Sonal Singh On Sonal's Table
Chaos in a coupe by Divya Dugar is a book that snuck into my TBR (ever since she kindly invited me for the launch) and refused to behave. Like Divya’s pampered furry babies, the book took umbrage at the time it took me to systematically work through my TBR to reach it.
Though, if I am being honest, I skipped a few in my pile to read this first. The title and the cover, with the adorable Marcopolo, Pari and Tigress, cast a bewitching spell. I am glad that happened because this is just my kind of book. An honest story, narrated with candour and a sprinkling of humour to keep it interesting.
Divya drives her message home well. Strays on the street are not ferocious because they were born so. Treatment by human hands made them defensive. They are God’s creatures, just like us, and frankly, perhaps far more loyal and empathetic than us. They deserve the earth more than we do because they came first.
My heart wept at the treatment Divya’s Indies were subjected to, on multiple occasions. And it also melted with warmth for the people who showed her babies generosity on their travels. God bless those souls.
I live in an up-scale society of educated individuals (though clearly not civilized), but I see intolerance towards furry babies routinely. The society app and WhatsApps groups blow up every single day with messages to not allow pets in green areas, basements, car parking, lifts, etc. It’s a never-ending saga of complaints from so called Hindu-purists, the same who/their families blatantly litter the society premises with garbage.
In Hinduism, our Gods took non-humans as vahanas. There is documentation in ancient scriptures. Yet, people who worship these gods are the ones who exhibit the maximum intolerance. Ironic, indeed!
Kudos to Divya for writing on this topic. Huge, huge, respect.
If you love travel and are fluent, like me, in non-human speak; this book is for you. Pick it up and enjoy her journey across India with her adorable babies.
