WHAT’S IN A NAME?

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

"Chup bhen**d," shouted my father-in-law in the middle of a tele conversation with me. 

Before I could come out of the shock, he said, "Sorry, someone knocked on the door and Tipu started barking."

I felt pity at my predicament as I knew the name of the dog was Buzzo. Buzzo is the third generation of dogs owned by my in-laws. The previous generations were named Tipu. But by their muscle memory they generally call their pet as Tipu. Except when I am around.

It happened nearly thirty  years ago when the previous generation dog was alive. I got engaged. To the big discomfort of my mother-in-law their family realised that my nick name is also Tipu.

A diktat was given by my mother-in-law, "everyone to call the dog by the name Tomy."

A week later, I visited my in-law's place.  I found their dog totally confused and non responsive to anyone. This got me worried. I thought if their dog is like that, their daughter will be totally wild. In an arranged marriage you want maximum boxes to be ticked right. So, this became a cause of major worry. On the last day of my casual leave, I landed up at their place and requested my father- in-law if I can take, my fiancée for a lunch.

Those thirty minutes while she was getting ready, she was romanticising that I will certainly hold her hand in this meeting. But nothing of that sort happened, I was all the time observing her for any signs of wildness. Anyway, to douse my curiosity at the end of the lunch I asked her that their dog is strange. Why is it so?

She smiled and told me about her mother’s diktat. She also told me that she loves the name and the dogs they owned. I was relieved. 

Sharing a name with the dog is not a big problem. After all the dog is the man's most loyal and best friend. 

Post marriage I found her love for the dogs was irritating. If she ever saw a pup, she would hand over the child to me and pick up the pup.

 Every cloud has a silver lining, they say. Her love for the dogs and the love for the name Tipu has been a big help to me for gauging the level of her anger. If in anger she shouts, “Teeeepu”. I know there is some love also in that anger. But if she shouts, “Gothra Saaab”, I know it is her absolute wrath coming. At that moment. I wish I had a tail.
 
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