Searched Panchsheel etc

Today I drove through most of the Panchsheel Enclave area looking for you. Then I parked the car next to the petrol pump on the main road, and walked on the opposite side of the road outside the Gas agency and nursery towards the intersection. then returned and took a round of the large park whistling for you.

Crossed the road and walked past the car, there's a kuccha road (on the left of the petrol pump) leading to a Madrasa. The road goes by the nullah.

In Panchsheel there was one dog whose face was just like yours. But his tan was too light, and he was older. He ignored me totally as I bent over and inspected him/her and talked to him. I was hoping against all hope that suddenly it would turn out to be you.

Beloved one, wherever you are, may you be well. I hope there is someone taking care of you. In the large park, near the entrance is the gardener's shack, or maybe a taxi stand. There was a female who had given a healthy looking litter. I think those people are taking care of them and giving her some food. I was thankful that people do take care of pups, although all that changes once they grow up.

I don't even know whether you are dead or alive. I will never know unless you come back. What a heavy punishment this is for me!

Searched for you in CR Park, Kalkaji, Kailash Col, M/N block markets ...

I decided I should try checking in the early morning, since the roads may be empty and my car horn will be heard easily by you. But at 7:30 am, the roads were full of hurtling, blaring school buses, taxis etc. Anyway, I drove to CR Park, and slowly inched at 20 kmph, I landed up in Kalkaji, and then at Nehru Place. I went through Nehru Place, and then onto Kailash Colony market, which led me to Jamrudpur, and then N Block market, and then M-block market. I also swung around the BRT area and the area next to the nullah.

If only I had a clue where you are. All these places are huge, with myriad lanes and alleys. You could be anywhere. I might have driven or walked within a hundred yards of you and not known.

I still have to check Panchsheel, maybe Andrews Ganj, South Extension market, and maybe GK-II.

(Pic of the three of you when you were a month old. The one unable to climb out of the ditch is Sher Singh, who is still with me.)

Searched NHI area

Today I went looking for you in the area around the National Heart Institute. The market next to it. The road leading to ISCKON, and some of the road inside the market facing the park.  I realized by the end that the search is massive, there are far too many lanes and by-lanes for me to explore. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

And yet, you, my dear Gabbar, are one needle that is more precious to me than this whole universe.

 (Pic of my beloved Gabbar Singh, along with Sher Singh, when they were only 3 months old, in the GK-1 area, next to the transformer opposite S-522)

Searching N and other blocks

Today afternoon I walked through N block, parts of R-block, Kailash Colony market and the road going around, which faces Nehru Place. I noticed to my dismay that posters I had put up in R block have been taken off, while all the political posters are still untouched. There are still so many lanes I could not walk through. I left the car outside the C-block park and then walked through N block. Then left it outside the R-block district park and walked through the other areas.

Your sister, Sher Singh, is not eating well nowadays, even the mother doesn't eat well. Sher Singh has lost her companion and play-mate and just sleeps in some corner. Even I am getting irritable and disheartened as hope diminishes day by day, I hardly spend time with the three. I still can't believe that this universe could have given you to me, and then suddenly taken you away like that.

(Pic taken on Feb 7th, when you were all 3 months old. Sher Singh looking at me, while you (Gabbar) wrestle with your brother)

Searched beyond BRT

Yesterday afternoon I put some posters around the C-Block park, and I think the Raman Munjal Park. Today morning i crossed the BRT and checked Sadiq Nagar, and walked through some of the Jahanpanna (?) forest/park (that is opposite Sama Hospital/Nursing Home). It's a huge place, and quite desolate. Not likely you would have stayed there, You would be looking for a market or crowd where you can get some food.

On the way back, i drove past N-block market and inside i spotted a dog looking just like you who seemed to look up. I ran in, but it was a male, older and quite fat. The face was slightly different and he seemed puzzled at the attention although he did wag his tail slightly. But for some moments, I thought it was you. I expect you to spring up with joy upon seeing me.

Attached is a pic of one of you, not sure which one, but could be you when you were one month old (in December 2011). This is where you were born, inside that ditch, which to me has always been a holy place, the place where i found my heaven, and the greatest joy this universe afforded me -- you.

Putting posters up

Walked around R-block near the park, and the main road leading to Pamposh Encl. and outer-ring road.  Put some posters of you near the parks and where the walk-way/cross-over (the main road) starts. Where could you be?

Above is a pic of when you were small, along with your sister (Sher Singh), your mother (the brown one) and your older brother Raja (white, sniffing his own tail). The one with the black tipped tail is you, my beloved missing Gabbar. Where are you, Gabbar, my little one?

I need to put up some posters in M and N block markets, as well as the area near the BRT corridor where you might have come out.

Gabbar playing with brother (old)

This is an old picture of the brown brother playing with Gabbar (I think). Usually he played with Sher Singh ji a lot. Those were the days when I could pick up both of them together when they wandered off. There were even times, when I could pick up all three together. Then they grew larger, and one would slide down, so I had to do two and one separately.

The other day, I picked up Sher and found she was really heavy. Sher isn't much into hugs or jumping onto me. The missing one, Gabbar, was the one who came running up to me and would jump onto me. Then Sher would come running and jump on Gabbar. I would usually have to search for Sher. She would always be sleeping in someone's house or under some parked car. Gabbar was always around and quick to come when I called.

The slightest sound of my car (the remote opening) and Gabbar Singh Ji would come running from the other lane. Oh, Gabbar, how can you possibly live without all this, without your family and me.

Or are you no longer alive, watching all this from "above". Watching me searching for you. Whatever happened that night, that fateful night. If only I had known, I would never have gone anywhere on Diwali. Diwali shall always be a black day for me ... unless you return.

Dear God

Dear God

Please protect my dear little one. All day long I wonder where she is. And how she is. Is anyone ill-treating her. Is anyone feeding her? Is she starving?

Is she being hounded by dogs? Is she hurt, is she badly bitten? How I long to hug her. I remember how a week before her running away, I came back from Noida. She was sitting there on the sand opposite our flat, staring at me as I took stuff out of the car. I put everything in, and then came running out and smothered her. Both Gabbar and Sher were sitting on the dhobi's table. I hugged you both at the same time. Even being away for two hours was like a life-time.

God, I don't know why you separated Gabbar from me. But please take care of her. She is your child after all.

Searching Pamposh and R Block

Today I searched R-block, Pamposh and those areas (Chirag Enclave, Hemkunt Colony).  There's a large park when going down the road from R-block Safal towards Hansraj Gupta Rd. that leads to EOK (District Park).

Last night I was coming out of Nizamuddin E. and there were three dogs that looked just like you, one a male, another had a bushy tail and a collar and the third was older and had a cut ear.

I just can't believe that this could have happened.  Ten days without you!

(Pic taken in March, the last pic of you, outside S-530/532).

Searching the jungle behind GK-1 ...

Today I walked in the jungle. I've never really followed it to the end. If I walk up-stream in the direction of R-block, after some time, the embankments stop. If you had fallen into the nullah on Diwali night and waded up-stream, you could have crawled out the this point. I hopped over the stream but there was no walkable area there. Just lots of undergrowth. If you have come out here, you would have gone very far from there by now.

Then I walked back and continued upstream. Again had you waded downstream, you could have climbed out where the large park next to Krishi-Vihar starts. You could have gone in there, or run down to the road leading to the BRT corridor. I walked down that road where they are covering up the nullah. I did walk down this road last week. So once again, R-block and Pamposh Enclave is an option.  You could have reached there either from behind, or from the side road. At night the gates would have shut, so even if you tried you could not have come back. Similarly, if you had run to the mainroad and come out of Gate I, you could have gone somewhere to the BRT corridor area or crossed over to the park (I think Jahanpanah park).

However, i think it's more likely you ran somewhere to M-block or C-block and then went running further. It's even possible that you from the nullah you waded downstream, and then took a left, and got out, and crossed the road into Panchsheel.

I need to put posters in C and M block, R-block, Pamposh, Panchsheel, and even outside that other park.

Visited Frendicoes and Animal India Trust

Today I went to Frendicoes and the Jal Vihar Animal India Trust. I gave them a poster with my contact and a picture of you when you were 4 months old (the same pic in the previous post).

Outside of Frendicoes was a dog that looked very much like you except that after much examination and prodding revealed a white tipped tail. She was fast asleep and groggy and showed no interest in me. I still had to make sure it was not you. Her nails were white and her ear was cut. Her face was slightly different too. But as I drove by, and as I approached her, it almost looked like it was you.

(Picture showing both missing one (left) and sister)

After how close we have been, it is impossible to imagine that you may not be alive. Twice I gave up Raja for dead, and twice he came back. Once when he was run over and a neighbour took him to the hospital. I found him 2 days later bandaged up in someone's driveway. Then recently during the mating season when he twice vanished for 5 days. The second time he was nowhere to be found. He came back neutered, so he had been picked up by MCD and taken to their shelter for those days.

Will I be as lucky with you, dear little one? I am hoping someone will report you to MCD and you will land up at one of these 2 places. And see the poster.

Searching for you ...

This is a blog regarding my little one-year old black (and tan) dog who ran away on Diwali night. She was terrified by the the crackers and was mostly hiding inside a drain-pipe nearby on Choti Diwali (day previous to Diwali)...

Her mother gave birth to a litter near my house 3 years back. All drowned in the heavy rain -- my lane is a low-lying lane in GK-1. Two years ago, she gave birth to another litter in a parallel lane with speeding traffic. Most of her pups got run over, one by one. We managed to save just one, Raja (a large white dog with patches of tan), who is now 2 years old, and has a limp in one leg. Two survivors died of distemper or parvo-virus. I nursed him through parvo, too.

Mother gave birth to her third litter last November. This time i resolved not to let a single one get run-over or die of parvo etc. All were vaccinated. An enclosure was made in the ditch they were born in. There were three beautiful black and tan females. Despite all our precautions, and keeping them in an enclosure, and escorting them while they were outside, one still got run-over on the night of January 25th, 2012. So I brought up these two remaining ones, got them spayed at Maxvet along with the mother when they were six months old.

They would sit outside my flat, waiting for me to come out and feed them, or to accompany me to the milk booth. Their sweet faces were always looking at our door or gate. Whenever I stepped out, they would come running and jump on me. We were inseparable.

They had just turned one on November 6th, 2012. The night before Diwali they were hiding in a drain-pipe when i came to feed them. They would not eat, so frightened were they. They kept looking up to the sky every time a rocket went up. Their mother and older brother, Raja ate. On Diwali day, I fed them in the evening and went visiting some relatives.

When i returned at 11 pm, I whistled and only one came out of the drain-pipe. I thought the other one would come out in the morning. But she never came out. The drain-pipe connects to the nullah behind GK-1 S-block. I searched the nullah area and the forest behind it, just in case she may have fallen in there.

In the days that followed, I have looked through the nullah and adjoining ground all the way till Moolchand. I have walked through all of S-block, and the parts of C-block, the markets, driven through R block. No where is my little one to be found.

All I know is that if she is alive, she is cold and hungry, and scared. Probably mauled by now. Everyday she would be running further and further, hounded by other dogs.

She and her sister used to race each other down the lane, and wrestle together. The two sitting together were the dearest sight to behold. Now the sister sits listlessly, or just sleeps under a car all day. These two are not aggressive females, very docile, and easily frightened by dogs from other lanes. They are fussy eaters and have to almost be force fed. Usually, I hand feed them bread and milk otherwise they would go hungry.

Both look quite alike, I believe I am the only one who can tell them apart. The one remaining has a white tip on the tail, whereas the missing one doesn't (as you can see in the adjoining pics). Their faces and personalities are quite different too. Of the two, the lost one was more fond of me, I would say.

Life never was easy for this family of four. They got food to eat, medical help when needed, and lots of love. However, they were never aggressive and so have always been bullied by stray dogs from other lanes. Raja got badly bitten every night during his first year, and mauled a few times too. So has the mother during the mating season. Raja chases cars and cycles, and both he and his mother tend to bark at delivery boys and often workers. Thus, there have always been complaints and threats from some residents, and many people walking through (our lane is like a thoroughfare between Krishi Vihar and GK-I). People have often hit these 2 with sticks and even bricks injuring them badly. So when two more joined in a year back, life has been even more difficult for them.


Somehow, between the resident's, dogs, workers, and fast cars, we managed to survive and make our little world. In the midst of the maddening construction, fights over parking space, and generally aggressive lifestyle and uncaring attitude of GK-I, their loving, playful life flourished.