Laddu was our first pet, and he stayed with us for 14 beautiful years. Our little Dachshund, was a gift to my older son on his fifth birthday. Laddu was a part-time innocent soul, part-time criminal mastermind, had many talents, but his greatest gift was timing.
One fateful day, during the sacred calm of a finished Satyanarayan Puja, he created what I can only call his magnum opus.
The house was filled with the soft hum of prayers, there were some guests… the fragrance of incense, and a Puja Altar laid out with offerings of fruits, flowers, Shinni … and most importantly, a full, glorious plate of Kalakand shondesh, that was to go on every plate. Our prasad would go to all our neighbours too.
Well, to us, it was prasad. But to Laddu? It was a sweet destiny of that Purnima evening!
I was busy dividing the Shinni in bowls with the cut fruits.. after seeing off the Pandit ji. We had a very spacious verandah… friends moved to sit there and chat. I was getting ready to serve them.
Ofcourse the Kalakand plate would be brought to the dining table from the Puja place as the last thing…. It was on the floor.
How would I think of keeping an eye on Laddu! I didn’t see him approach. And no one heard a thing.
Like a tiny little silent raider with absolutely no moral conflict, he made his move… and in what can only be described as breathtaking dedication, Laddu polished off the entire plate of Kalakand sweets. There were many!
Not a crumb was left. Not a trace!
Just… a quiet, spiritual emptiness where sweets once lived. LOL!!!
Who would think of such a stealthy little shadow-like operation? He was sitting right there with us, chin on the floor listening to Pandit Ji’s chantings!
Fastforward…..
The 15/20 plates were laid out on the dining table … all I had to had was to add the Kalakand sweets to embellish the plates. So I walked back to the Puja place …
And that BIG plate was completely empty! When I discovered it, I hope you can feel the chaos that followed.
“WHO TOOK THE SWEETS?!” I yelled…..
The ones who were helping me, looked around.
And Laddu?
Nowhere.
I began searching the house room to room, corner to corner.
And then I found him.
Hiding in my sons’ room, sitting there as innocently as possible, between the wall and the headboard of their bed…. like a long sausage….. while they were doing their homework… as if he had always belonged there, as if he had never known sin.
I called out, “Laddu…”
And instantly, the performance began.
He started whimpering….soft, trembling, heartbreakingly emotional.
The kind that said:
“I don’t know what I did, Maa… why are you calling me so angrily?”
I am telling you, it was Oscar-worthy!
The minute I tried to drag him out … the volume of the whimpering rose in pitch… and both my boys started pleaading, “Maa he did nothing … he has been sitting with us, here!!!”
But I knew Laddu too well.I dragged him out as he kept pulling himself back!
And then I gently lifted his upper lip.
And there it was.
All the evidence I needed.
His entire mouth… caked in Kalakand.
Ofcourse the case closed, right there!
Criminal identified. With no remorse whatsoever.
I could write a book about our Laddu!
For 14 years, he didn’t just live with us. He entertained us, outsmarted us, emotionally manipulated us … and occasionally robbed us of our desserts.
And most honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
In a world of predictabl Dachsunds, Laddu was one of a kind! He decided to be completely original! A vegetarian, stubborn, deeply loving pet who made his own rules… and made sure all of us followed them….
Will share more!
Meet Laddu!