The Maya collection
Maya was born on the streets, a tiny black-and-white puppy with five siblings and a weak mother struggling to survive. From the very beginning, she stood out—spirited, feisty, and full of life. I would visit them every day, feeding, playing, and hoping someone would give them the home they deserved.
One by one, fate pulled her siblings away—some adopted, some lost too soon, and others who returned only to fall sick. Through it all, Maya remained, clinging to her siblings with a heart bigger than her small body could hold. When they too passed, she was left alone—frightened, vulnerable, desperate for shelter. And I was desperate to save her.
I pleaded everywhere—on social media, among friends, in WhatsApp groups. My friend Mana stepped forward to adopt her, but while waiting, I couldn’t resist bringing Maya home for a day. In those 24 hours, she filled my space with warmth as though she had lived there forever. She was so at ease, so happy, that saying goodbye was almost unbearable.
Maya found her forever home with Mana, and for a brief time, we all felt joy beyond words. But destiny had other plans. Infected by the illness that took her siblings, Maya fell sick. We fought for her with everything we had—Mana gave her days and nights, every ounce of love and care. But after a week of struggle, Maya slipped away peacefully in Mana’s arms on 2nd February.
The grief was indescribable. I couldn’t speak of her, not even to myself. For months, I carried only numbness—no tears, no words, just silence. Yet through that silence, Maya transformed me. She left me broken, but also stronger, calmer, and filled with a deeper love.
Maya was more than a street puppy. She was God’s child, an angel who came to teach me the meaning of resilience, compassion, and unconditional love. She took a part of me with her, but she also left behind a strength I didn’t know I had.
