Unexpected hero

Eight-year-old Nishant rescues a puppy, Cuddles, and convinces his terrified mother to let him keep it

Eight-year-old Nishant was in his garden when he heard a sound. He ran towards the hedge and saw something black trying to wriggle in. It was a puppy, which seemed to have gotten stuck in the bushes. It whined loudly and gave Nishant pleading looks. When he pulled it out, the little fellow wagged its tail gratefully and licked its rescuer on the tip of his nose.

Nishant was crazy about dogs but was not allowed to keep them because his mother, Sangita, was simply terrified of canines. Ever since Nishant was in nursery, he had regularly been getting pups from wherever he could. Not even one had lasted more than a day. However, on other occasions it was Nishant who had brought the pup home. In this case, the pup had come home himself.

Nishant looked at his visitor. It was simply adorable. Every part of its roly-poly body was completely black except the tip of the tail, which was white and bright. Nishant hugged it. “I am going to call you Cuddles,” he declared and got 19 wags and seven licks in return.

Since his mother worked in a bank, she usually came home at around 6.00 p.m. Nishant fed Cuddles a saucer full of milk. Much to his amusement, Cuddles lapped it up, circled the dining table and promptly fell sleep.

Nishant picked Cuddles up gently and took it to his room. He quickly made a resting place for his tiny buddy in a tub, with a mattress of towels and a pillow made of hankies and spent the entire evening in his room just watching Cuddles. He didn’t even step out to play or switch on the TV. Everything about his new friend was fascinating: the gentle way its tummy rose with each breath; the tiny, barely audible, snores; the floppy ears….

Later in the night, his mother suddenly entered the room. “Nish, my colleague, Roohi, has sent kheer for you.” Cuddles, who had been happily chewing Nishant’s slippers, rushed at the unexpected, but welcome, guest.

Sangita shrieked and backed away, the vessel falling from her hand. The kheer fell on her nightgown, her feet and on the floor. Cuddles promptly forgot everything and happily ran around in circles, licking everything in sight.