A DAY IN A CITY
I was tossed out of sleep by that roaring sound, that of a 16 wheeled truck, as it rolled past on the highway. Every bone in my body was trembling. I had never experienced such a sound, eardrum-blasting, in my life. Even as I was trying to normalize and balance myself on my four feet, the shrieking hoot of the next truck sent chilling shivers down my spine. I tucked in my tail and started running. It was an aimless run across many streets and lanes. I reached a main road. I stopped and looked around. Sky-high buildings with floor to roof glass, every inch of it glowing like a diamond, due to the bright blue and golden light emitted by so many lamps. Oh! I was amazed by the dazzle of the sight. It was in total contrast to the scene in my village. My village remains immersed in darkness with a few lazy bulbs here and there, trying to fight it. It was a long cherished dream of mine to reach this city. I jumped around in joy, trying hard to bury deeper the late night’s terrorizing experience near the highway!
It must be around five in the morning. A new dawn was visible on the horizon. A few men and occasional vehicle were to be seen on the road. This again was in contrast with the picture in my village. Almost all of them would have come out of their beds and the whole village buzzing with activity by this time. The new dawn is welcomed in a beautiful, artistic way in my village. The kokkarako.. of the cocks, the chattering and twittering of other birds, the seasonal cooing of koyal, the affectionate mmmaaa... call of the cows, the rhythmic jhalak jhalak sound of water being sprinkled in the front yard of every house, the creaking sound of bullock cart wheels, the assuring, divine sound of bells and conches in the village temple... Of course, my village is beautiful. And that traumatic sound which woke me up this morning? It is OK. Having come here, I’ll have to adapt myself.
The sun was up. There are more people on the road. Some shops, especially the tea and newspaper ones are open. A bunch of ladies are out on the roads with their brooms, cleaning the roads, which looked almost clean. A few smokers, a few walkers, a few joggers. By this time in village, I usually get previous night’s (baasi) rice mixed with dahi at one of the houses in my street. As I was enjoying the thoughts of my village experience and wondering about what is in store for me in this city, one of the sweeper women threw two toasts for me. I wagged my tail at the assurance of kindness and love and happily gulped the toasts.
Now, the roads are full with all sorts of vehicles. The air is full of noise. I am finding it difficult to pass time. Arre! Where are my friends, the crows? In my village, the crows are my friends during this part of the day. A crow would dare to sit close to me, as if to challenge me. I would be observing him with my half open eyes. I try to catch him unaware and jump at him. He is ever alert and would fly off. I would chase him as he flies to the tree. Conversation would continue with him on the tree and me on the ground. We are never tired of playing this game. It was great fun! But, where are crows here? I am surprised not being able to see a crow in the morning hours! I looked around. At last I found one and went near him.
Oh! It is horrible. He is swallowing human spit. He flew and sat on a wall as I neared him. “Arre bhai, Have you forgotten the art of catching fish from flowing water? Or you must be tired of eating balls of cooked rice placed on rooftops? Why have you to eat this?” I asked him.
He laughed. It was a sad one. “Are you new here? You must be. That is why you are surprised. Fish in flowing water? Ha ha ha..Where is water? Yes. Immediately after the rains, there is water everywhere. That is all. On other days, nowhere. A dark fluid flows in the nullah. Not a creature can live in and around that filthy stagnant fluid. Only men from villages live in their huts on its banks. And rice balls on rooftops? If they had a roof, the humans would rather have one more apartment on it than leave it open. And who has time for us? I doubt whether they cook and eat. Oh! It is so long since I have eaten a piece of meat or fish. I heard it is packed and sold in stores only to humans” The crow sighed.
“I had forgotten all those things. You have reminded me and spoiled my mood. Dear friend, you have to forget all the fond memories of village life. You have to shirk off all your village habits and learn new ones here. You have to constantly remind yourself that you are happy here. Otherwise, you’ll be in depression. Try to change yourself. Look at that goat.” The crow flew away.
I looked at the direction he pointed. A goat had placed its forelegs on a wall and was standing on its hind legs. What was it doing? Trying to tear off a poster pasted on the wall and eat it. Oh! what a pity? In my village, goat is never tired of eating green grass and leaves. Here, it is resorting to circus trick for a piece of paper. A slight fear arose in me and ticked my adrenals. I left the spot.
I roamed around many streets. I was surprised that I don’t find my fellow-beings. In my village, leaving my street and entering another, is an invitation to a war. It is a welcome thrill, once in a while. I desperately needed to find and talk to one of my own specie. I looked around. There was one. He was in a car peeping out of the window. He seemed to be happy. There was one more, in a scooter, being carried in arms like a human baby. I was energised. Humans here are full of love and affection. There!! A man was playing with my fellow-being. He was hugging him. He was even kissing him. Such a scene is unthinkable in my village. I was very happy. I expressed myself in a bark and moved towards him. He was probably not happy at the intrusion and howled at me. I did not relent and paid him back. He could not stand my powerful native bark and hid behind the man. I walked off, elated at the victory. Aaah! I screamed in pain and looked around. The man had thrown a stone at me and was ready to throw another. “You bitch.” he shouted.
The stone had hit my leg and it was in acute pain. But, the pain in my heart was more than that in my leg. Just a minute back, I was admiring the love, man has for us dogs. ‘How can one be so full of love and hatred simultaneously? What did I do to him? Why did he enter a fight among dogs? His ego must have been blasted by the defeat of his ‘foreign’ dog at the hands of a country bitch. And he hit from the back? Coward.. And this dog looks so big and yet hid behind a man. Huth! Cowards all...’
The sun was directly above me. In fact, I was caught between two fires, Sun from the top and this fire-emitting tar road from the bottom. I was feeling thirsty. I urgently needed some water. Where do I find? You will find water anywhere in my village, near the well, in small pots in front yards of houses, in the two ponds. ‘Glug, glug.’ Sound of water being gulped. I looked up and found a man drinking water from a bottle. He handed over some rupee notes and took away the bottle with him. It was then I noticed that the nearby shop had so much water, all packed in bottles and stacked in shelves, far beyond my reach. I licked the few drops of water the man had spilled and wetted my tongue.
I was saddened. I was reminded of the words of crow. ‘I have to change myself or survival here would be impossible. It is going to be a tough battle for anything and everything.’ It is time for food now. In my village, rotis would be waiting for me at every doorstep. Dhut... The village memories again. ‘I shall have to first learn not to remember my village at every moment. I’ll have to throw these memories out of my mind.’ I roamed around in search of food. The houses on both sides looked big, but I can’t find any entry point. The air does not have an aroma of food being cooked. The buzzing sound of vegetable being fried is absent. ‘Do they cook at all?’ I am frightened. ‘For generations, we dogs have been dependant on humans for our food.’
The hunger had totally exhausted me. I met a cat on my way. I was in no mood to fight. My body also had no strength. So, I subdued my natural instinct and extended my hand of friendship. I asked her about food. “To search for food here is futile. These men have a box in their houses. They call it fridge. They keep remains inside this box and eat it themselves the next day. I too am finding it difficult. I have to learn the art of opening the fridge. Otherwise, my survival here will be difficult.”
I was more dejected and walked further. Suddenly, I sensed an exciting smell in the air. I could not believe my eyes. What do I see? Loads of food being dumped in huge tanks. ‘There seems to be a marriage hall nearby. Dumping food into garbage tanks is probably their way of blessing the newly weds.’ Anyhow, I’ve no time for such thoughts. I rush and climb up the tank and start eating. I had not taken two mouthfuls when I was kicked and throw out of the tank. A group of men had arrived on the scene. They collected all the food and started eating. My mouth was watering, but I had no option but to stand at a safe distance and stare at them. One of them probably had a heart. He took out some food, moved it towards me and called me. I wagged my tail, expressed my gratefulness and ate.
Fine, problem of food is solved. So many thoughts are storming my mind. ‘It is a struggle at every step. Can I take it? Should I return to my village?’ I continued my aimless wandering. I badly needed some rest. I looked around for some trees and shade. This search for a shade took the next one hour. I was fed up and was about to give up. Life is full of swings, from sorrow to joy, from beating to hugging, from pain to comfort. This was a moment of such a swing. I sensed a cool breeze and saw some greenery. I ran towards it, found a way in the thorny bush and entered a vast area of greenery. There were so many trees, so many flowering plants, water ponds and springs and vast stretches of green grass. It was so beautiful. It was so soothing for all the pains I suffered since morning. I ran helter-skelter. I hopped and jumped. I rolled on the grass. Finally, I settled in the shade under a huge tree. I closed my eyes and was about to enter the world of sleep, when a nasty blow of stick threw me off guard. I resumed my run and was being chased by stick wielding watchman. In my panic, I could not find the opening through which I had entered. I got a few more blows before I get out of this green patch. I looked back and found a notice board. I learnt that men call this area a park and entry is on payment of Rs Five. Moreover, no one is supposed to sit or walk on the grass lawn. I could have avoided all these blows had I seen this board before entering.
‘We, animals and other lives also have right over Nature, isn’t it? Man in this city is behaving as if he has absolute rights and won’t share Nature with anyone else. He is manipulating Nature to suit his own needs and comforts. Cche! This is hell, where one has to struggle for food, water, shelter and other basic amenities. And to fight with man with all his gadgets and weapons is next to impossible. I can not. Let me return to my village.’ This decision infused in me a fresh dose of energy and I started taking my steps towards my village.
It was evening. The roads were full of vehicles. It was hell of an experience to cross a road. How do I know their ‘rules of the road’? I virtually carried my heart and waded through the traffic. The air was full of roars of the vehicles, horn hoots, dust and smoke. My eyes were shedding tears. No doubt, I was in grief but weeping is not in my blood. These tears were due to irritation caused by smoke emitted by the thousands of vehicles. Some one chased me and took a few snaps in his camera. Initially, I got annoyed, but, then I pardoned him. He must be a poor journalist. He might send my photographs with a caption, ‘A distressed bitch in the city’ and may win some cash awards. Let him. I don’t care.
It was night by the time I reached the spot, where I had entered this hell this morning. This is the spot where darkness meets bright light, silence meets deafening sound, cool breeze of the village meets hot, suffocating windless atmosphere of the city, the spot which separates village from the city. I was so near to my village. ‘I have to cross this highway and walk a few miles through the fields and I’ll be in my village.’ I lied down by the roadside and started recollecting the day’s events.
Then, I noticed him, the coward dog who got a beating from me and the one who got me a beating. He walked towards me. He was well built and youthful. There was a belt around his neck. I enquired about it. His owner has tied it, he said. ‘So, it is a mark of slavery in return for food, shelter and care.’ I pitied him and went closer to him. The cool breeze, the demands of youth and the bitter experiences of the day added together and I sought to woe him. I caressed my body with his. He was not interested and stepped back. The reason he gave was a death blow for me. “I won’t be able to. My owner has got me operated and crushed my organs. He has done this only for my well being”.
Rage and fury filled me. ‘On whom should I direct my anger? This impotent standing by my side? Does he deserve to be shown any emotion? Who is responsible for all these? If only I knew, I would tear him to pieces. Helplessness and despair took over me.’
‘God created this world. His creation was as beautiful as Him. Man built the city. His creation is so cruel. Is man so cruel? My village also has men. I’ve never known them to be cruel. Is it that man changed and hence created such a city? Or is it that he created the city and stayed there and hence changed? I do not understand. But, one thing is for sure. This cityman has no place for us in his mind, life and his city. We don’t need your mercy and compassion. We can live on our own, if you leave Nature as it is. Do not trample upon Nature. You try to manipulate and control Mother Nature and then make a farce of compassion towards animals.’
I slowly drifted. My mind was so full thought-storms that the sounds outside did not bother me. I did not hear the roar of an approaching truck nor did I see its giant wheels racing towards me and when I saw, my gloomy mind did not enthuse me to run and save myself.....
May my crushed body become a feast for the crow and its family, if only man and his systems allow. I am in my new world, quiet and peaceful. Om Shanthi.
A DAY IN A CITY
I was tossed out of sleep by that roaring sound, that of a 16 wheeled truck, as it rolled past on the highway. Every bone in my body was trembling. I had never experienced such a sound, eardrum-blasting, in my life. Even as I was trying to normalize and balance myself on my four feet, the shrieking hoot of the next truck sent chilling shivers down my spine. I tucked in my tail and started running. It was an aimless run across many streets and lanes. I reached a main road. I stopped and looked around. Sky-high buildings with floor to roof glass, every inch of it glowing like a diamond, due to the bright blue and golden light emitted by so many lamps. Oh! I was amazed by the dazzle of the sight. It was in total contrast to the scene in my village. My village remains immersed in darkness with a few lazy bulbs here and there, trying to fight it. It was a long cherished dream of mine to reach this city. I jumped around in joy, trying hard to bury deeper the late night’s terrorizing experience near the highway!
It must be around five in the morning. A new dawn was visible on the horizon. A few men and occasional vehicle were to be seen on the road. This again was in contrast with the picture in my village. Almost all of them would have come out of their beds and the whole village buzzing with activity by this time. The new dawn is welcomed in a beautiful, artistic way in my village. The kokkarako.. of the cocks, the chattering and twittering of other birds, the seasonal cooing of koyal, the affectionate mmmaaa... call of the cows, the rhythmic jhalak jhalak sound of water being sprinkled in the front yard of every house, the creaking sound of bullock cart wheels, the assuring, divine sound of bells and conches in the village temple... Of course, my village is beautiful. And that traumatic sound which woke me up this morning? It is OK. Having come here, I’ll have to adapt myself.
The sun was up. There are more people on the road. Some shops, especially the tea and newspaper ones are open. A bunch of ladies are out on the roads with their brooms, cleaning the roads, which looked almost clean. A few smokers, a few walkers, a few joggers. By this time in village, I usually get previous night’s (baasi) rice mixed with dahi at one of the houses in my street. As I was enjoying the thoughts of my village experience and wondering about what is in store for me in this city, one of the sweeper women threw two toasts for me. I wagged my tail at the assurance of kindness and love and happily gulped the toasts.
Now, the roads are full with all sorts of vehicles. The air is full of noise. I am finding it difficult to pass time. Arre! Where are my friends, the crows? In my village, the crows are my friends during this part of the day. A crow would dare to sit close to me, as if to challenge me. I would be observing him with my half open eyes. I try to catch him unaware and jump at him. He is ever alert and would fly off. I would chase him as he flies to the tree. Conversation would continue with him on the tree and me on the ground. We are never tired of playing this game. It was great fun! But, where are crows here? I am surprised not being able to see a crow in the morning hours! I looked around. At last I found one and went near him.
Oh! It is horrible. He is swallowing human spit. He flew and sat on a wall as I neared him. “Arre bhai, Have you forgotten the art of catching fish from flowing water? Or you must be tired of eating balls of cooked rice placed on rooftops? Why have you to eat this?” I asked him.
He laughed. It was a sad one. “Are you new here? You must be. That is why you are surprised. Fish in flowing water? Ha ha ha..Where is water? Yes. Immediately after the rains, there is water everywhere. That is all. On other days, nowhere. A dark fluid flows in the nullah. Not a creature can live in and around that filthy stagnant fluid. Only men from villages live in their huts on its banks. And rice balls on rooftops? If they had a roof, the humans would rather have one more apartment on it than leave it open. And who has time for us? I doubt whether they cook and eat. Oh! It is so long since I have eaten a piece of meat or fish. I heard it is packed and sold in stores only to humans” The crow sighed.
“I had forgotten all those things. You have reminded me and spoiled my mood. Dear friend, you have to forget all the fond memories of village life. You have to shirk off all your village habits and learn new ones here. You have to constantly remind yourself that you are happy here. Otherwise, you’ll be in depression. Try to change yourself. Look at that goat.” The crow flew away.
I looked at the direction he pointed. A goat had placed its forelegs on a wall and was standing on its hind legs. What was it doing? Trying to tear off a poster pasted on the wall and eat it. Oh! what a pity? In my village, goat is never tired of eating green grass and leaves. Here, it is resorting to circus trick for a piece of paper. A slight fear arose in me and ticked my adrenals. I left the spot.
I roamed around many streets. I was surprised that I don’t find my fellow-beings. In my village, leaving my street and entering another, is an invitation to a war. It is a welcome thrill, once in a while. I desperately needed to find and talk to one of my own specie. I looked around. There was one. He was in a car peeping out of the window. He seemed to be happy. There was one more, in a scooter, being carried in arms like a human baby. I was energised. Humans here are full of love and affection. There!! A man was playing with my fellow-being. He was hugging him. He was even kissing him. Such a scene is unthinkable in my village. I was very happy. I expressed myself in a bark and moved towards him. He was probably not happy at the intrusion and howled at me. I did not relent and paid him back. He could not stand my powerful native bark and hid behind the man. I walked off, elated at the victory. Aaah! I screamed in pain and looked around. The man had thrown a stone at me and was ready to throw another. “You bitch.” he shouted.
The stone had hit my leg and it was in acute pain. But, the pain in my heart was more than that in my leg. Just a minute back, I was admiring the love, man has for us dogs. ‘How can one be so full of love and hatred simultaneously? What did I do to him? Why did he enter a fight among dogs? His ego must have been blasted by the defeat of his ‘foreign’ dog at the hands of a country bitch. And he hit from the back? Coward.. And this dog looks so big and yet hid behind a man. Huth! Cowards all...’
The sun was directly above me. In fact, I was caught between two fires, Sun from the top and this fire-emitting tar road from the bottom. I was feeling thirsty. I urgently needed some water. Where do I find? You will find water anywhere in my village, near the well, in small pots in front yards of houses, in the two ponds. ‘Glug, glug.’ Sound of water being gulped. I looked up and found a man drinking water from a bottle. He handed over some rupee notes and took away the bottle with him. It was then I noticed that the nearby shop had so much water, all packed in bottles and stacked in shelves, far beyond my reach. I licked the few drops of water the man had spilled and wetted my tongue.
I was saddened. I was reminded of the words of crow. ‘I have to change myself or survival here would be impossible. It is going to be a tough battle for anything and everything.’ It is time for food now. In my village, rotis would be waiting for me at every doorstep. Dhut... The village memories again. ‘I shall have to first learn not to remember my village at every moment. I’ll have to throw these memories out of my mind.’ I roamed around in search of food. The houses on both sides looked big, but I can’t find any entry point. The air does not have an aroma of food being cooked. The buzzing sound of vegetable being fried is absent. ‘Do they cook at all?’ I am frightened. ‘For generations, we dogs have been dependant on humans for our food.’
The hunger had totally exhausted me. I met a cat on my way. I was in no mood to fight. My body also had no strength. So, I subdued my natural instinct and extended my hand of friendship. I asked her about food. “To search for food here is futile. These men have a box in their houses. They call it fridge. They keep remains inside this box and eat it themselves the next day. I too am finding it difficult. I have to learn the art of opening the fridge. Otherwise, my survival here will be difficult.”
I was more dejected and walked further. Suddenly, I sensed an exciting smell in the air. I could not believe my eyes. What do I see? Loads of food being dumped in huge tanks. ‘There seems to be a marriage hall nearby. Dumping food into garbage tanks is probably their way of blessing the newly weds.’ Anyhow, I’ve no time for such thoughts. I rush and climb up the tank and start eating. I had not taken two mouthfuls when I was kicked and throw out of the tank. A group of men had arrived on the scene. They collected all the food and started eating. My mouth was watering, but I had no option but to stand at a safe distance and stare at them. One of them probably had a heart. He took out some food, moved it towards me and called me. I wagged my tail, expressed my gratefulness and ate.
Fine, problem of food is solved. So many thoughts are storming my mind. ‘It is a struggle at every step. Can I take it? Should I return to my village?’ I continued my aimless wandering. I badly needed some rest. I looked around for some trees and shade. This search for a shade took the next one hour. I was fed up and was about to give up. Life is full of swings, from sorrow to joy, from beating to hugging, from pain to comfort. This was a moment of such a swing. I sensed a cool breeze and saw some greenery. I ran towards it, found a way in the thorny bush and entered a vast area of greenery. There were so many trees, so many flowering plants, water ponds and springs and vast stretches of green grass. It was so beautiful. It was so soothing for all the pains I suffered since morning. I ran helter-skelter. I hopped and jumped. I rolled on the grass. Finally, I settled in the shade under a huge tree. I closed my eyes and was about to enter the world of sleep, when a nasty blow of stick threw me off guard. I resumed my run and was being chased by stick wielding watchman. In my panic, I could not find the opening through which I had entered. I got a few more blows before I get out of this green patch. I looked back and found a notice board. I learnt that men call this area a park and entry is on payment of Rs Five. Moreover, no one is supposed to sit or walk on the grass lawn. I could have avoided all these blows had I seen this board before entering.
‘We, animals and other lives also have right over Nature, isn’t it? Man in this city is behaving as if he has absolute rights and won’t share Nature with anyone else. He is manipulating Nature to suit his own needs and comforts. Cche! This is hell, where one has to struggle for food, water, shelter and other basic amenities. And to fight with man with all his gadgets and weapons is next to impossible. I can not. Let me return to my village.’ This decision infused in me a fresh dose of energy and I started taking my steps towards my village.
It was evening. The roads were full of vehicles. It was hell of an experience to cross a road. How do I know their ‘rules of the road’? I virtually carried my heart and waded through the traffic. The air was full of roars of the vehicles, horn hoots, dust and smoke. My eyes were shedding tears. No doubt, I was in grief but weeping is not in my blood. These tears were due to irritation caused by smoke emitted by the thousands of vehicles. Some one chased me and took a few snaps in his camera. Initially, I got annoyed, but, then I pardoned him. He must be a poor journalist. He might send my photographs with a caption, ‘A distressed bitch in the city’ and may win some cash awards. Let him. I don’t care.
It was night by the time I reached the spot, where I had entered this hell this morning. This is the spot where darkness meets bright light, silence meets deafening sound, cool breeze of the village meets hot, suffocating windless atmosphere of the city, the spot which separates village from the city. I was so near to my village. ‘I have to cross this highway and walk a few miles through the fields and I’ll be in my village.’ I lied down by the roadside and started recollecting the day’s events.
Then, I noticed him, the coward dog who got a beating from me and the one who got me a beating. He walked towards me. He was well built and youthful. There was a belt around his neck. I enquired about it. His owner has tied it, he said. ‘So, it is a mark of slavery in return for food, shelter and care.’ I pitied him and went closer to him. The cool breeze, the demands of youth and the bitter experiences of the day added together and I sought to woe him. I caressed my body with his. He was not interested and stepped back. The reason he gave was a death blow for me. “I won’t be able to. My owner has got me operated and crushed my organs. He has done this only for my well being”.
Rage and fury filled me. ‘On whom should I direct my anger? This impotent standing by my side? Does he deserve to be shown any emotion? Who is responsible for all these? If only I knew, I would tear him to pieces. Helplessness and despair took over me.’
‘God created this world. His creation was as beautiful as Him. Man built the city. His creation is so cruel. Is man so cruel? My village also has men. I’ve never known them to be cruel. Is it that man changed and hence created such a city? Or is it that he created the city and stayed there and hence changed? I do not understand. But, one thing is for sure. This cityman has no place for us in his mind, life and his city. We don’t need your mercy and compassion. We can live on our own, if you leave Nature as it is. Do not trample upon Nature. You try to manipulate and control Mother Nature and then make a farce of compassion towards animals.’
I slowly drifted. My mind was so full thought-storms that the sounds outside did not bother me. I did not hear the roar of an approaching truck nor did I see its giant wheels racing towards me and when I saw, my gloomy mind did not enthuse me to run and save myself.....
May my crushed body become a feast for the crow and its family, if only man and his systems allow. I am in my new world, quiet and peaceful. Om Shanthi.
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