The Gopi Diaries 9789356295506

Table of contents :
Cover
Title Page
Table of Contents
Dedication
On a Warm Summer Day
A Cool Time in the Pool!
My First Haircut
I Am a Celebrity
A Visit to Our Farm
My Best Vacation
Falling in Love
Bundles of Joy
Catching a Thief
About the Book
Copyright

Citation preview

Contents On a Warm Summer Day A Cool Time in the Pool! My First Haircut I Am a Celebrity A Visit to Our Farm My Best Vacation Falling in Love Bundles of Joy Catching a Thief About the Book About the Author Copyright

GOPI’S FAMILY AJJA - N.R. Narayana Murthy AJJI - Sudha Murty TACHI AJJI - Dr. Sunanda Kulkarni APPA - Rohan Murty

Dedicated to all the dogs who bring happiness to those around them

On a Warm Summer Day I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky. The sun was right there – like a shiny orange ball. I soaked up the comforting warmth of its rays before anyone else could, all because of my furry coat. Aaaah! That felt so wonderful! Within minutes, the warmth got intense and hot. It was as if I was in a heatwave. I can bear the cold weather in any part of the world but I cannot stand warm weather – not even a little. Soon, I became restless. I wanted to tell Ajji that I was feeling terribly hot. No matter what the problem is, I always run to Ajji first, even though I have other people to share it with. So I searched for her. She was not in the kitchen and not in the puja room. I knew her routine very well and could tell where she would be next. I darted to the garden. To my delight, I found her there. She was watering the plants

and trees, humming a song under her breath, while spraying cool water around the garden. It was creating puddles here and there. The moment I saw the puddles of water, I forgot how hot I was feeling. The puddles were so inviting! I did not want to waste a single minute and jumped into the nearest muddy curb. I just wanted to relax. Splish! Splash! I moved my front paws back and forth so fast and so hard that I sent big water droplets everywhere! ‘Gopesha, don’t play in the muddy water. You’ll get dirty!’ I heard Ajji trying to stop me. ‘Then, we have to bathe you again!’ she said affectionately.

‘Haha!’ I said. ‘That is the very reason I am doing this, Ajji.’ The fragrance of the wet soil, the cool water, hmm … it was such a joy to play in it. Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!

Ajji knew that I wasn’t listening to her, because she knows me best. So she smiled at me but did not stop watering the plants. She said, ‘I cannot stop what I am doing. The plants need water and sunshine to make their food …’ But I didn’t listen to her. Again, I jumped into the next puddle and started rolling. Why would I miss any opportunity to cool my skin!

Just then, Tachi Ajji also came out of the house. Her name is Sunanda, and I am proud that she is a doctor. Since my Appa lovingly calls her Tachi, I call her Tachi Ajji too. She looked at me and remarked, ‘The day has just started, and the weather is so hot. Summer has already set in. No wonder Gopi loves to be in the water now.’ She understood what I was feeling and I wagged my tail to thank her for speaking on my behalf.

Ajji and Tachi Ajji sat down on a bench nearby. Ajji said, ‘For the last two years, Gopi has been very nice. He’s always listened to us. But now, he is three years old and has become a naughty boy. He is making us dance to his tune.’

‘Gopi, we must do something about you,’ Tachi Ajji agreed with Ajji and looked at me.

I heard my grandmothers speaking about me but I didn’t really care. Poor Ajji! In her worry about me, she had forgotten to close the tap, and I quietly enjoyed the flow that was making my puddle even bigger! As always, they became busy with their phones and I continued to roll in the puddle – left and right, left and right. ‘Woof! Woof! Come on! Join me, or you will miss out on a big joy of life,’ I said. But the Ajjis didn’t even hear me. After some time, Ajji realized that I had not moved from the puddle and started walking towards me. ‘Gopi, why are you still playing there?’ she asked me firmly. I got ready to stand up. Just then her phone beeped. She looked down at it, and screamed, ‘I found it! I found it!’ ‘Found what?’ asked Tachi Ajji in surprise. ‘I saw an advertisement on my phone about a special swimming pool for dogs, and they are starting a fresh batch for beginners. I think we should enroll him.’ ‘That’s amusing,’ said Tachi Ajji, ‘Dogs are natural swimmers. They don’t need a class for that.’ ‘While that may be true,’ said Ajji, ‘I don’t feel comfortable just throwing him into the water and expecting him to swim without anyone’s help. Besides, neither you nor I know swimming. Let’s go and at least get more information before dismissing it.’ I knew that she had already made up her mind and was only trying to convince Tachi Ajji. ‘You want to go today?’ asked Tachi Ajji, unsure about the plan. ‘First, you close that tap. Gopi has spread water everywhere!’

‘I want to go to the pool now!’ I said and giggled. It is nice that someone has made pools just for us. Otherwise, in a big city like Bengaluru, where do we have lakes or rivers to swim in?

A Cool Time in the Pool! The next day, Ajji began to collect my things as if I was competing in the Olympics. She packed two bath towels, a few water bottles, snacks, my bowl, cotton swabs, a ball, and other things into a big picnic basket. She also put two of my passport size photographs in her bag. Sawant, my caretaker, is always with me and has become a really good friend. I can get annoyed with him but never with Ajji. I love her too much. When Sawant saw Ajji’s huge basket, he laughed and said, ‘Amma, I have served in the army, and I have seen how dogs swim. They just dive into the pool or lake, keep their neck above water level and paddle furiously. That’s it. That’s swimming for them. Then they come out after they are done and just shake off all the water from their fur. They don’t even need a towel. Their ears don’t get wet, either!’

‘Come, come, let’s go!’ said Ajji with a smile and took the picnic basket with her. Finally, our merry group reached the place and completed the formalities for me to check in.

When I finally got near the entry of the building, I was scared – it was the same feeling I got when I see my doctor. This didn’t feel familiar at all! I was reluctant to go inside but Sawant was strong and he just pulled me in. Ajji and Tachi Ajji went inside to complete the check-in formalities while Sawant and I joined the crowd at the waiting lounge. It was a big hall with many chairs. ‘Good job, Ajji,’ I thought, as I stared at the pool from a distance. Indeed, it was practically designed for us. There was chaos everywhere in the hall. People were talking to each other, introducing themselves, sharing their experiences, exchanging phone numbers, and talking about dog food, among other things.

I looked around and saw many from my fraternity – some were trembling, others were either scared, boisterous or quiet. Our humans were calling out our names – Alex, Ruby, Raja, Snoopy, Radha ... Suddenly, I saw a young, slender beauty timidly leaning against a wall. I could see that she was terrified. Maybe her human too had gone to fill forms like my Ajjis. I felt sorry for her and wanted to make her feel better, but Sawant was holding onto my leash tightly. I yelled at him, ‘Sawant, can’t you see that young girl in distress? Leave me, let me go so I can help her.’

Sawant tightened his grip on the leash. He refused to let me go. I didn’t give up. I yanked the leash and his phone fell to the ground. The moment he bent down to pick it up, I pulled at the leash again. It fell from his hand and I ran to the girl without looking back. Sawant came running behind me and caught my leash, but by then, I was already standing next to her. ‘May I know your name, please?’ I asked her, as softly as I could.

‘Supernova, but my dear ones call me Nova,’ she replied shyly. Nova, what a lovely name! She, however, never asked me mine.

Never mind, I thought. It is the duty of a gentleman to introduce himself. ‘My name is Gopi Murty,’ I said. ‘I am three years old and I have learnt many things and graduated my classes too. Tell me, Nova, why are you scared?’ ‘I am only two years old!’ said Nova, hesitantly. ‘I am not from Bengaluru and this is the first time I am in such a crowded place. I feel lost. Why have they brought me here?’

‘Where is your Ajji?’ ‘I don’t have an Ajji, but I have a Pappa,’ she said. ‘Ah! Here he is!’ Suddenly, she relaxed as a tall man came and stood next to her. She looked at him with pride. Sawant and he began to talk to each other. Sawant became so engrossed in the discussion that he loosened my leash and I effortlessly walked up to her. She was even more beautiful from up close. I was mesmerized. She had lovely black eyes, shiny brown skin, a shapely snout, and a soft furry tail … ‘Nova, you are the most beautiful in this crowd,’ I said, unable to hold back the words.

Nova blushed. ‘My Pappa says that I am the most beautiful and the best dog in the whole world.’ I remembered what Ajji often tells me. I said to Nova, ‘My Ajji says that I am the most handsome and gentlest dog in this universe. I am the best, and

she never lies to me, you know …’ I eagerly waited for Nova’s response. What would she say to that? ‘Yes, Gopi Murty, your Ajji is right. You are indeed very handsome. Look at your eyes, your fur, your muscles, your tail … you are anybody’s Prince Charming.’ I curled up my tail. I felt shy. Our conversation would have continued, but old Alex nearby interrupted us, ‘Keep quiet. Stop talking, will you? There is so much noise in the room already. Do you know why you are here? To swim. Not to chit-chat.’ Oh, yes! We were there to learn swimming, I recalled. ‘So, how is it going then?’ I asked Alex. ‘Hmm. Not that great. I am from the batch that started last month. Our coach’s name is Siddu. Whether you want to or not, he will push everyone into the pool and will force you to go around it for six or eight laps, depending on his mood and time of day. If you refuse, he will ensure that you do more.’ ‘So I gather you don’t like this class, Alex. Then what do you like to do?’ I asked. ‘I want to laze around in the garden, in the shade.’ ‘Hi guys! I am Ruby from Kodagu,’ said an older lady. ‘This pool thing is a cakewalk for me. In Kodagu, we have natural lakes and rivers. Swimming in them is more fun than this. This … this is nothing.’

I would have spoken to many more about their experiences, but a bell rang and a loud voice boomed from nowhere in particular and filled the room, ‘Gopi Murty, Supernova, Dimple, Charmie, come to the pool.’

Sawant rushed to take me and I saw Nova, Dimple and Charmie walking to the pool. At the edge of the pool, I felt wonderful as I looked at the clear blue water. I put a paw in. It was cool and nice. Suddenly, I felt a shove and a thud. Siddu had pushed me into the pool without warning.

I gave him an angry look, but Siddu did not care. That was rude! Till then, I had never been forced to do anything. I always have my own way and take my own time. For the first time in my life, someone was being so uncaring towards me. I was extremely upset. ‘Swim,’ Siddu yelled at me. I was soaked and petrified. Even in my distressed state, I couldn’t help looking at Nova. She was still sitting outside the pool. I wanted to go back and talk to her. I tried to clamber out, but Siddu pushed me back down again and said, ‘Swim.’ ‘There’s too much water here. Give me some time to get used to this,’ I yelled back, but he didn’t allow me to get out of the pool.

With no other choice, I slowly started to paddle my front paws. They felt a little unstable. I tried to reach the pool ladder again and climb up, but Siddu shouted, ‘Go back and start using your back legs too.’ It hurt to do that, but I tried and after some time, I was able to use them well.

By then, my pool-time was almost over and both the Ajjis were anxiously waiting for me. They looked worried. Ajji cajoled me from a distance, ‘Gopchu, you have done quite well. Please, for my sake, do one last lap and come back. I will treat you to crunchy biscuits.’ I turned back and saw Dimple and Charmie entering the water. They were also shouting, ‘Don’t push us, Siddu!’ But Nova was still standing outside, like a statue.

I did not want to disappoint Ajji. I turned back, and using the technique I had just learnt, I swam to the other end of the pool and climbed out. I wanted to share my experience with Nova before I left. As I came near, I told her, ‘Don’t worry, Nova. Relax. It hurts the first time you move your legs. Later, it becomes better.’ She gave me a smile full of gratitude just as Siddu came to push her too. Now, I wanted to go to the pool every day. I liked swimming, of course, but the main attraction was Nova.

My First Haircut I enjoyed swimming a lot. After a few days, I didn’t need Siddu’s instructions anymore. I could dive into the water and swim on my own. Whenever I felt tired, I sat on the ladder, took a break and then went back into the water again. My four limbs synchronized very well in the water. I was big, I could finish the laps faster than anyone else. Poor Nova took a lot more time than me. As I went for more and more swimming lessons, my friendship with Nova also grew. One day, I invited her to my house. She said, ‘Tell my Pappa. I do not even know where your house is.’ ‘My house is in Jayanagar,’ I said. ‘If I walk to your house even once, I will remember it, Nova. I have a strong sense of smell and the next time, I can even come on my own without anyone accompanying me.’

‘How is that possible?’ she seemed puzzled. ‘Because I pee on the way. It is our inherent trait and I can trace the route because of it,’ I explained. ‘Even you can do that.’

Nova nodded. Summer was at its peak. I started feeling very uncomfortable despite the swimming classes. My fur had also grown. One afternoon, Ajji was woken up from her nap by the sound of water in the shower. She was surprised because she knew that nobody took a shower at that time of the day. She stood up and went to the bathroom to close the tap but found me there instead. ‘Gopi! You are completely drenched. Who turned on the shower for you?’ she said, sounding surprised. ‘I just went inside the bathroom and brushed myself against the shower tap and water started gushing out, Ajji! So I sat under it and thoroughly enjoyed the cool water on my body.’

‘Wait here,’ she said and grabbed a towel. She began to wipe me. I didn’t resist her efforts. Now I was feeling wet, hot and uncomfortable with my long fur. Ajji knew that I had opened the tap unintentionally but still, she told everybody in the house, ‘Gopi now knows how to take a shower!’ I was proud of myself. I had learnt how to open the tap by fluke. So, I quietly repeated this whenever I was feeling extremely hot. One day, I opened the shower tap but to my horror, hot water hit my body. I started jumping and howling and ran to Ajji. I was half wet. As soon as Ajji put her hand on me, she knew what had happened. She immediately asked for some ice-cubes, massaged me with them and said, ‘Poor Gopi. Someone forgot to switch off the geyser in the bathroom. Oh, my child! How much you have suffered for someone else’s fault!’

Later that day, she called for a meeting. It was attended by Tachi Ajji, Ajja and Sawant. She told them that I needed a haircut since I felt hot these days. Ajja opposed the idea, ‘No, no! This is your idea of what he needs. Fur is his natural wealth. He may not like to chop it.’ Tachi Ajji said, ‘I have seen many dogs get a haircut in the summer.’ Sawant said, ‘Yes, they do. We can just cut his fur short. I used to do that in the army.’

I agreed with Sawant. His military practices were excellent, but I didn’t like his discipline. He continued, ‘Siddu gives a good haircut. He does it at the salon near the changing room. Why don’t we get it done tomorrow?’ Ajji and Tachi Ajji agreed, though Ajja was not happy. Ajja loves me but he cannot read my mind the way Ajji does. The next day, I was at the salon for my first haircut. The last two summers hadn’t been bad as my fur hadn’t been so thick. Siddu was not in a swimsuit but wearing an apron. He made me sit in a tub of water and put his hands over me and said, ‘What beautiful fur. Look at his tail! It is like a chamara, used in a temple. Are you sure you want me to cut his fur short? He will lose his charm for a couple of months.’

Sawant said, ‘No problem. Please go ahead.’ I gave him a dirty look and scowled, ‘What if I gave you a really short haircut? Or perhaps even shaved off your hair completely? Would you allow me to do it? No, you wouldn’t. I need a minimal haircut.’

Sawant did not seem to care. He instructed Siddu, ‘Cut his fur as short as possible. That way, it will grow back only by the winter season.’ Siddu nodded and immediately put me in a crate and applied coconut oil to my fur. Siddu explained to Sawant, ‘Coconut oil is very good for his skin. After some time, I will cut his fur, shampoo him and give him a nice bath. It will take one and a half hours. You can come back later.’ Without any regret at the loss of my beautiful mane, Sawant nodded and walked out. When Sawant left, I was frightened. I knew nobody there.

I barked and called Siddu, ‘Hey, come here!’ But Siddu did not answer. After some time, Siddu called out to his assistant and said, ‘Come, I will hold Gopi’s paws and you massage him well.’

After the massage, I felt so relaxed. I didn’t even realize when they locked the crate and went away. I looked around to see if anyone else was in the salon. There was a young Pomeranian and I called out to her, ‘Hi. What are you doing here?’ ‘I am enjoying the massage right now. I don’t feel like chatting.’ ‘Getting ready for the haircut? Do you like this process?’ I asked.

‘Yes, of course I do. I feel really good after the haircut. If there is a tick in the fur, nobody will know. Only if it is short can they get the ticks off my body.’ ‘What is a tick?’ ‘Haven’t you ever seen a tick, man?’ She was surprised, then irritated. I knew she wanted to enjoy the experience quietly. But she replied, ‘Then how do they take care of your fur?’

‘Every day, Sawant brushes my teeth, cleans my face, and gives me a good brushing down. After that, I get a fragrant sponge bath and a blow-dry.’ ‘You are very lucky. You should thank Sawant. In my case, my owners tie me near the gate every day. They just give me two meals. Some people want to keep us just to show off.’ ‘Then how come they have brought you here today?’ I questioned her. ‘Oh! They have a lovely granddaughter. Whenever she comes to our house, she cares for me from head to toe. And she also gets a health check-up done,’ the Pomeranian sighed. ‘Why don’t you stay with her then?’

‘I can’t. She lives in an apartment and the association does not allow pets in the society.’ I felt bad for her but also lucky to have a loving family around me.

After I returned home from the haircut, Ajji was shocked to see me. She said, ‘Where is my Gopi? This looks like a little lamb.’ I felt very shy and unprotected without my fur. So I went and hid under the table. Tachi Ajji came and pulled me out from there, ‘Gopi, don’t worry. This too shall pass.’ Then she hugged me. Within weeks, summer did pass and my swimming lessons ended abruptly. The rains had arrived early. Usually, I enjoy the rainy season. But this time, I felt bad because now I had no way of meeting Nova. Ajji continued with her daily prayers saying, ‘God willing, anything can happen!’ I believed in that and hoped to meet Nova again.

I Am a Celebrity Everyone knows that Ajji is a well-known author. She writes for children. Sometimes, she is interviewed by the media. Once, a TV crew had come for a shoot. I was observing the proceedings with interest. A crew member saw me and asked, ‘Ma’am, can he sit next to you for this interview?’ Ajji said, ‘As long as he sits quietly, I am fine.’ Tachi Ajji decided to make sure I behaved well. She kept some chewsticks there to keep me busy. So I chewed and chewed and managed to sit there until the interview was over. Without something to do, I cannot sit in one place for long.

That’s how I first came on a show with Ajji. The second time, there was a TV show. Many people whom Ajji knew were invited. The show was called, ‘Weekend with Ramesh’. Ramesh is a wellknown actor in the Kannada movie industry. Ajji took me to the studio, on everyone’s advice. I was a little shy and scared, but Ajji was sitting next to

me and I decided to follow her lead. The show was excellent and I behaved like a superstar on the set.

The moment the show aired, I became a big celebrity. Many people recognized me and called me by name as if they knew me well. It all felt so strange. Some people even wanted to take selfies with me. Children wrote to Ajji about me. Later, Ajji wrote a series of books on me and called it ‘The Gopi Diaries’. The first book was called ‘Coming Home’. For its book release, I was the chief guest. It was very crowded. There were balloons, flowers and lights everywhere including on the stage. A sofa was kept for Ajji and me. There were many cameras and people and children along with their parents. All of Ajji’s friends were also there.

As it was an unusual function, lots of photographers and media were present too. Ajji had arranged a special surprise for the launch. She hadn’t called anyone else to release the book. I had to do it. Tachi Ajji had given me enough practice. She would wrap a book, tie a ribbon and put a chocolate at the end of the ribbon. I would pull at the chocolate to eat it and the ribbon would also get pulled. The book wrapper would open automatically. Ah! What an idea. I did exactly as she had taught me. The next day’s newspapers read, ‘Gopi releases his book in Bengaluru.’ I saw it on television and I must say I had posed very well with Ajji.

After the release of my book, I became very famous. A lot of offers started coming my way for things like opening a pet store, modelling for good fur, or for bright white teeth. Some children even wanted me to autograph the book. Ajji did not consult me before making a rubber stamp of my paws. She would press it on every book, and I must admit that I liked her idea. Happily, I agreed to a photograph with a signed copy of the book.

In virtual school sessions, I would sit next to Ajji for the duration of the event. Children enjoyed these sessions and sometimes also brought in their pets. That was also fun! Since I was now good at handling attention, Ajji said I had a natural flair for acting and that I was extremely photogenic. Tachi Ajji agreed. She said, ‘Perhaps, we should consider a career for Gopi in Bollywood.’ But these days, I was very busy. I didn’t have time for Bollywood. I had to go to Ajji’s farm and help Sawant pluck cucumbers, and try not to pee on the plants. Sometimes, Ajji took me to inaugurate shops.

Though I don’t charge any money for my appearance, I get gifts from each event such as shampoos, leashes, collars, biscuits, water bottles, and so many other things.

Tachi Ajji told me, ‘You are a celebrity too.’ I humbly accepted it and gave her a lick in agreement.

A Visit to Our Farm Ajji has a farm and goes there often. Now that I was grown up and more responsible, I was allowed to go with her. This time, when she left early in the morning, I was ready to get into the car. I always enjoy the window seat. I was huge and occupied almost the entire seat, unknowingly pushing Ajji to one corner. I put my head out and saw people riding bikes and scooters. But I felt scared when big buses went by next to me. Then, I clung to Ajji. She smiled and said, ‘Oh my dear Jagadeka Veera,’ and cuddled me till the buses passed by. The farm was about a twenty-minute drive, but I got bored after five minutes. Now I wanted to peep through the other window where Ajji was sitting. So, I pushed Ajji away from there. She understood and moved aside, leaving that window for me.

The worst part, however, were the traffic jams in the city. We got stuck at the Silk Board Junction. Many people and vehicles moved around my car and I just did not like them coming so close. I told them to move, but no one did and it drove me crazy. Many people turned and looked at me with different expressions. A few children in a car screamed when they saw me, ‘Hey, that is Gopi!’ Some elders said, ‘What a beautiful dog!’ But some people passed silly remarks, ‘Look at that dog! He is so big.’ I got annoyed on hearing such remarks, and barked to ask them to mind their own business.

Sometimes, when I saw poor dogs on the road, I felt bad for them. I wished Ajji would adopt all of them.

Once I reached my farm, I jumped and happily ran on the fresh green grass. Sawant removed my leash and I went everywhere. We have a small water tank on our farm. I dived into it. Sawant yelled at me, but I didn’t care. I swam as much as I wanted without Sawant controlling me. When I got tired, I came out of the water and slept in the cool breeze. There was a lot of lemon grass on the farm. I chewed it as medicine, whenever I needed to. Anytime I got a stomach upset, I searched for it and ate it. It helped ease my tummy.

Ajji lovingly asked me, ‘Who taught you what to eat when you are ill, Gopi?’ I said, ‘Mother Nature.’ Then, I rushed to the veggie patch. I smelt every vegetable, but I only ate cucumber. I went to the creepers and searched for the most tender one and plucked it out and ate it right there.

Ajji laughed, ‘Look at Gopi, he is the only one who enjoys eating cucumber like this.’ I saw parrots near the guava trees. Though I am not fond of guava, I went there just to shoo the parrots away. They are different from other birds. They saw me, but didn’t seem to care. I went and brushed myself against a tree, and they flew away, making lots of fruit fall to the ground. But sadly, they came back again after I left.

One day, I saw a black thing moving alongside the wall. I followed it, but it was moving very fast. I stood there, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, it just went into a hole in the ground. After some time, I saw something black crawling out and I stood there curious to know what it was. Ajji came running and hugged me tight. ‘Oh Gopi! That was a snake. It was slithering towards a mouse. Don’t go near it.’

Ajji was sweating. Thankfully, the snake slid into a tiny mud hole. I did not really understand what was happening. But I understood that Ajji was really scared. I had never seen her crying like this before. She hugged me again and said, ‘Gopi, you are home-bred. This is a farm and there are many creatures here. Some are harmful to you and me. You don’t understand the consequences. Stay near me and don’t run around.’ I did not want to listen to her advice, but I also did not want to hurt her. After all, she is very dear to me. So I brushed my face against her saree, and I knew that this made her feel better instantly. From the corner of my eye, I saw a tomato and just for fun, I plucked it from the bush with my mouth. I did not like the taste and dropped it when I spotted a very beautiful green patch. I ran there to see what it was and to smell it.

‘Amma, you have pampered him too much,’ yelled Sawant. ‘Just see what he has done – he has squished the entire coriander patch with his weight.’ I knew that I had done something wrong, and I looked at Ajji with my tail down. She said quietly, ‘Don’t do this, Gopi. Come, let’s walk away from here.’ Ajji never gets upset with me but rather takes me away. In this case, probably to save me from Sawant’s wrath for a short while. I agreed and followed her. Soon, I saw a flock of white pigeons. I ran behind them and they all flew away. Then I came back huffing and puffing to Ajji. It was fun. I never get bored doing this! As we walked back to Sawant, I saw him pulling out something from the ground. I wanted to assist him, so I also went and pulled it. With great appreciation, Sawant said, ‘Well done, well done, Gopi. You have pulled out a good number of peanuts.’ I felt happy that I had done a good job and kept pulling out more until Ajji said, ‘Now it is too much. Please come here. You are spoiling the patch.’

Reluctantly, I left the spot. Oooh! I felt like peeing. So I ran to the curry leaves tree and went about my business. Tachi Ajji clapped and said, ‘Look at Gopi, he is supplying urea to the tree. Well done, Gopi!’ I beamed with happiness knowing that I had contributed something to our farm. I was so tired on the return journey that I slept the entire way home.

My Best Vacation During Covid times, everyone got bored staying at home for almost two years. I too was super bored. I could not go on long drives, long walks or meet my friends. I was only allowed short walks. The roads were empty, and it was very easy for us to roam around. Sawant would get worried, ‘Gopi, don’t sniff around too much. We don’t know where the Covid virus hides. I don’t want you to get affected.’

Ajji was busy helping others during Covid. She was making and giving chapatis to all my street friends. Sometimes, I would accompany her, and she would feed them on the side of the road. It was really nice of her. She would remind me, ‘Gopi, you are lucky. You get food without asking. Look at all your friends. They can’t even ask. They suffer. In Covid times, nobody comes out to feed them. So, it is our duty to help them.’ One day, she felt that she should buy more toys because I was getting bored. She bought a toy carrot, a toy frog, different coloured ropes and rings – some had an aroma and the others made a sound. I enjoyed playing with all those toys, but after two days, I got bored of them. So Ajji thought she would hide a couple of them and give them to me after a few days, packaging them as new toys. I quietly followed her. It was the first time I was going to get a glimpse of where she kept my things. I was surprised to see a big cupboard. I thought I didn’t have many things. But when she opened the cupboard, I found I had

more things than Tachi Ajji! One shelf was full of a variety of biscuits, snacks and emergency medicines. Another shelf had a folding bed, a thin rug, two bedsheets, four towels, and four napkins. My toys and other accessories were on the third shelf. There, I saw a small pendant that said ‘Gopi 2018’. I sniffed at it.

Ajji said, ‘You can wear this when we go for events.’ I nodded. After a week, I began to trouble Ajji to take me out somewhere. Ajji knew the different sounds and whines and she looked at Sawant and said, ‘Why don’t we go to Shanti Dham on the banks of the Kaveri river? My cousin has a house there. It will be a good change for all of us.’

Sawant remembered the house and said, ‘I will talk to Siddu. He is from that region. He will tell us about the areas that are safe for Gopi to swim in. There are crocodiles in some places, so he can send a local person to accompany us.’ I was ecstatic at the idea of swimming in the river but when Ajji heard about the crocodiles she wondered if it was a good idea to go there. Tachi Ajji reassured her, ‘Why do you worry? Local people will help us find a safe place for Gopi to swim.’ Ajji gave in and we left for our trip. I enjoyed the pollution-free cool air and we reached our destination quickly. A short time later, I felt someone staring at me. It was a slender white dog with long legs. Sawant said, ‘That is Rani. She is a Mudhol, an internationally renowned breed. Mudhol is a place in Karnataka near our hometown. These dogs are all thin and very smart. Their services are used by the military and police departments. Have you not seen them on television? Lucky you that Rani is staring at you!’

Rani came and sat next to me. She said, ‘You are a handsome fellow. I am happy to make your acquaintance. I gather that you are going to swim. You are new to this area. So I will also come along and swim with you. If you like, we can also go for morning and evening walks while you are here. I don’t have many friends around.’ I politely agreed.

The next day, we went swimming. What a joy it was! It was neither like the pool nor like the muddy water of the farm. It was pure and clean and cool and deep. The breeze was nice. I thought I was the best at swimming but Rani was much, much better than me. She swam as fast as a cheetah and I was no competition. I admired her. Siddu gave me a ball to play with. Rani did not know how to play and finally, I was better than her at something. So I taught her and we had a wonderful time. I remembered Nova and wished she was here so that we could swim together. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. I was thankful to Ajji for taking me to the Kaveri river.

Falling in Love The day after we returned, Ajji instructed Sawant to give me a bath. She had bought a special silk shampoo for me and the smell was lovely. I remembered Nova again. If she had been here, she too would have enjoyed the fragrant bath. After the bath, Sawant began to blow-dry my fur. Ajji too came out to dry her hair in the sun after her bath. I ran up to her and was happy that she also smelled like me. To show my happiness, I sat on her lap and wagged my tail and sniffed her. Ajji said, ‘Gopi, why are you sniffing me today?’

Tachi Ajji also came there. ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘Both of you smell the same. What happened?’

Ajji’s eyes widened as she realized what she had done, ‘I got confused and used Gopi’s shampoo by mistake. I might get a tail tomorrow.’ The Ajjis stood together and laughed. ‘Ajji, you can’t become like me, just by using my shampoo! I am Gopi, and I am special.’

Sometimes, I express my affection and gratitude by licking the hands and ears of humans. If somebody pets me, I like to say thank you to them. I licked Ajji. That evening, I went to a big garden with Sawant. Ajji also came along. It was a huge place called Cubbon Park in the centre of Bengaluru, and many others like me had come there for a stroll with their humans. Suddenly, in that crowd, I saw my Supernova. She started running towards me and I did the same. Both our humans could not control us. When we met, we touched our noses and it felt so good. There is so much joy in meeting old friends. That too, a good friend like my Nova. Nova said, ‘Gopi, I thought that we would never meet again. My Pappa brings me here to meet other handsome boys, but I don’t like any of them.

Some are too short, some too tall, some don’t have any fur, and others have too much. No one appeals to me.’

‘Really?’ ‘But I do like one person now. He is tall, handsome, he has the perfect amount of fur, he is gentle, kind-hearted, well-mannered…’ the adjectives continued and so did the pace of my heartbeat. I had to interrupt her. ‘Who is that lucky man?’ I asked with a little bit of jealousy. ‘Who else, Gopi? You, of course!’ She paused and looked at me. ‘In this crowd, you look distinct and different. Aren’t you aware that other girls too admire you?’

From the corner of my eye, I saw many pretty girls looking at me but I knew that I only liked Nova. ‘You are the one for me!’ I said. We had just acknowledged our love for each other. It felt nice. By then, Sawant and Nova’s Pappa had also reached us. Ajji caught up too and put her arms around Nova and me and said, ‘I think they like each other.’ Sawant chimed in, ‘Yes, Amma, I think they have fallen in love. I have seen them together in the pool too. They are always with each other.’ Nova’s father introduced himself, ‘I am Colonel Ram Singh.’

Ajji cordially invited Nova and her Pappa, ‘Please come home sometime.’ ‘We live close to your house, but we haven’t been introduced to each other. Gopi and Nova have done that for us now,’ said Colonel Ram Singh. The next few weeks were full of bliss. Nova would come and spend time with me in our garden every day and we would have a lovely time together. We would play hide and seek, chase each other, or just keep looking at each other.

Ajji would often give us nice south Indian food and pamper us. Sometimes, Sawant would take me to Colonel Ram Singh’s house too. Their house was

small, but the garden was big. There, Nova and I would jump around and Colonel Ram Singh would give us north Indian food, and sometimes bones too. I enjoyed sucking the bones and Nova always enjoyed the dosa in my house. One day, Nova and I were playing in the TV room in my house when I heard Ajji speaking to someone over the phone. She advised, ‘If you like the girl, give her a bouquet of flowers. The girl will understand.’ From that, I got a great idea and ran out from there. Nova followed close behind. I plucked out an entire flowering plant with my sharp teeth, gave it to Nova and said, ‘Nova, people only give flowers to their loved ones. I love you more than anyone in the world. So I want to give you a whole plant with flowers on it.’ Nova smiled and blushed.

Just then, Ajji came out and saw that I had pulled out a plant. ‘Gopi, what has happened to you? You have never done this before!’ I smiled at Ajji and wagged my tail happily.

Bundles of Joy Over the next few weeks, Nova’s visits became fewer. Then they totally stopped. I went to see her. She looked unwell. She had become plump, her face looked tired, and her stomach had become big. I felt bad and I did not know what to say. Ajji came and whispered in my ear, ‘Gopi, you are going to be a father! Don’t worry, Nova will be fine.’

I did not understand what that meant but from her tone, I guessed it was a happy occasion. After a few weeks, I saw Ajji distributing sweets to everybody with great delight. She said, ‘Gopi has become a father and I have become a greatgrandmother! Nova has delivered three pups – two girls and one boy.’ Ajji said, ‘Gopi, you are well-behaved and so is Nova. But it is your duty to tell your children to behave well too!’ In the evening, our merry group—Ajja, Ajji, Tachi Ajji, Sawant and I—went to Colonel Singh’s house with a box of sweets. Colonel Singh and his wife welcomed us with another big box of sweets. All of us rushed to see Nova.

The Singhs had taken good care of her. They had placed a soft mattress on a low- legged cot. Nova was sleeping and looked extremely tired. When I went to her, she saw me and wagged her tail but could not get up. She just closed her eyes and went back to sleep. I was a little disappointed at her reaction. To my surprise, three weird looking creatures began to move near Nova. I saw that they had started to drink milk. Their eyes were closed but they were making squeaky sounds.

‘Oh! One looks like a white bundle, the second is brown and the third is of a mixed colour,’ stated Ajji. ‘When Gopi was a puppy, he too was white in colour. But later as he grew up, he turned golden brown,’ said Tachi Ajji.

‘I have never seen a one-day old pup!’ exclaimed Ajja. He was curious to know how newborns behaved. Tachi Ajji was already examining them as she was a doctor. She declared, ‘All of them look normal. Out of them, two are girls and one is a boy, like you said.’ Once the pups were full and stopped drinking milk, Tachi Ajji took one of them and showed it to me, ‘Gopi, this is your daughter.’

I started sniffing them one by one. They had a wonderful smell that reminded me of Nova and myself. Suddenly, I felt that they belonged to Nova and me. I wanted to show them my affection and licked them. Then I looked at Nova and licked her ears to thank her for giving birth to our children.

Now, my family was complete. After that, my routine changed. I didn’t trouble Ajji like I did earlier, like pulling her pallu, chasing butterflies or playing hide and seek. I became more responsible. Every morning, I went to Nova’s house. I didn’t need anyone to take me. I knew the route very well. Since I peed at two places, I never missed it because of the smell. I met Nova and our children. Nova recovered slowly. These days, she played more with our children than with me. They were our cute little bundles of joy. I wanted to teach them how to catch a ball, how to say thank you, how to play hide and seek and how to live in this world. I just couldn’t wait to see them grow. When it was time for the naming ceremony, Ajji took charge. She shortlisted names despite Tachi Ajji’s many conditions – the name should not be difficult to pronounce, it should not be too long, it should sound beautiful and be full of grace. By the end, Ajji had written down over a hundred girls’ names and fifty boys’ names. Mrs. Singh also wrote down many names. Ajja

and Colonel Singh did not bother to write anything. They said any name was fine, as long as the pups were good and healthy. After a lot of debate, the families reached a consensus. The first daughter was named Mini, the second Poha and the boy was called Raj. Mrs. Singh liked the name Poha. It means beaten rice, but she wanted it anyway. The older of my daughters was so small that Ajji named her Mini. Since our boy looked quite regal, she named him Raj!

Now, Nova comes home along with our children, and we all enjoy playing with each other. Initially, I was all alone and was the king of my garden, but Ajji taught me that sharing is caring and as a father, I understand it very well. I allow the kids to use my toys. They climb all over me and enjoy sliding down my body. They go and drink water from my bowl. They pee wherever they want. I am trying to teach them to do it near the trees. They don’t listen to me yet, but I am learning to be more patient. I am also teaching them how to catch a ball and it is such a joy for me to see them learn so quickly.

Catching a Thief One day, the Ajjis decided to go for a walk near our house. Sawant had taken the day off. It was late evening. Ajji said to me, ‘Stay at home, we are going out and will return soon.’ However, I did not listen. I followed them at a distance without their knowledge. They were busy talking to each other and didn’t realize that I had been following them for a long time. Suddenly, Ajji yelled, ‘Ohhhhhh!’

From her voice, I knew that she was in pain. I ran towards her as fast as I could. Ajji was holding one hand tightly with the other, and tears were rolling down her cheeks. A young chap with a backpack was speeding away on a scooter. Tachi Ajji’s eyes widened when she saw me approach. But she was more concerned about Ajji. She asked Ajji, ‘Tell me slowly. What happened?’ ‘Someone snatched my phone. There he is … running away.’ She pointed towards the man on the scooter. Without thinking, I ran towards the man. He was fast, but I was faster. The Ajjis screamed, ‘Come back, Gopi, we don’t want you to get hurt. Come back!’

This time, I refused to listen to them. I was livid. How dare someone hurt my Ajji? When I neared the scooter, the man was confused. He hadn’t expected me there. I started barking at him and prepared to bite his leg. He realized my intention and tried to take a left turn without slowing down. But he could not, and fell down hard from his scooter. I am a big dog. I jumped and sat on top of him, and threatened him by baring my sharp teeth. He seemed paralyzed by fear and did not move an inch. Many people came running. The streetlights also came on. The Ajjis ran towards me, screaming, ‘That man is a thief! Thief! Catch him!’

I did not move even a little, though people had surrounded me. I heard someone call the police.

The thief said, ‘Please move. My chest is hurting from the weight.’ ‘You deserve it,’ I said. The Ajjis finally reached me and Ajji began to explain what had happened. A police van had also arrived on the scene.

Ajji said, ‘Gopi, please get off him and come here.’ The police took the thief aside and opened his bag. Apart from Ajji’s phone, there were some expensive phones, gold chains, wallets, and other possessions in the bag. The police arrested the thief and told Ajji to visit the station the next day to collect her phone.

Ajji agreed and all of us returned home after the crowd had dispersed. Ajji’s face glowed with happiness. ‘Today I will make paneer for you. You are a wonderful boy and a source of pride for me. I am grateful for what you have done today, Gopi.’ The next morning, I went to the police station with Ajji. Sawant also came with us. As soon as we reached, there was a red-carpet welcome for all of us. Ajji was puzzled. She asked, ‘Have you invited a VIP today?’

The police inspector laughed and said, ‘Madam, your Gopi is our VIP today! You don’t know what a big favour he has done our department! This welcome is in his honour.’ I walked in with great dignity, like a lion. They had kept a special place for me. There was a table with lots of dog-friendly cookies on it. Many photographers, TV channels and reporters were there. The inspector explained to the media, ‘After catching the thief yesterday, we investigated and learnt that he belongs to a notorious gang of burglars. We have been searching for them for a long time. Now that we have captured a key member, it is only a matter of time before they are all behind bars. Thank you, Gopi, for helping us apprehend this thief.’

Then, they honoured me with a medal and handed over a bag full of goodies to Ajji. The video cameras started rolling, the photographers started clicking and Ajji said proudly, ‘Today is Gopi’s day. I don’t want to be a part of it. He is a celebrity in his own right.’

From this, I learnt a great lesson, which I want to teach my children. Loyalty to our humans brings happiness and peace into our lives. There is no learning institute or coaching class for this. It must come straight from the heart.

Gopi Murty Born on November 27, 2018, Gopi is an adult golden retriever. He loves going for long walks and finding new friends to play with. This handsome dog enjoys chasing cats and crows in his garden and getting pampered with food and love by his family. He lives in Bengaluru with his Ajja, Ajji, Tachi Ajji, Appa and Amma.

Acknowledgements A sincere heartfelt thanks to Shrutkeerti Khurana, my beloved editor, for the fun, the work, the silliness and the joy on the continuing journey of this book and Gopi’s adventures. Thank you to the illustrator, Sandhya Prabhat, for bringing my vision to life. As always, my gratitude to Udayan Mitra and Tina Narang from HarperCollins, for their encouragement and support.

The GOPI Diaries The Gopi Diaries is a series of three books for children.

In Coming Home, the first book in the Gopi Diaries series, Gopi is adopted by his loving, human family. Gopi quickly goes from being a small bundle of white fur to a young pup who understands his world and the people around him faster than they can say ‘Gopi!’

In Finding Love, the second book in the series, Gopi is stronger, larger, more confident than the little pup he was in the first book, he is also cheekier and more mischievous! He faces new situations, new challenges, new dog companions with endless energy and spirit. Written in Sudha Murty’s inimitable style, these simple stories told from a dog’s perspective show us just why pets are so precious – for their love, devotion and boundless affection.

Books in the Gopi Diaries series have also been translated into Kannada, Telugu, Gujarati and Hindi.

Lookout for

The Gopi Diaries Boxset!

30 Years of

HarperCollinsPublishersIndia At HarperCollins, we believe in telling the best stories and finding the widest possible readership for our books in every format possible. We started publishing 30 years ago; a great deal has changed since then, but what has remained constant is the passion with which our authors write their books, the love with which readers receive them, and the sheer joy and excitement that we as publishers feel in being a part of the publishing process. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of publishing some of the finest writing from the subcontinent and around the world, and some of the biggest bestsellers in India’s publishing history. Our books and authors have won a phenomenal range of awards, and we ourselves have been named Publisher of the Year the greatest number of times. But nothing has meant more to us than the fact that millions of people have read the books we published, and somewhere, a book of ours might have made a difference. As we step into our fourth decade, we go back to that one word - a word which has been a driving force for us all these years. Read.

About the Book The little pup of Coming Home and the stronger, bigger, more mischievous Gopi of Finding Love grows up in the third book and has new adventures, new interests, a new dog-person in his life—the charming Nova—and brings a new family into the world. He’s also wiser - ‘I learnt a great lesson, which I want to teach my children. Loyalty to our humans brings happiness and peace into our lives.’ This third book brings to a close the endearing and heartwarming Gopi Diaries series—a series that has generated innumerable fans across ages. Written in Sudha Murty’s inimitable style, these simple stories told from a dog’s perspective show us just why pets are so precious - for their love, devotion and boundless affection.

About the Author Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon, north Karnataka. She did her MTech in computer science, and is the chairperson of the Murty Foundation. A prolific writer in English and Kannada, she has written more than 30 books including novels, travelogues, technical books, collections of short stories and non-fiction pieces, and bestselling books for children. Her books have been translated into all major Indian languages. She has received nine honorary doctorates. Sudha Murty is the recipient of the R.K. Narayan Award for Literature (2006), the Padma Shri (2006), the Attimabbe Award from the Government of Karnataka for excellence in Kannada literature (2011), the Lifetime Achievement Award by Crossword Book Award (2018), and the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence (2020).

ABOUT THE EDITOR Shrutkeerti Khurana (or Shrutee) is an independent editor of several fiction, non-fiction and children’s books. She is the chief editor of Sudha Murty’s books since 2011. With her background in engineering and business management, she is also Director at Infosys Foundation. She lives in Bengaluru with her family and four goofy dogs. Her work can be seen on www.shrutee.in.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR Sandhya Prabhat is an independent animator and illustrator from Chennai, India, now working out of California, USA. She holds a Master’s degree in Animation and Digital Arts from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a Bachelor’s degree

in Literature. She has illustrated for over 10 published children’s books. She also works on animation for TV and movies, and designs for social media platforms. Her work can be seen on www.sandhyaprabhat.com or http://instagram.com/sandhyaprabhat.

TALK TO US Join the conversation on Twitter http://twitter.com/HarperCollinsIN Like us on Facebook to find and share posts about our books with your friends http://www.facebook.com/HarperCollinsIndia Follow our photo stories on Instagram http://instagram.com/harpercollinsindia/ Get fun pictures, quotes and more about our books on Tumblr http://www.tumblr.com/blog/harpercollinsindia

First published in India in 2022 by HarperCollins Children’s Books An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Building No 10, Tower A, 4th Floor, DLF Cyber City, Phase II, Gurugram – 122002 www.harpercollins.co.in 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Text © Sudha Murty 20222 Illustrations © HarperCollins Publishers India 2022 P-ISBN: 978-93-5629-550-6 Epub Edition © January 2023 978-93-5629-551-3 Sudha Murty asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Cover design: Sandhya Prabhat