My little Labrador, Lia, is my daughter. We complete each other’s lives. She is a cute darling and an absolute bundle of joy. Together, we live in our flat.
I am incredibly careful about Lia’s health. I strictly track her food, make sure she gets her walks, and closely monitor her vaccination schedule and de-worming timings. I am always focused on her nutrition and hydration. Because my job demands a lot of travel, I have a housekeeper who takes care of her whenever I am away. I even installed a CCTV camera at home just to monitor her, but she doesn’t remain in one place all the time.
She keeps waiting for me just like a little baby. She can smell me from a long distance. The moment I ring the bell, she waits impatiently for the door to open, jumps all over me, and starts licking my face. She always makes me realize exactly how much she missed me. It breaks my heart every single time I have to leave her, but my work requires it.
This past month, I traveled to Norway for a hectic project. I hardly got any time for myself, and to make matters worse, my phone was acting up. I really couldn’t focus on things back home—or on Lia.
I knew she was missing me. To make it up to her, I bought her two cute dog toys and some premium dog food that isn’t available in India. I kept thinking about how happy she would be to see the gifts. She understands everything; we even celebrate her birthday, and she absolutely loves presents.
When I finally returned home, something felt off. I couldn’t hear her usual barking. A sudden chill ran through me, but I tried to reassure myself: All is well, maybe she is just angry because I couldn’t call her this time. When I knocked on the door, my housekeeper opened it. The moment she saw me, she burst into tears.
I was completely baffled. “What happened? Is Lia alright?” My heart sank. I was practically screaming, “Where is Lia?!”
She led me to my bedroom. There I saw Lia, crying. One of her legs was broken.
While playing in our garden, she had been left unmonitored for a brief moment and was attacked by local stray dogs. Because my phone wasn’t working, my help couldn’t reach me. When she found Lia crying and limping, she somehow managed to rush her to the clinic on her own. Lia had to be operated on.
I felt as if someone had physically ripped the heart out of my body. Why couldn’t I save my baby? What more could I have done to protect her?
These questions will haunt me forever.
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