It was on a cold December day that she came in to our midst. It was the year 1995 and I was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I left office a little late. When I reached my car, which was parked under a tree, I heard a subtle sound - a small silent cry. I looked around and found a young bird lying on top of my car. It was shivering with fear and of cold. I looked around and found a cat underneath. It was getting dark. If I leave the poor fledgling bird, which has no feathers, surely it will become a meal for the guy who is waiting underneath. So I thought for a while and wrapped it in my handkerchief and carried it home.
I had no idea how to raise a bird. What to feed and when to feed etc. I just wanted to save it. That's all. As expected when I reached home my wife was a little angry for bringing it home. So many questions… Where we will keep? What if it has some disease? How do you know? What we will give to eat? Will it eat? I just neglected those questions and took 2 plastic trays which we used to put clothes for washing. Put one tray upside down, tied it on both sides and made a cage and put the bird inside.
Next day morning I understood the poor bird could not sit on the floor-plastic base- like that. It needed to catch on to something so I inserted a stick in the middle to act as a bridge and kept the bird there. Now it was comfortable for it. The journey started from there. That morning I realized that the bird was a dove's chick. I had seen a pigeon chick before but never a dove chick. Pigeons will come near us. But doves are afraid. They stay far away. I gave it some milk. It drank a little bit. I was satisfied. I started giving some rice bits of corn flakes, bread crumbs it did not eat. Next day I searched for Dove food in the largest supermarket there. And Lo I found lots of them. I was surprised as to who was rearing doves over here? May be someone does. Otherwise there was no need to import that many packets from Canada. I bought a large packet of mixed seeds with meat balls. The packet was priced handsomely and the home minister did not forget to check the price label. It was highly incompatible with a Non-Resident-Indian’s pay packet. When she scrutinized, I bit my nails and hid behind a chair!
Well, now we started giving the rich imported Canadian food to the poor thing. The little chick grew by hours! Within a couple of days things started appearing on it - a strong beak, legs, feathers-and wings ! And it spread its wings - first flight – like the Jonathan Livingston seagull! I helped. Next, I said go man! I am not your mother. A crash land and after 3 trial runs - a perfect landing! My son and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Now my wife started liking it. She called it Chinchu. I called it Chakki and my son called something else. All - Kerala pet names. I described the features and emphasized that it is a female. But she forcefully said it is a male. The love for opposite sex was evident. My son had not grown up then so he did not mind - even if it was neutral he would have accepted. So it became the darling of our house. It flew from the shelf to the cupboard. From the Cupboard to the curtain rods. From the curtain rods to the carpet in a flowing ballet. When we called it, it just came and landed on the head or if we show fingers it landed on it. It wanted my index finger the other fingers he was not sure. So I sometimes folded my index finger when it reached me and cheated it. But surprisingly it used to recover well enough to fly up and sit on my head instead!
Weeks Passed. One more Canadian packet. Now the luxury had become a necessity and this time she did not check the price label. The only negative point was that when our friends came they had to close their nose. There was bird droppings hidden from us. Behind the cupboard, curtains and shelves. But we did not feel it as we lived with it. Now since more people started saying it I started thinking. A bell rang in my head!
The entertainment went on. Like they say, whatever happen the show must go on. It now showed it is maturing, it started walking in a different way when we looked at it - minded it, it also showed some affinity! A sort of a peacock dance followed. I was thrilled to watch it. I never thought a dove will ever do it. Perhaps a mating call? That was a second bell.
Soon June/July our vacation time will come and what we will do with it? I thought. That a third bell.
In order to avoid the smell I tried to put it outside - in the balcony. One night a big cat came, bit and tore the plastic cage and the noise woke us all and the poor thing was luckily saved. That was the fourth and final bell that rang in my brain.
So now I made up my mind. It is time to bid farewell. One fine morning I kept it on the cloth liner in the balcony and waited. At the same time another dove came and sat on the neighbors TV antenna. Our Chakki saw it, looked curiously turning its head to both sides.
And then, a sudden flight upwards, above the wall, above the tree, and towards that building and to the antenna. Now I could see two birds on the antenna. A job well accomplished and with a heavy heart - like the father who has sent away his daughter in marriage - I returned to the visiting room. That night was filled with only the sounds of plates and spoons. Without sharing a word we went to sleep.
One thing I learned. A pet generates love in your heart. Love is like fragrance. It spreads. Have pets! Fill your life with LOVE.
