Band Masala Coffee founder Varun Sunil has a second love other than music – his beagle Cocoa. It was by chance that he got her though, Varun says. “My wife, Neha, was not much of an animal lover and so when I told her that my friend has beagle puppies to give, she was not at all enthusiastic.”But Varun managed to persuade her to visit the place and then there was no looking back! “Cocoa was just 45 days old at that time. Neha took one look at her and said, ‘she’s so cute.’ Then we placed Cocoa in her arms and she hasn’t put her down since, literally,” says Varun.The tables turned soon after and Neha became more attached to Cocoa. “She now tells me that Cocoa is the best part of marrying me!” says Varun, with a laugh. Apparently, whenever the couple gets into a fight, all that Cocoa needs to do is walk in and they both melt.As for Neha, who is a teacher currently on a break, Cocoa keeps her occupied throughout the day. “She follows me around but is really naughty and will bring the house down if she is left to her devices. She has a her own bedroom and a bed but then, I have to repair it often as she works on it with her teeth,” says Neha. “But her sense of smell is amazing. We often play hide and seek with each other but she finds me in less than two minutes, every time.”Cocoa is the pet of their friends and relatives as well and often gets gifts from them, she adds. “Whenever we feel down, she lifts us up with her sheer energy levels.”Varun, who travels often for performances, says Cocoa literally pees in excitement whenever he gets back after a gap. “I think musicians and dogs have a special connection. She is a real stress buster for me and a lot of musicians I know tell me the same thing,” he says, adding, “She is our princess, our baby.”

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