections, they might bite them, they might cause injury, they might spoil the park with their poops etc., and many more imaginative arguments. Though I would fight back with logic, there was hardly any taker for my points as they would quarrel with pre-conceived notions. Gradually it became difficult for me to feed them in the park.

I had to change my strategy or rather change my time for feeding them. I switched over to late at night when those morning or evening walkers who were only concerned about their own health and wealth would retreat to their cozy drawing room or to bedroom, to be precise. While they would enjoy the cool breeze of air conditioners at home in the sultry summer, these poor creatures were left on the road to bear the hot and dusty weather. Not to mention that most of the time and many of them would struggle on the road in empty stomach.

At night, whenever I would go to feed them they would greet me by jumping and licking around. There would be commotion associated with barking and fighting of course among themselves for food. I had to distribute the daily ration with utmost care and strictness so that all of them would get their equal shares. I had to keep an eye to see that the strong ones do not bully others.

In this process, one day I noticed him. He was a strongly built male with very thick black and white furry coat. The outer coat was long and coarse while the undercoat was thick. In the intense heat of summer, his bulky coat would make him pant heavily. Though his head was of medium size which was flat at the top, it was bigger than any of other dog on the road. He had distinct black nose over a pointed muzzle and a pair of triangular ears, drooping at the ends. His majestic bushy tail was little curled upward. His muscular chest and well laid back shoulder could easily command respect from other fellows. Clearly, he was out of the place and no way appeared to be a dog born on the nearby footpath. After returning home I could not forget the gaze of his rimmed and dark luminous pair of eyes. It was inviting, loving and full of affection.

Badal in the park

Later I came to know about him from the security guards of the close-by housing societies. He was the alpha male of the locality who ruled the street with iron fists. He had imposed his supremacy by his power, strength and non-compromising aggressiveness. To those guards he was known as ‘Suresh’. At this point I thought ‘Badal’ would be ideal name for him because of his gorgeous black and white robe.

An appeal

Since then I would meet Badal more than often during feeding time and beyond. However, he would maintain distance from me. He would not jump straight way on the feeding bowl and would observe me from a respectable gap. I had to give him feed separately from the others. He would eat and then would look at me through his impressive eyes till the time I would stand there. Gradually, he started occupying a space in my heart. I didn’t realize that he had already placed himself at the core of my heart.

In a playful mood

This feeding routine was going on and one day I noticed that Badal was conspicuously absent. For next couple of days he remained absent. I became really worried as meanwhile I had developed certain special attraction for him. Every night I would expect him to turn up but in vain. It rang an alarm bell within me.

After homework is done!

After a few days I thought of looking out for him. One night, equipped with a powerful torch and a mobile phone I went out around the locality to search for him. I looked out at every garbage dump I could access, each possible corner of the park, housing societies but no luck. An effort of more than an hour was wasted with no trace of him. I started walking back towards home. While walking down the footpath, this time I was focusing the light of my torch in the wide drain by the footpath. It was a matter of chance that I could locate him inside the drain at an obscure location.

Winter is here

I was astonished to see his condition. There was an injury on his neck which was full with maggots. In the light of the torch I could see that flies have laid eggs on that injury. Over last couple of days those eggs have turned into maggots (larvae). Hundreds of larvae were feeding on his live flesh. He was writhing in acute pain. What an awful scene and disgusting smell!

Sleep time

His expressions had more of helplessness than aggression. It was difficult for me to retrieve him from that drain. Through my mobile phone I sought help from my son. He came running from home. With great difficulty, we mother-son duo retrieved him from the drain. Now, what next?

There were only two alternatives – just leave him like that at the mercy of God. Another option though sounded impractical but the only way to ensure his cure – take him along to our home for treatment. We discussed and debated for a while and ultimately returned home carrying him.

Badal entered our home or hearts

That’s how Badal first entered my heart and subsequently to my home. It was a very difficult task to remove the maggots from the injury while bearing the emanating stench. He underwent prolonged treatment. Vet would visit our home at regular intervals. Para-vets would do daily round for dressing the injured part. Gradually healing process started and over a period of time he became fit and fine. He occupied the couch in the drawing room as his permanent seat.

The King on his throne

His background was shrouded in mystery and was limited by our imaginations. His body contour and behavior clearly indicated that he was a mighty Himalayan sheep dog which was found in the Himalayan region (Eastern Nepal to Ladak, Jammu and Kashmir). This breed may be distant cousin of Kinnaur Sheep dog of Tibet. Locally they are known as Bhotia Kukur. The breed is known for loyalty and aggressiveness.

From the tree laden Himalayan slopes how he landed in the concrete jungle remained an unsolved puzzle. To our utter surprise, we found him to be perfectly toilet trained. He would wait for hours together without making any noise till we would take him out for relieving. There was no need for lease training. From all these observations we came to a conclusion that someone might have brought him from his original place at a tender age. He definitely might have been cuddly and cute as a puppy. However, as he grew old the cuteness of puppy had vanished and Badal had grown into a self-asserting male. Gradually, it became difficult for the owner to handle him. So they had deserted him on the road, and forever.

Coming out from the comfort of the house and surviving on road was definitely not easy for Badal. He had to fight with local Indies who were ruling the area. Probably his power packed muscular body had come to his rescue. Over the years he had established himself as uncrowned king of the street. Don was born.

Badal, the don

By the time we met him, his prime years were over and his physical strengths were declining. He gradually developed hip dysplasia and faced difficulty in getting up on his throne. Many a times we would help him to climb the sofa. The black color on his coat started greying. White patches, all over body, legs, face and ears started spreading. Simultaneously, possibly he developed glaucoma as he would walk inside the house with the guidance of his olfactory glands and audiometric nerves. His teeth started falling off one after another. I would hand feed him otherwise he was not able to eat and swallow himself.

Moods of Maharaja

One fine morning, in a failed attempt to get on to the sofa he fell down. Though there was no visible injury outside, his condition started deteriorating very fast. It was difficult for him to breadth. He began gasping for air. Without wasting time we rushed him to the vet. Doctor put Badal on the table and examined. Vet immediately gave a couple of injections to Badal. It appeared that Badal was not responding to the medicines. The team of the assistants of the doctor swung into action. He was put on drip. Glucose water flowed drop by drop into his veins. Though he was breathing, he laid motionless. I could see the signs of frown on the forehead of the Vet. I shuddered inside.

Expecting the worse to come, I moved close to the table on which Badal was lying. The steel table was cold as ice. I took his head on my palms. I wanted that all warmth of my body be transferred to him. I prayed that coldness of the steel table should not be able to reach his body. He stared at me and I would not ever forget that look. We kept on looking at each other. Really I don’t know when my Badal budda (old fellow) actually stopped seeing me.

Badal remaining in our hearts

A glance of Badal in a documentary. Here is the link:

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The story was published in popular dog lovers' magazine 'Buddy Life', Apr-June 2018 issue. Relevant pages are reproduced here for the benefit of readers.