https://mouthshut.com/diary/ebhdnqmlr/The-Evening-Star8
One evening they came back from the playground, did their usual mud bed session, but Jackie was not usual. He was much slower than all other days. He only sipped water and few sips of milk. And then, he went out and sat in the porch. It was the most unusual thing. He never left Snigdha for a second and today, after a lot of insistence he is not ready to come in. Meghna called Mona. She came, patted him, and moved her fingers in soft white fur.
“Meghna, I think, he doesn’t have much time”
“Mona, can’t you do something”
Mona hugged her, “I wish I could”
She left.
How will I console Snigdha, Meghna’s heart sank. There was a lump in her throat. She has to control herself. But she was too late in gathering herself. Her expressions were well read and understood by Snigdha. She quietly went and sat besides him. She took his head in her lap. Her tiny fingers ran in his deep fur. She felt the soft ears. She touched his eyes, his wet nose. His neck, where he loved to be touched. His paws, which made his presence felt in the house. Meghna tried to make Snigdha get up from there. It would be really brutal. But Snigdha was not ready to move.
Raghav was still a little young to understand and it was good for him. Meghna didn’t want to leave Snigdha at any cost there with him alone, so she looked at Dhananjay and he took Raghav inside.
Meghna looked at them, remembering, whenever Snigdha was ill, Jackie would sit for her all night. He would not blink till he would sense that now she is ok. He was like her shield, anything and everything would pass through him before reaching her. He would make sure, the person has all the good intentions, and then only he would let him/her go near Snigdha. Those two watchful eyes which always followed Snigdha and gave her a feel safe feeling. But now...and she closed her eyes.
Snigdha looked up in the sky, a dark night, no moon night, just stars. The stars those are hardly visible. Sometimes you need to put in a lot of effort to see all of them. Or else they just appear as dots. But when they are needed they are a true support. They show the right direction to a lost soul. Tonight a star that did his job beautifully on earth is going to join them. She saw him; his white fur glowed in dark. And she hugged him. Please don’t leave me.
Meghna sat all night on the porch stairs looking at them. It was the darkest night of their life.
https://mouthshut.com/diary/eihhqqmlr/The-Evening-Star10
