Sanjoy Barman’s family should have been in Darjeeling now. They were to leave last Sunday and so the day before, drove all the way to Howrah to drop off their German Shepherd at a trusted creche there.
“But that night turned out to be the longest night of our lives. None of us could sleep and the kids started crying. The next morning we took a vote and result was unanimous,” says Barman. “No one wanted to go to Darjeeling anymore. The only trip we wanted was a ride to Howrah to bring back Posto. We cancelled Darjeeling, lost all the money we had shelled out but we had never been happier!”
It’s barely been nine months since Posto came to AJ Block but she’s brought the family together like never before. Previously Ankhi and Nayan, Barman’s daughters, would have been doing their homework or watching TV, Barman and his wife Aparna would have been working but now the four of them, along with Posto, play ludo or carrom together.
“Posto is very competitive, mind you,” says Barman. “If she starts to lose, she’ll swish her tail or smack the pieces off the board with her paws.” The girls dress her up in bindis and saris, and Nayan sneaks her under her comforter on dark nights and tells her ghost stories while the dog listens with big eyes and alert ears.
Posto loves to go to the park where she gleefully glides down the slide and last winter she went to Bidhannagar Mela — not once but — five times to enjoy the rides!
And to think the Barmans chose a GSD as they wanted a guard dog! “We want Posto to perform in the ring from the next season but her trainer says we are pampering her. He literally tells us not to love her so much,” he laughs.
You know Barman considers Posto no less than his other kids when he tells you that last Saraswati puja he did Posto’s “hathey khori”. “I teach her the alphabet and she tries to follow,” he says.
Barman takes Posto for a ride on his shoulder
The dog’s name was suggested by Barman, who is a food entrepreneur. “I named her after our family’s favourite dish — Posto Bora,” he smiles. Posto follows a disciplined diet but while she can grind bones to dust in a matter of minutes, she cannot — or will not — bite into bananas. “We have to cut them into pieces for her.”
Barman often gets WhatsApp messages from neighbours saying that when they cross their house now they can hear laughter, friendly barks, the pitter-patter of footsteps... “Posto has made not just our home — but even our block — a happier place,” smiles the proud father.