There are many dogs on the farms, and owners do remember them fondly. But rarely does one remain etched in the stories of many. Laalya was such a dog.
Now, Laalya simply means the red (Laal) one. Farm dogs get their names in funny ways. As is obvious, he had a reddish brown coat - the reason for his name. If it were a bitch, someone would have called him Laali (play on Laal, which means red). He was an average-sized dog with an attitude. He was the milkman's dog. The milkman was a resident employee in charge of the cows and buffaloes. Everyone called him "Bhaiyaji".
Laalya was a cruel hunting dog. His speciality was rabbits. He didn't miss many once he got after them. His share was decided. He took the head and left the rest. Brutal he was but then he was a dog. He also liked cats, but only those that did not belong to the farm. Cats usually climb up a tree and stay put till dogs lose interest. But not Lalya. He would sit under the tree in pouring rain and not budge for days. He would go hungry till he got the cat. Not many cats survived. But Laalya had his other side.
Laalya always ate after Bhaiyaji. The ritual was set. Bhaiyaji will have the first bite and then put part of his lunch into a plate for Laalya. Laalya loved tea! Laalya would also have tea this way. Bhaiyaji will have his tea and leave half of it in his glass for Laalya. On Thursdays, Bhaiyaji kept a fast in the afternoon. So did Laalya. You could not tempt him with anything, not even meat. Many tried, but Lalya never ate on Thursday afternoons. Bhaiyaji would end his fast at dinner, and naturally, so would Lalya - with a vegetarian meal only!
Laalya died somewhere in the 1960s. Yet, he is still mentioned in conversations. A dog who died long before I was born, I wonder how he made such an impact.
Lovable story