6th June 2008…joy came wafting our way…once again…and chose never to leave!
Betty, a wonderful, loving Dalmatian, whom we had chosen to take on as a cherished part of our family a year ago when she was 6 years of age and was to be given away by her ‘owners’, had given birth to 8 rays of love on this day! Mowgli, the father of these wondrous rays was already with my eldest brother. This is how God’s Plan works.
That’s the happy family! Mowgli is in the front, Betty, his wife, behind him and Zorr – the naughty, mischievous, most sensitive, loving soul is on the right. Seven of Betty’s Rays of Love went on to bring joy to other families and Zorr remained with us.
Though they have since moved on from the physical realm…their essence touches us and holds us close, of memories ever so joyous a flow.
They always were and remain an oasis of delight and respite in the scorching stress of the material world.
Sensitive, beyond measure…
…clever…oh, so clever…
…an enchanting sight for tired eyes…
…filling the heart with bliss and glee…so full of life…melting all strife.
Zorr, knew whom to go near,
And, thus he would me steer.
He knew who wanted a hug,
Whose parched heart needed love,
He always ever spread joy and happiness,
He always drew me towards whoever needed help,
By sending me Zorro, Bhagawan did me immensely Bless!
Zorr was everyone’s friend and love. Everyone loved him at first sight. He had a full life…full of wonder and play, merriment and mirth. He had his ups and downs too, and through these down moments, he taught us how to take pain in our stride. Animals bear their pain so stoically.
We treasure every bit of the time this Radiant Soul chose to spend with us as Zorro!
Time flies, the grip of age does not spare any being, forever hanging around waiting to grab one down. Zorr had crossed his 14th Birthday, and in early August 2023, he had a stomach twist…his stomach had twisted 360 degrees…it was a touch-and-go surgery, which to our amazement and the astonishment of our dear veterinary surgeon, Dr Tulpule, he had survived. Such was his spirit and will! He had only an 80 percent chance to make it through. That was Zorro’s fervour for life and love for all of us. He still wanted some time with us all and had some unfinished business to wind up. There is a time and a place for everything…Zorr’s time was not yet up and the Doctor’s clinic was not the place he wanted to quit life!
Yet, he suffered ever so much to get back to normal health. He cried and we cried with him before and after surgery…till he regained vigour and strength.
Soon thereafter, his limbs started giving trouble. During this time too, he continued to make lovely friends…one such loving, cherished, charming friendship grew between Priya and him. At 50. Priya is a multi-talented lady, who runs her own business and is also blessed to be an Acharya who teaches the profound wisdom of the Bhagawad Gita ever so precisely and perfectly. Incidently, Priya has written an ode to Zorr, which appears at the beginning of this dedication. (On 16th August 2023, Priya and her son, Vijay, very lovingly performed the ‘pind daan’ ceremony, which is a part of the last rites rituals, for Zorro at the ancient Jyotirling Temple at Bhima Shankar on the outskirts of Pune.)
Autumn 2022. Zorr, now had great difficulty in moving about. My niece, Aloka, put in all efforts to ease things for him, getting him Assist Straps for his fore and hind legs, bathing him, feeding him, giving him his medicines, monitoring him in every way. Throughout Zorro’s life, she always came forward to eagerly help him recover whenever he was down and out. A Life Coach and Trainer, she has a natural way and rapport with animals and birds and communicates beautifully with them, an inherent talent! She has also done voluntary service with our Vet and worked at a shelter serving over 300 animals…cooking for them, cleaning up, etc. Her son, Saiesh, loved Zorr completely like a best friend. Zorr knew him since birth, so they would frolic together. Zorro would be ecstatic in Saiesh’s company.
As Zorro’s health started to give way and weakness set in, a few well-wishers recommended euthanasia…but my heart was very firm that this valiant soul ‘wanted’ to transit naturally. We did our best to give him every comfort possible. Early mornings and evenings, at times late nights too, a bed would be made for him out on the porch, as he loved being out, enjoying the sunshine, listening to the healing melody of birds and the caress of the gentle breeze. His best friend, Kaddu, the brat cat, would come along to keep him company, at times when we had taken Zorr in, she would do the ‘Goldilocks’ act and pounce into his bed for a short snooze.
The children of the society where Zorro lived would drop by to meet him and a day before he passed on, his favourite little girl came by. This was a strange moment as I had just taken Zorr in and made him comfortable. I did not want him to be disturbed as he would then start identifying with his aches and pains and begin to whine once again. However, Little Tashi came by and seemed so disappointed at not being allowed to meet her friend, so I picked her up and placed her near Zorr. It was a magnetic pull between the two. This was their last meeting too…for the next late evening…he chose to leave.
That’s Tashi, in the photograph above saying – I Love You, Zorro.
And, these two charming ones in the pic on the left, visited Zorro on his Birthday last year! An outpour of love for him, for the love they all received from him!
Zorro’s long walks had shortened, his love for food had diminished and the time was drawing close. He loved to walk and even towards the end, he would indicate he wanted to go out and would stubbornly stand put if I took a short-cut. I would pick him up and cross the road and bring him back quickly, all the regular people passing by would shout a ‘Hello’ to him or come and give him a pat appreciating him for his brave ways, and yes, there were his regular four-legged, tail wagging friends too with whom he would share some secret communications. They too ‘knew’ Zorr was leaving soon.
His zest for life remained ever-flowing, never-ending. He loved nature, wanted to go out…meet people…ever willing to share a few seconds of love and care. We all learnt so much from him. True life lessons, a legacy Zorro left behind. Beyond unnecessary jabber, it was his silence that brought on awareness of the unknown…enhancing high-level connections and communications, quite beyond human perception, as is natural to all animals; his forever positive vibrations; his intuitiveness; his selfless love; his acceptance of every person sans prejudice; his innate sensitivity and understanding; his curiosity to know; his unpretentious friendliness; a life of ‘no expectations; coping with pain in a dignified manner…the list is endless.
Zorr always loved to listen to bhajans, devotional songs…if there was a pause between the songs, he would raise his head from a deep sleep state and start whining softly as if to say – Why on earth have you stopped, come on…continue on. Thus, when his time was approaching, for the last few months, we made him listen to the Gayatri Mantra in Bhagawan’s Divine Voice, the Vishnu Sahasranam, the Bhagawat Katha, Sunderkand, Hanuman Chalisa along with the myriad bhajans that he so enjoyed…continuously through the day and at nights too, the chants played on. His onward journey had to be divine. Uncle NS Venkateswaran from Prasanthi Nilayam sang Beloved Mother Sai’s Telegu couplets for Zorro through WhatsApp and Zorro would raise his head in acknowledgement when they were being played.
Much too soon the time had come for Zorr to shed his worn and torn physical self. He had to journey on into a new dawn, where the Effulgent Divine Arms in wondrous hues awaited to embrace him.
15 years old Zorr hadn’t eaten for two days. We had been feeding him water with a spoon. His jaw had locked somewhat. His breathing was erratic. It was 15th August 2023. Indian Independence Day. Zorr too was about to receive his independence. Evening worship had been completed, bhajans too had been sung specially for him…vibhuti had been smeared on him…a few drops of vibhuti water had been placed in his mouth…’Zorro, we love you, you are our life force’ had been whispered in his ears…and Zorr’s breathing suddenly became shallow. Even as the holy Gayatri Mantra was being played in Mother Sai’s Divine Voice, Zorro chose to exit the material world. This happened just as the Vibhuti water had been given to him. This senior most citizen of our city, if we were to count his age as per human years, had chosen to bid adieu, having completed his tenure on the earthly plane.
We Love you, Zorro…with a never-ending flow…and will always, ceaselessly do so.
Though in the physical no more…Zorro’s essence lives on in our hearts forevermore. Beloved Zorro…Never No More…Always Forevermore.
P.S…I forgot to mention – Zorr loved to play football! He was passionate about this game and never tired of it!
Zorro and Saiesh – Best Friends
Saiesh and Zorr – first meeting!
For Beloved Mother Sai 