A curious case of puppy love

Their destiny was written by a stray who almost ruined their honeymoon...
When 31-year-old Urmila Dabholkar counts her blessings at night she sometimes sends up a prayer for the family pet. "Where everybody says their destiny was written by God, I say mine was written by a dog," she laughs recalling the sequence of events that led to her marriage to 34-year-old Rehan Ansari.
Urmila and her friend Gauri Keskar are of the new breed of entrepreneurs in Mumbai. Both dog lovers run a beauty parlour for pets in the upmarket suburb of Bandra and are strong advocates for the cause of adopting strays. "Indian dogs are my favourite breed. They make the best companions because they are hardy and intelligent," Urmila says. Firm in their belief, the two coordinate adoption initiatives with kennels and help new owners acclimatise to their pets.
Five years ago, however, Urmila probably did not imagine how her fate would be driven by a stray. Like a scene out of a Hindi film, it was a dark, rainy night. Rehan was driving past Holy Family Hospital in Bandra when nature presented an opportunity for rescue. Only the subject in distress was not the lady of his life but a yelping puppy that was being kicked out into the rain by a petty building watchman. The hardy animal kept trying to dodge him and enter the compound to seek shelter but the strange man would not melt.
Rehan halted in his tracks and parked the car along the side of the road. He looked around for the pup's mother, and when he didn't find her took an instant decision to bring the wet dog home.
Urmila's salon partner Gauri, who was Rehan's friend, learnt of this adoption and took her friend along to meet the master and his pet.
"If anyone had to write a book named 'How to Win Urmila's Heart' then Rehan's kind gesture would be chapter one," laughs Urmila. By then, the little waif had settled down to royal comfort and was given the grandiose name of George.
Hooked by Rehan's charm, she found herself visiting Bandra more often from her home in Malabar Hill ostensibly to help Rehan settle in with the pup. "Conversation surely started with dogs because the subject was a sure ice-breaker, and then led on to other things," she remembers.
Of course the smart stray quickly sensed his importance in the scheme of things and played a crucial part during their courtship that lasted three years. In fact the opinionated critter even bit her twice, testing to see if she was, "good enough material to bring home." She grinned and bore it, so he relented.
Naturally, Rehan's attentions were now divided, particularly in the run-up to their wedding. A trifle sore at this perceived neglect, the matchmaker began to act up as soon as they left for their honeymoon. The couple was in South America when her motherin-law phoned to say that the dog had taken ill and was crying miserably. A panicky Rehan would have packed up their stuff and returned home had Urmila not retrieved their holiday in time.
"I got Gauri to go across, and she reported back that he was suffering from an eye infection that had come under control," she recalls. "So we could continue on our trip." Over the years, the couple has been seeking out holidays in places where dogs are allowed, like Goa.
Married for two years, Urmila quips that having a male dog is like having a boy child. "We both love him equally but he loves his father more. Male bonding, I guess," she laughs. "In fact we wonder if we could love a human child more than our pet."
bella.jaisinghani@timesgroup.com
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