My father Durga Saran Mehra was from Lahore.

He belonged to a very wealthy family.

Owners of a 100-room bungalow, with a garden so huge that its used as a Public Garden.

When the partition was announced, my father was 16 years old. He was holidaying with his dogs in the family-owned palatial Grand Hotel. which still stands in Shimla. Now acquired by The Central Govt of India.

My dad told me his main worry was how to get his prized pet possessions of 200 pigeons. some of them trained to be messenger carriers, horses, an African Black Parakeet which was trained to imitate voices of family members and his dogs!

The pigeons had ghungaroos tied to their feet.. He set them free into the divided Indian skies…

And managed to bring his Black Parakeet and the 2 dogs into India his new Homeland to be.