A Tribute To BOZO, My Brother.......

A decade comes to an end on the eve of my dad’s birth day…I don’t know whether to celebrate the 53rd birthday of my father or mourn the loss of my brother bozo…..my beautiful eleven and a half year old Alsatian who passed and abandoned me this morning!
Born on a wintry night on 10 December 1997, (I was in the seventh standard..) he was the most arrogant pup on earth always snarling always restless, bossing around as if he was the king ….he sure was brought up by all of us like one .
To the world he was a dog, a very dangerously handsome dog who was ferocious beyond words. Even the milk man would dread stepping in for fear of his flesh being ripped apart needless to mention his “dhoti” flying of in tatters with his full consent, same was true for the post man , the maid, perfect strangers and so forth. Intelligent beyond the word itself, I can discuss endless chronicles of Bozo. The word “notorious” was synonymous with him.
He being an animal stood by our family through thick and thin. In his own subtle way he has nurtured each one from my family, in a way I can go on to the depth of saying that he was the binding factor between all members.
“Bozo you have left behind you a legacy of love beyond understanding”. I don’t want to disrespect all that he has done for me by crying on his departure, although I wish to cry aloud and trust me I still am although silently……………
“God can I have him back?”
My whole self is ailing with pain , but is there anyone who can comprehend my grief? I guess not …all that the world can do is to laugh at this thought, but I am not in a state to explain myself. These words are an expression of the anguish which is embedded in the heart of my family, for it is a moment of extraordinary poignancy for each of us.
The cycle of time never reverts but memories are treasures which can never be eroded by time. I shall secure Bozo from the eye of time and keep him safe in my memories lest I forget which is next to impossible. He has passed on the baton to me of keeping the family tied together and I shall do so because I choose his love.
With trembling hands I am typing this and thus it takes me a few hard ruthless seconds to say that “Bozo was….” and not “Bozo is……”.
His Death is a reminder by that supreme being that we all are mere travelers on our way to the land of no return and none are destined to meet after one encounter unless so willed by the former. It sure is indeed very hard but I am being bound to think that I should celebrate the life of this legendary being. Certainly he was more than just a dog, for me he was my brother, for was my mother he was her child, for my father he was his elder son and the most loyal confidante to my “tauji” (papa’s elder brother). A friend to pooja (my cousin), we each had our own defined relation with “him”.
This day marks the closure of a chapter, the end to a bygone era. I could not bid adieu to him as I was miles and miles away from him. He breathed his last on the fateful morning of 24thFebruary 2009 and thus he shall sleep in peace never to roar again like a lion.
Now that the lion is sent back to his den, to where he came from, however god made me a promise that I shall meet Bozo, in a different world with a different name and identity but this time without the pangs of separation.
Bozo shall be loved and missed forever by all of us. His absence will pinch me for years to come. No one and nobody can take his place ever in my life. I never realized he would be gone so soon without a trace, without an indication. Days will go by but he shall be sealed in not just mine but “our” memories with his magnanimous persona.
A word to the one who is reading this piece, “If you have the goodness of love in your heart pour it out because the next moment could be your last”. Have no ego because the word “life” itself doesn’t last very long. Cheer even in sorrow for you’re alive to experience it because every breath in your body is worth more than a million dollars.
Bozo’s loss is evident but his teachings shall be reflected from how I will live my life from now onwards and that shall be my tribute to him. He rests next to the Ganges which is the abode of the saints. That is where his last rites were performed. May he sleep well eternally without a care in the world and may no one disturb him.
Sweet dreams my dear brother bozo ………I will miss you!!!!