Stray Dog

Seventeen-year-old Anand was strolling around the premises of his two-storey bungalow. Listening to his i-pod and sipping juice from an elegant glass in hand, Anand seemed happy, content and free of worry, trouble and care. It's been hardly a few minutes since the sky stopped pouring, so the distinctive smell of soil was still fresh and sweet all around. Anand has been relishing the random melodies on his i-pod and surely was having a great time - making occasional foot moments and gentle dance gestures, playfully swinging his arms around and humming along.

Moments later, a brownish stray dog squeaked through the huge and beautiful entry gate into the bangalow premises. The dog appeared sickly, exhausted and seemed as though it was about to pass out in a moment. The ugly grey patches all over its body disappointed and intimidated Anand. The sudden appearance of the dog was displeasing to his senses and scared him away. Now in a snit and thoroughly upset, Anand picked up a sharp piece of stone lying beside the orchid and simulated throwing at the dog. The poor dog couldn't run away. It surely was exhausted, worn out and starving to death. Alas, Anand couldn't appreciate the dog's state. The helpless dog gave a pause for thought, as sadly all its life it had been only running away from people who always either threw stones at it or whacked it away. Anand simulated throwing yet another time. The dog couldn’t budge. A nervous and confused Anand released stone the second time and it narrowly escaped the dog's eyes. With sad and disheartened eyes, the dog looked at him for a moment and slowly turned around to squeeze through the same gate and gradually faded from his view.

Anand was still strolling around, enjoying music and the pleasant weather. Moments later he saw a lean dark man in tainted khakhi shirt and pants passing by the gate. Following him was a seven-foot dirty rope with a dead brown dog strangled at the end. Curled up now and eyes half open, it was being mercilessly dragged behind by the dark man all along the rough tar surface. The lifeless dog with frozen tears and painful eyes, kept staring into Anand's eyes - the same way it looked at him when he threw the stone at it. The man with the rope was waltzing off to a municipal vehicle parked only a few meters away.

Picture Courtesy: Google firstthings.com