a piece of my heart

The mother dog chose to give birth in the academic block of our IIT Gandhinagar campus, seeking shelter form the 2016 July rains and of course the other dogs. She thought the area was safe for her pups to grow up. Little would she have imagined back then that the place would turn hostile for her little ones later on.

They were born after the rains. Soon they started crawling around like soft toys, gathering attention from students, kids and adults alike. “ Such cuteness..” “ Oh my..mmmuahhh…let me take a picture with them” flowed from many lips. The pups made their way into whatsapp and facebook display pictures.

While a few died, three of them survived. 

Since food sources were rare and because no one could resist the look on these pups’ faces, students started feeding them. The pups grew up. Accustomed to the vibrant academic surrounding and bravely defending the boundary from other dogs. They were neutered, vaccinated and promised to be protected.

But as they grew bigger and their looks matured, they were no more 'cute' or adorable to the people around, though the dogs remained no less the same in our eyes. 

During those moments when we happened to ignore them, they started following us to our classes with wagging tails and hungry looks. We soon decided to feed them on a regular basis, arranging food and feeding pots for them.

Unfortunately, people grew increasingly hostile against the dogs in the last one year. The 'cute' dogs turned into cruel beasts in their blind eyes. 

 The dogs were born and cared for in this space. To these innocent beings, it is their home- the only place they know as secure. Even when they are cruelly beaten up, thrown sticks at, poked with sharp metals, they refuse to go away. Even after going through much torture and pain, they linger on. With much love in their eyes.

 Recently we were asked to stop feeding and petting them. We are warned by the institute authority to ignore them at all costs. 

How would I ever convince them that it requires the coldest heart to stop noticing the dogs when they look at you with all the gratefulness in their eyes?

 I cried like a child the day I was issued this warning. I refused to go to the academic building for many few weeks for fear of the dogs spotting me with excitement and love. That leaves me with a heavy heart.

Yesterday,after many days I went to go to the academic block to attend a presentation. As I was coming down the staircase, I could see Ganpath lying on the ground right opposite the building where I was. I turned my sight away, as I took another direction to go back to the hostel.

Thats Ganpath, the bravest of the three