Johny from Asiad

I am very fond of dogs. Any dog. When I was a kid, I lived in Delhi in this wonderful place called Asiad Games Village. I have had many adventures there or what a kid of age 8 would consider adventures. Finding neon green coloured birds in bushes (people still done believe me), mulberry picking, the orchard and the various street dogs of Hawa Singh Block. There was one in particular – called Johny – named by me. He was not any dog. He was the kind of dog that any child who was not allowed to have a pet, would love to call her own. He was a sweetheart. He used to make himself comfortable in the park where we played and wouldn’t move. He was harmless really. But since he was a street dog everyone was very wary of him. He was perhaps the first real friend I made at Asiad and so I had no fear of Johny. I would just go over to him, pet him and talk to him and Johny would just get up wagging his tail and take himself off to a different place and plop down and watch us play.

Johny was getting old when I met him He used to sleep most days. He would sort of get animated when petted and then plop down again. He was really obedient. If I called out to him, he would make the effort to get up and come to me wagging his tail. As a kid, I had no qualms about touching street dogs. I hope to God that I washed my hands afterwards – I cant really remember anymore. I used to sing a rhyme to Johny, no prizes for guessing which one – Johny Johny Yes Papa, Eating Sugar No Papa…

Anyway I left Asiad when I was about 12. I left Delhi when I was 13. I came back to Delhi for a visit and went to Asiad. I was really heartbroken about leaving Asiad and Delhi itself…when I visited Asiad again I was 17 or 18, it was a bitter sweet feeling .. my dad and I statyed at Asiad in the very same house that was once my home..it had been converted into a guest house..i was ecstatic and also very sad .. in the master bedroom – which used to be my parent’s bedroom..i had stuck a small figurine on the cupboard door..with one of those feviquick sort of things, as you do as a kid..and it was astonishing to see that it was still there..ppl looking after the place had not bothered to remove it. I almost experienced the euphoria of having left my mark on the world!

I went down to find Johny naively thinking that he would still be around and would recognise me..i learnt from friends that Johny had passed away a couple of years ago. It was fitting with my trip really .. bittersweet .. I was back at the one place I loved to bits..but my sweet Johny was there no longer…

God bless his soul…