Dear Chaitali

My first thought on reading your elegy to Badshah was "who was more lucky in love here Badshah or Chaitali and her family". Ever since I heard of Badshah having passed away I've been saying "so much harder to deal with the death of one's dog than anyone else really" Wasn't really thinking about why I was saying this but I think its because the kind of love that they give to us is just so rare and unique in the world that you cant really replace it with anything or anyone.

Thanks for the beautifuly elegy to Badshah. We have so many lessons to learn from our faithful companions...of unconditional love, loyalty, forgiveness and spontaneity.

I've been feeling bad since Badshah passed away about how I never got to meet him but your piece made me feel like I knew him:)

Thanks for the lovely tribute to love. Thanks for sharing Badshah with all of us. Hard as it is to have to let go of him, he lives on in so many hearts as the memory and experience of unconditional love. Something many many people never get to experience in their lives.

Prayers and love for Badshah and for your family who try to cope with his loss. And for you dear friend a warm, warm hug.

Dear Chaitali,

I feel a heaviness inside after I read through your elegy to Badshah. Not being one who can speak from experience as I have never had a pet, but I can understand your feelings nonetheless ... simply because losing a loved one feels the same everywhere ... everytime ...

I remember you recounting some of the cherished moments with him. Hope you can always remember him with a smile :-)

Lots of love to you,
Hugs,
Shubhz

Hi Chaitali,

Your story brought back warm memories :)

Thanks for that.

Love to you

Dear Shubz, Mieke and Anusheh,

Words cannot describe our feelings for him. But he'll always remain in our hearts. Thank you for your love and wishes.

Chaitali,

Can almost understand the feelings here:
“From today he will no longer be afraid of the rain, for now he lies asleep beneath the open sky.” And I finished the sentence by saying, “To come back again as a freer and evolved self to gift more joy and love and affection once again.” And then I wonder but Badshah was so evolved for he understood the language of unconditional love- something humans take lifetimes to evolve to.

----

Can feel how he had already evolved so much that a supposedly superior species like humans had such appreciation for him that we can't but think of him as a family member.

I'm sure those moments with him will make you smile whenever you'd think of him.

Best wishes for the evolved one.
:-)

Hello :-),

Yes remembering him will always bring a smile. What a precious thing he has left for us.

Thank you :-)

I hope you're not sad anymore Chet ... if you are then plz cheer up. See ... its been long since we've had any Chet-styled piece.

Hun ik vadiya jya Chet-spl piece ho javey ... kyon jasjit ji?

(around 12-13 days since your last post ... that's crossed the weekly avg of most of your previous posts).
Ok ... no way imitating your statistical style ... pls take it lightly)

C'mon so many ppl are waiting to see another piece from you ... ask Anusheh, Jasjit, Shubhz, and all other participants ;-). (of course including me ... buddy).

From: One of you.

Dear Chaitali

Seeing Badshah's picture just brougt such a smile and joy to my heart. How lucky you have been to love and be loved by this wonderful soul. I cannot imagine how painful it must be losing him but I know he must be in a joyful place because he has known so much love in his life.
Love and good wishes for your whole family. And of course love to the wonderful Badshah wherever he is.
Please cheer up :)

Dear Shagufta,

From my family and me thank you for sending us all the love. And I'm sure Badshah will send his love to you to in his special way.

Dear :-),

For a whole minute I was wondering whether it's me that you have been addressing as 'Chet'. Because one of our fellow blogger's name is also Chet.

Anyway assuming that I am Chet... well sad a bit but the weekend gave me lot of time to spend with my family which helped all of us to deal with the grief. We are all ready to be back on track once again with more memories added to our treasure chest :)

Will be back with a piece soon buddy :) Meanwhile lets enjoy the other interesting posts on the blog.

Wow someone is having a go at me....I have not been too active to actually show some style Mr/Ms :-).
I wonder whom are you refering to.

Ciao

Dear Badu, we miss you so.

Last evening as we were taking a post dinner walk, my nephew looked up to see where is the "Badshah" star. He was dissappointed when I showed him the brightest star in the sky. "No that can't be Badshah, he was black, he has to be a black star." He kept looking up and calling, "Come come Badshah, where have you gone away, why have you gone away. Come back to us". I asked him "Tell me what if Badshah goes on to some other home with some other kids?"

At this my nephew said, "I know he will never be happy elsewhere. He is probably sitting by the door and the minute he can sneak out he will come to us. He knows we are waiting for him". "Yes", I said, "What if he takes some other form and comes to us in some other animal's body? What if you don't recognise him?"

"So what," he quipped, "I may not recognise him, but he will recognise me."

So true were the words he spoke.

Dear Badu, I often teased you that you must have done something really gr8 in your last birth to have such a pampered life of a darling pet this time. I don't know whether you smiled when you nodded at my joke. I think you did a lot of good things in this life as well to have a even greater life the next time.

There were times when no-one understood that I was sad. You were the only 'person' who understood and asked no questions, gave no solutions, never sneared "I told you so", never compared or lectured, 'U could have done better', never accused me that I am in a sorry mess, never blamed but just sat by me till I resolved my sorrow.

It's true when no-one else could see, you could...I wish you always have that sight and I wish wherever you are you never loose the sight which made you better than many of us.

I wish that in the 11 yrs of memories that you have left behind, I will also learn to see that which many can't.

Sangeeta

Oops!! ... arrey baba re ...

Sorry Chaitali and Chet for the confusion because of me. Well I didn't know Chet was another one of us in here.

But Hey Chet (the real one) ... isn't it good that this brought u back to this blog even if for a li'l while! :-)
===

Honestly, I chose "Chet" thinking it would be smaller and unique, but even that turned out to exist. Its a nice name though ... wonder if its a nickname or otherwise.

Chaitali - I will keep visiting randomly and will be careful about the names (better use the original names now :-( )

Gotta run guys,
Keep blogging & appreciate the responses.

Dear Sangeeta,

Hain badu kono shomaye kauke judge korto na. That's what special about the love that animals give us. Badu'r bhalobasha chirokaal amader mone thakbe. Thank you for your wishes and love.

Chaitali

Dear :-),

There was a slight confusion. But everythings sorted now. Keep blogging buddy.

Dearest Chaitali

It has been hard to say anything about Badshah for I know how irreplacable this love is, how very special and how rare. Like Anusheh my regret is that I never met Badshah and today he adorns our blog majestic and precious.

So here's a poem I wrote for you (as I have known him through you) and for the love angel called Badshah.

Badshah, The Compassionate King

In your eyes I learnt love
In your silence acceptance,
Your abundance paved my road to forgiveness
And your stoic shadow
Taught me Trust.

You bounded into our lives,
A gift which has become immeasurable,
We all peer into the silence of your absence,
Breathing in the lessons you leave behind.

My ‘Dark Obsession’ you were nothing but an elegy,
For my thirsting heart,
For my fearful soul,
For my intensity to find the centre of love.

Baba wonders why as a ‘father’ he couldn’t save his ‘son’,
Ma wonders who will trail her day with earnest want for both her silences and her words,
Di trails the many moments lost to her unexpressed thoughts to you,
And I walk the maze of their sadness,
‘seeing’ what they do not-
‘How your love continues to transform us anew.’

Badshah, my ebullient, spirited King!
You now lie at the center of my heart,
Where your eyes rule
As guides of love
Unfolding for me your lessons of infinity.

Bless him.

Jasjit beautiful poem, am at a loss for words.

Dear Jasjit,

For all these days I have been asking myself how do I show my gratitude to Badshah. I was at lost for words. Memories of Badshah were all I could write about but deep inside there was this nagging feeling of no this is not enough. There is something more that I want to say to him.

I could find no words to express my gratitude to Badshah and now I cannot find words to express my gratitude to you for this beautiful and wonderful poem. As I read the poem my heart cried out loudly "Yes this is what I wanted to say to you Badshah and this is what you mean to me." As I fininshed reading the last line a sigh left my breath leaving me feeling light and happy.

Dear Jasjit in words I can only say Thank you but my gratitude for you cannot be limited to these two words alone. I know you'll understand what I mean.

Love
Chaitali

Dear Chaitali

We are all linked through our love and gratitude to each other and one day let's hope we can translate it into our great dream- an animal farm where we can care for many more- a fitting tribute to the Badshahs in our lives who have taught us so much about love and giving.

hugs

Dear Badu - Our Son,

At your demise you left for us a gift of your deathless soul that you had brought along eleven years back on a full monsoon day of July. After eleven years you left us again in the same month of full monsoon July. You were afraid of thunderstorm during which you would hide yourself behind your mother in the kitchen, living room, bedroom or Puja Ghar, wherever she was. We are extremely concerned about your where about in these days of inclement weather. Perhaps you are hiding in your divine Mother’s lap! Of late your mother visited Sai Baba temple. In her imagination she saw you in Sai Baba’s lap. Be happy our son, wherever you are. You gave us lots of pleasure during your stay with us for more than a decade.

Your departure has left us completely shattered. Memories of your delightful and mischievous behavior are constantly agitating our minds. Your memories will remain with us till the end of our life. Moments before your last breathe your pitiful look at me (your Baba) was so agonizing as if you were telling me, Baba, save me. I want to be with you all some more time. But Doctor or I could not change God’s will. That scene is constantly hunting me Your Ma is any time bursting into tears. You were her naughty little boy, Heerer tukro ( A piece of diamond)

Chaitali, we are very grateful to your colleagues and friends for sympathizing and sharing our pain for Badu, and their tribute through their thoughtful inscriptions/poems to our beloved and departed Badu, The Badshah.

Hi Badshah,

hey, c'mon over here.....we're here, kid.
Now look down and see.....isn't it funnysad a bit.....how our families over there grieve over us while all we are awash with eternal joy and heavenly peace.
Y'know Badshah.....we have been lucky, real lucky to have had incredibly happy lives, such lovely homes, such great families, such abundance of love and affection. And now, in the aftermath of a rich fulfilled lifetime.....we are doubly blessed, enjoying God's own bliss and nature's harmony.
Yes Badshah, here's wishing that this blog helps our families wipe their tears away and think of us with smiling remembrances as we cherish our fond and loving memories of them.

Yipee.....lets go Badshah......the last one over to the flowers by the lake is a (snigger)cat.....

In life and beyond.....
Snoopy and Tasha (B 401)

Thanks snoopy and tasha. Looks like you guys have already formed a gang up there as badshah as your new member. You guys enjoy there.

Love
Chaitali