Pets

A very cute and fluffy white and cream colored Dog ran across the garden. It was running all over the place jumping and barking, playing with a boy and girl.

The children were about 8 or 9 years old and any one passing by the house could not miss the fun and games they were indulging in. 

Soon they all got tired with all the running around and were called in for their evening snack. A very homely lady with soulful eyes and a lyrical voice beckoned them in. All three zoomed in, eagerly anticipating the goodies she had made. The little girl patted the dog and poured water into the bowl- they all were thirsty but the dog could not fetch his own water.

They sat down to eat the savories their mother had prepared, and then mother told them about the upcoming trip to the place their father was posted to. He was serving nearby some Jungle in a far off remote corner of North India. The children got really excited as they realized that a Train journey would be forthcoming and lots more holidays and fun.

The visit would be their first adventure to a place where they would have to walk on foot for a kilometer just to get to their home; nestled deep in the Himalayan range.

Soon all the arrangements had been made and the children were happy yet a little sad as they would not be able to take their dog with them – he was being left in the car of a dog keeper who would come round to feed him and walk him twice a day. Off they went chattering excitedly about all the adventures they had planned for the vacation for a whole month in the wilderness.

A month passed and they had a lot of fun but missed their partner in crime the furry and courageous friend, their dog who had once fought with a snake in the courtyard. Barking and attacking till it lay motionless. The fur around its neck fluffed up like a lion’s mane; giving him a majestic appeal. As it growled and barked against the snake’s fangs the children sitting up on a wall nearby were mesmerized.

The welcome home was a disappointing affair; the home was just as they had left it but their dog was not. A skinny weak and very teary, whining dog met them as they entered the house and called out for the dog. The family was aghast at seeing the transformation. The dog had sores all over its back; its silky fur was matted and full of bugs.

The man told them of how the dog did not obey him, of how it use to run away from the house and how it refused to eat any food. As soon as the man left the lady quickly took charge; cleaning and washing the dog, feeding it and tending to its wounds.

The maid who worked in the house across the street walked in as soon as the man left and told the lady about the man and his evil behavior.

He never fed the dog on time, left him out in the open, letting him wander all over the town. The distressed dog would wander all over the town and would come back dirtier than ever after having been out for many days.

She was just a maid and could not stop the man when he beat the dog with an Iron Rod to make him obey.

(Image credit: Siavash Ghazvinian under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license)

(This post is an entry for the online short story contest – My Pocket Story conducted by tell-a-tale.com in collaboration with youthopia.in)