Those dark brown eyes...staring yet welcoming ...that little nib..trying to show the fearlessness..

In a cardboard box you arrived..all confused, yet being at peace with your sister next to you...

Thats how my little baby arrived..

the black and white furball called Pluto..

'Why did you name him "Pluto" maa?', I asked

'Well he is your favourite dog... isnt he?'

'Our new arrival is gonna be tall and big like pluto...' said Maa

'Only not as goofy though'

'Just be careful, he is gonna be ferocious' added papa

O Poof what do they know about dogs .. i grunted

they're always loveable no matter what the breed.

He's my pluto.. 

He's gonna be exactly like him.. 

I just knew

Thats how began a protective, loving and wonderful journey with pluto..

The first night, you created drama of staying inside the house.. yelping your lungs out.. wanting to get out and be the guard dog..Heeheee not even 1/4 the size of one... I called already see so much of me in you especially the dramas and goofiness you indulged in.. 

I remember feeding you milk and bread.. putting small pieces in your mouth.. you would always be careful not to bite my fingers... always be gentle.

Two days passed and you went on an 'exploration trip' ... discovering your surroundings.. i always imagined you like Pluto- Mickey's pet.. with big sniffing nose and a constant serial wagger;p..It was early morning and Megha and I were struggling to get up for school... Till papa came in and broke the news... mister pluto tried to be too daring the other day.. and in his fits of sniffing.. he managed to cross the railing of our first floor.. it was only later when papa heard constant cries and discovered Pluto hanging from the railing and yelping away to glory.. for some odd reason the only thing that crossed my mind was some random Bollywood scene featuring Hema Malini crying for help 'Bachaao baccho...' ;p;p;p... 

So our little furball wisened up ... and Papa enjoyed designing and placing a strong grill to seal that portion of the railing. Pluto never set his foot on that portion even when he was 10 years old;p;p;p...An year passed by and boy did he grow up... a big grizzly bear... with ferocious shiny white teeth.. thick black coat with a slight white line on the chest.. he was handsome, warm and cuddly.. my perfect man:)

When crystal, our little mini daschund (who we lost last year) came, we were very worried about Pluto's reaction. When we unleashed him .. all he did was go sniff crystal and give her a big lick... he was always so protective and loving... But yet an excellent guard dog.. Alert, daring and the attacking kinds...There was one very silly habit he had .. Every month he used to wait for an opportunity when he was untied, and no one was noticing.. He would just run away out of the house only to come back all messed up and silly grin on his face which translated as ' heehee.. i did it';p.. mad he was... the next few hours went in scolding and bathing him.. 

and boy .. he hated it... Bathing Pluto always ended up with me taking a bath as well. Somehow he made sure i was completely drenched... the minute he knew it was bath time he would literally copy Pluto the cartoon dog, and try to break free from the leash, hold onto a plant... hahaaaaaa... i remember this time when he managed to break his iron chain and ran off and got all sticky grass on himself.. But there were times when he was an absolute darling. I remember one day out of the blue i started talking to him before a bath saying 'My baby;s gonna smell all nice and look grand and ill give you a nice trim and massage..' and that day onwards he was very patient for baths.. he would enjoy me talking throughout the bath.. scrubbing and then rinsing without touching his ears and face.. o he hated that... but post his royal drying with a special tweety towel.. he was all ready and demanding for a massage..;p... Thats my Pluto

When crystal had her babies.Pluto took on the role of babysitter.. He would love to play with her kids.. pawing them.. putting them back in her basket.. and growling at them to show whose the boss... awww he was a darling... i miss him so much....

 Time flew... and soon my sister Megha was stepping into the dreaded 10th standard.. uniforms changed .. with the yucky stitched dupatta suit on and equally horrible grumpy look, Megha got out to leave for school. Just when she was about to say bye to Pluto , he growled... it happened again.. and we realised that Pluto did not like Megha experimenting with her clothes.. more specially the minute she wore something different.. he would literally voice a genuine dislike for it;p.. haha our very own fashion police i tell you;p...

Years passed by.. I was away all the time ..you were my companion .. my protector and my baby.. and I was constantly away running the rat race.. you always understood .. always welcomed me.. always called me in a unique.. wolfy sound 'baaaaaooooooohhh'.. of all the chicken bones ive sneaked out.. and the bikis you loved... and your rug...your red and black grand throne ... baby you are and will always be a part of me... the best years of my life,....you gave me everything... 

this few days have been bad for you.. i know you've been in pain.. we've tried everything in our control for your recovery..... im sorry baby we had to take this decision.. but i want you to be always at peace , in the best of health and always my shiny grizzly bear.. im sorry for all the pain you suffered... i chanted for you to be at peace.. i know crystal was calling.. she came in my dream asking me to let go... i feel guilty agreeing to this... but i knw its for the best . I pray that i meet you and am as close to you in your next life:)... rest in peace my baby.. ill always have those beautiful memories,....the warmth, the protection and the unconditional love we shared:) ... now stop looking and smiling from up beyond .. im sure u get ample chicken, kurkure, marie biscuits and meat there:)... give a big to lick from my side... 

RIP Pluto (1998- 2012)

What happens when the lights don't go out:-1. Prospective No 1

four friends...the city... or maybe the cities.... the men.. and the 'phool theory'... There.. and you thought this was yet another im so satc obsessed piece;p..But this time its about the presence of and the absence of the flowery involvements... and the typical, yet to be outgoing, modern ; conservative Indian woman's take on searching for those pastures..

The country's crossing all records of fertility with the enormous leaps in the birth rate.. of course discussing sex isnt a taboo anymore .. atleast for some areas.. But I'm enjoying describing the 'phool theory' i.e.the could be beneath the sheets situation...

I'm sure most of us have grown up watching Asha Parekh's and the Sharmila's of the world doing their twists and turns around the trees, with the hero, commonly rajesh khanna or jitender or dharmendra galloping behind, and of course the sequence ending with them catching up with each other and the flowers (read roses) coming together.. sigh.. intimacy in Indian cinema couldnt be cornier.. if that was a word;p.

So lets name our ms. anonymous -'flowerhead', whose fed on a healthy staple diet of the perfect man, love lasts longer..and the 'phool theory' and of course the jargon 'meeting that special one' for getting it ..goes to search more like a unconscious hunt

...its a continuous journey to find The Man....

After two heartbreaks and one mutually created scenario.. our damsel flies to find greener pastures.. little did she know that the pasture would begin from the plane itself. Sitting and preparing for a long gap from a known territory, flowerhead's trying to relax yet slyly praying and fantasizing for a considerably handsome company to kill the long flight...

Her thoughts wander towards dissapointment on seeing the heavy obnoxious passenger stopping near her seat...yet hoping 'Sigh... would it hurt for you to send someone hot for a change...'..

Lo behold.. comes a smoking hot and i mean the kind you just look and fantasize right there and then types, enters.. That's our prospective 1..

'Aaaahhh ooooo he's hot... thank you god.. oh wait he's checking me out.. is he checking me out... oh dear im staring at him and he is checking me out.. look away look away...' alas ... but the satisfied smurk couldnt be hidden.. it seemed he did catch it.. and promptly returned..

'wait he might be sitting next to me.. why is he making that puppy face ..is he confused about his seat.. damn it say something say something.. no wait stop staring and smurking.. stop stop stop'... Before flowerhead's uninhibited thoughts and futuristic fantasies could stop... the daydreaming began... what cant a normal girl fantasize about doing it in the plane.. especially the one who hasnt done it ... But the thoughts were soon at rest.. since the chap went a seat ahead with a sad look on his face.. while flowerhead's neighbour squeezed into his ever shrinking seat...

'OK.. I maybe imagining things but he had a weird look on his face.. was he disappointed that he dint have a seat next to me... its weird... hmm but now i have something that'l keep the imagination fueling for a long long time'.... mr.seducer.. mmmm mmm mmm u make me feel good;p..'

After trying the specially ordered vegan meal.. our heroine wanders where did mr seducer vanish... But two wines later she creates her own theory....

'OOooh that smile... hmmm' .. silently grinning at what her friends said ' I did spot that one.. and im sure he was interested...the question is in what... ' oh dear here we go again... 'Naa it only happens in movies.. imagine we meet on the plane.. and then the city and we'll land up somewhere...' sighsss ..'heck let me stick to the 'he so seduced me to do it on the plane story'...' and another wine later.. she's back to her make belief and safer sequence... so that's how flowerhead meets our prospective no.1.... feasty yet creepy;p.. ...well atleast in her subconscious that is:)...