Find your Tuzzie find love

Step back and do something that brings you back to life and gives you genuine happiness. I had the world & then Tuzzie came and made sure my world was complete. We think too much, we try too hard. Sometimes we just need to let go and get a woof.

 
Mayuri with Tuzzie

Missing friend

I am the only child of my parents living in Delhi. Life has been good so far. God’s been kind. I’d call myself pampered, not spoilt. Life as a single child comes with not just a room but an entire house to you. Your stuff is your stuff, your space is your space and most importantly your parents’ attention is only and only to you. From someone else’s eyes I had the world, but yes I cannot deny I always felt like having an imaginary friend, so I always had my inner voice to accompany me anywhere and everywhere.

 
In my childhood I once ran into an orphanage and begged my parents to get me a brother, well they laughed it off, but I cried so hard that I refused to step out of the place till I get one. I felt helpless and still remember I was made to realise how hard it could be to take care of newborn child. Then came up a thought of getting a dog, but like a lot of the other households my mother too warned me that if I ever even think of getting one she would leave the house.
 

It finally happened
I always admired small fluffy little dogs but never had the courage to even hold one. I happened to realise I was always surrounded by friends who had dogs but then I knew that won’t be an option for me. So just one not so fine day, in my miserable post breakup condition looked through the internet, fascinated by a Lhasa Apso, luckily showed availability after contacting the person. He sent me a video of the small puppy and it was love at first sight to me. “Do so after your marriage, not in this house,’’ snapped my mom. But after a few tears shed by two of us something made her say ‘Yes’.
And we got him, my baby came home in a basket trying to jump out and smell. The first time I held him was for barely three seconds, could not handle it, too scared, jittery. But as days passed, he became my first born and a friend. Tiny paws, softest coat, twinkling eyes and a small little basket that he was kept in. Preparations were on not as much as the excitement, made me feel “Oh yes! It’s finally happened.”

I named him Tuzzie
Feeding him his first meal felt satisfying. Did not know what to call him, so I selected a few names, told all my friends, sent out pictures. I placed his basket next to my bed and covered him with a blanket, I kept the lights switched on as I did not know if I could pull off an entire night with a dog in my room.

 
Day 3, priority was to give him a name. The best part about this little bundle of joy was his white paws, and his most beautiful ‘you have to love my eyes’, the way he ran it appeared to me as if he hopped. So finally I decided to call him Rabbit but hello! I could not call him that directly, so that I searched translation of the word Rabbit in different languages, did not like any. My last option was to check in Chinese and there it was. I named my baby ‘Tuzzie’.
 

Whole new vibe
Tuzzie made me laugh! He brought a whole new vibe and I turned into a new person who had a reason to wake and start my day with a smile. The love of my life moved around in the house and spread the joy. I woke up early in the morning and saw the sunlight, the birds chirping and my baby waiting to getting his meal. I felt like a mother feeding him. Playing with my rabbit, could not get more fun, getting him his toys, the trauma of his vaccinations, giving him his first bath.

There was price to pay
But with all this it came with a price. My mother was not able to cope up. She remained to be petrified. She did not accept him. Then I decided to give Tuzzie away; I was mortified. I made a few calls and prepared myself to let him go. My mother kept silent, the silence which probably gave no consent positive or negative. My little baby took his nap and there I was packing his stuff to give him away.

Away from me
I gave him away; I gave away a piece of my heart! I gave away my reason to smile and while I did so I saw a look in his eyes which told me I was being so unfair. My baby was gone. It was a deadly night decorated with tears and sadness. I couldn’t believe he was not around me anymore, not in my room and may be never coming back to my life again. I never slept over the night. The morning was dull; I sat in my balcony, numb and speechless. My domestic help and others questioned me, why did I ever give him up! My answer was “I did not want my family to think bringing Tuzzie was an immature selfish decision. Their acceptance was necessary to me. Also I did not want Tuzzie to be living in an environment where he’s not loved.” My mother overheard me speak and came rushing to me apologizing. She confessed she missed him too, she expressed that she made eggs for Tuzzie and herself to start with the day. We cried and whined. And finally decided, as ‘one’ to get him back. It became our mission as a family.

Return of Tuzzie
Tuzzie did not become a reason for our fights, but a reason for us to unite and this time only stronger. I explained, shrieked and literally begged to have him back. But this actually did turn into a mission as his so-called new care takers came out to be real evils. There were some police officials who had to intervene, not many just a dozen of them. I fought for Tuzzie to make sure he comes back to me, comes back home!

United we are
My mom today is cooking for him, feeding him, caring him, making his timetable, clicking his pictures, patting him and making sure he’s warm! My father enjoys his company too. Tuzzie has filled our lives with immense love and laughter. For me – I found Tuzzie and I found love!