Face of Rescue

“If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.”

Labrador Retriever

Vani loved dogs. She had grown up with at least two or three dogs in her parental home. And dogs seemed to love her too. She never minded if they jumped on her or licked her face and generally slobbered on her. At school she had made friends with other girls only if they had dogs in their homes or were comfortable with dogs.

Rita was just the opposite—she was really afraid of dogs. She was a very out going child with a huge grin on her face, most of the time. But when she saw a dog anywhere in her vicinity, she would just freeze up and her face would contort into myriad emotions. The smile would disappear and fear, worry, distaste and cold sweat would bead her face. Naturally she was not in the charmed group of Vani.

Both of them grew up and moved into the same college. They majored in different subjects and drifted out of each other’s paths. The years went by. Vani moved away to the Middle East after her marriage. Rita became a media person and her smiling face began to make an impact on TV news watchers until she became the Face of social issues. She anchored documentaries on women’ issues, rape, education, micro-financing, girl infanticide, elders abuse—so many issues.

In their late thirties, both their lives took a different turn suddenly. Vani’s husband, Ganesh was injured badly in a car accident. His face, hands and legs were badly scarred and his mobility was reduced to being bound in a wheelchair. They decided to come back home as the support system was better with family and house help. Vani’s social life ground to a halt as Ganesh was reluctant to show his face to the world—and she…she did not want to answer solicitous and inquisitive questions about Ganesh’s health, their financial conditions and general social niceties. Both of them worked from home, he in technology and she as a content provider. The internet and TV became their link to the outside world. Facebook was a means of keeping in touch with those they wanted to interact with, that too mainly strangers.

One day the phone rang. Vani picked it up. “Can I speak to Vani please” a woman’s voice spoke.

“Yes this is Vani speaking” she replied. “Who is this?”

“Hi Vani. This is your old schoolmate Rita. Do you remember me?”

“Of of course! The dog hater, right?” said Vani.

“I got your number from your parents” said Rita. “I am sorry to hear about your husband’s accident. Are you happy to be back in India?”

“Why did you call, Rita” Vani asked abruptly.

“Actually, there is an abandoned dog, a Labrador Retriever that needs a home. I was wondering whether you would like to adopt it?”

Vani gave a hysterical laugh. “You!….. offering me a dog for adoption? Isn’t that funny?” and she continued to guffaw. “You would never even go near a dog that was a mile away…so how come?”

“Well! Now I am part of a group that is involved with taking care of abandoned dogs and cats. We find foster homes and the give them for adoption. So I though this Lab would be ideal for you”.

“Rita! This is funny, really funny. How did you get over the fear of dogs?”

How do you think that Rita was able to get close to dogs?

Given Vani’s circumstances, do you think  she would take in the Lab?

I look forward to your answers to find an appropriate ending to this story….maybe we can vote for the best ending amongst us.

Welcome to the Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where Anu, Ashok, Conrad, Delirious, Gaelikaa,  Grannymar, Magpie11, Paul, Maria the Silver Fox, Rummuser , Will Knott, Shackman and I write on the same topic. Please do visit the linked blogs to get  different flavours of the same topic.