I vividly remember the day when 3 years old Bhuvan came into my life, taking tiny steps towards me and then clutching onto my neck just when he was about to fall. Eyes so sparkly they looked unreal, with a toothless grin plastered on his face. “How magnificent this creature is,” I had wondered.

Living in Andro since the day I was born, mine was a small and rather uneventful world. But the day I met Bhuvan, it changed completely. All the long walks I used to go on alone were now filled with laughter and merriment that came along with this little child. Watching him grow up all these years has been the fondest experience of my life. The way he looks at me adoringly, I sometimes wonder what he sees in this being that I am. Mother used to object Bhuvan from coming with me rather sternly, but I guess the child’s magic, in the end, worked on her too! His dog Tannie, wagging his tail excitedly while chasing butterflies and birds alike, has also become a vital part of our daily visits to these vast green Andro fields.

I realized the importance of simple joys from Bhuvan. Lying on the grass, looking up into the clear blue sky, running around chasing each other, he taught me the essence of simply existing. I never learned this with my previous family. I looked up to Sharad, he was my best friend, but the time we spent together as a family turned out to be seasonal, just like his name. I couldn’t help but feel abandoned the day he decided to move to the city for a better life for his kids. Where will I live? Who will take care of me? How will I survive? All kinds of questions were swirling around in my mind until the Kumar family moved into Sharad’s home. They treated me as their own. I was overjoyed and thanked my stars. Ever since that day, Bhuvan and I have been inseparable. He is my favorite companion (and I hope I am his too).

Now 11 years old, he still whispers all his secrets in my ears, as if I were his diary he could go on writing in while I sit there, nodding silently, absorbing every word. I sometimes wonder what will happen if he goes away too, leaving me behind, his beloved Baala, the name he adorned me with innocently the day we met, while Mother fed me the fodder affectionately. But today, under this warm sun, I will just stay here gazing at Bhuvan and Tannie engaging in their daily shenanigans while the infectious laughter and barks fill the whole area. What angelic creation kids are!