Jolly And Silly

It was the 1st of January.Dawn was just breaking in ....it was a very cold foggy winter morning in Lucknow. Pooja jumped out of bed throwing the heavy blanket to a side. Ishaan and Ahaana were fast asleep. She went to their room and stood looking at her 12 year old son and 7 year old daughter cuddled up intheir beds. She bent down and kissed them gently and smiled ...She was to go out to get her new year surprise for them. Pooja's husband was in Mumbai on a transfer...She was to join him with the kids in a couple of months ,after their academic sessions were over.

Pulling the door ,Pooja took out the car and drove down to her destination. It was her cousin's place and she was there to get 2 new born puppies out of the four being delivered a week back. Ishaan and Ahaana simply loved dogs and she wanted the Lhasa pups as their new year gifts. Bundled in a basket she returned home.She was filled with excitement at the thought of her children's faces ,on seeing the gift.She was right...As she took out the basket from the car ,her two children in their sleeping suits stood gaping....then the cry and the expression was apt for the Visa Master Card ad....''.Somethings are priceless''.

Pooja was hugged , was covered with kisses and thanks...they were both dancing around with such joy that could not be described . The puppies were named Jolly and Silly. The responsibilities were taken ...Ishaan had Jolly and Ahaana had Silly . The duties were discussed and it was decided that they would take complete responsibilities of their wards...and responsibilities they did take. There was no making faces in cleaning them up ...feeding them ..they would play with them at the backyard and it was simply adorable to watch those two tiny bundles jumping around with the two bigger ones. They would be put to bed very lovingly ...the baskets being properly fenced so that they do not jump over by themselves and would be tucked in with such affectionate good nights. Their beds were near the children's own beds so the children would be woken up by the loving cries of their pups...and then the good morning hugs and kisses. Oh!can there be any better form of love than the one expressed by a dog?Such pure love?A love that has no mis understandings, expectations ,demands...knows just to give...why cant man learn this Dog Love?

A month whisked by in bliss. Then one day Pooja got to know from her husband that the accomodation that they were banking on,after they all shifted to Mumbai, was not happenning and they would need to stay in a single room apartment for at least 6 months.This was a bolt out of the blue for all of them specially as they always had houses with lawns, backyards to stay in , so far.How would they manage with all their luggage and these two pups?Pooja kept thinking and then sat down to talk with her children about this,before their bedtime. She told them about the arrangement and asked them to give their views. Both Ishaan and Ahaana came up with their own sweet thoughts...where would the bicycles stand? Would they have cupboards of their own? study tables?etc. etc. None of them mentioned the pups. Pooja brought them up. Where would Jolly and Silly stay? The children were aghast? where ? ofcourse with them!Where would they play? where would they run around? Slowly the meaning started sinking in and their eyes were pools of fear...fear of uncertainity...fear of losing...It was terrible for Pooja..to see so much of pain in her darlings' eyes...She gently told them that how unhappy Jolly and Silly would be to stay in that one room? How confined would we make them for our pleasure ? our happiness? would that mean loving them truely ?

Pooja could see the pain that came with understanding,in her children's eyes. It was breaking her heart to do so but she knew no other way of love than being truthful ...She knew of the love that only could make her loved ones happy and that was what she was explaining to her little ones.

The day they were supposed to leave Lucknow arrived soon... Ishaan and Ahaana were prepared for this day ..they had accepted and had made their choice...Jolly and Silly would go back to their mothers .. They would bear the pain of giving them away than to let them go through a caged ,confined life. They loved Jolly and Silly much much more to do that to them.They themselves gave them away to their mother. Turning around they fell into Pooja's arms weeping bitterly . Tears were streaming down Pooja's eyes too . She hugged them closer ,kissed them and said,''I am so proud of you. You have learnt how to love ,truely .''

This incident really taught the kids a lot ...to put the feelings of our loved ones above our own...to always love to make our loved ones happy for that is the true meaning of love which always will make us happy .