MONDAY, JULY 08, 2024
Narayanan Hariharasastry
It was a sprawling quadrilateral field with a football ground at the centre accessible by six open entrances through which regulars of constitutional would come. During summer vacation of schools in the neck of the woods fairground events of various entertainments would be held in the football ground.
Every day, by about five in the vespertine hour, I would unfailingly get at the field where four of my usual partners would join me. Making not less than ten laps around the ground, we would disperse every day. That day hardly had we started walking the second lap around the field when two stray dogs came close on my heels lashing their tail. Turning back in short order one of my partners remarked, “Hey, Mr. H.N.!-------As they used to call me so in short-------Your dear companions are fondly following you” since they all had often observed me fondling and feeding snacks to a pack of dogs at the roadside eateries around.
One among the quartet of us, the walking companions I had often noticed looking around for a stone to pelt at any dog seen moving around or approaching him wagging the tail as he always bore a pet hate for the canine. My repeated advice to him to give up the wont and start developing a kind attitude towards dogs fell on his deaf ears.
That day a tad before darkness could descend, we wrapped our walk-for-health and peeled off going our ways but the dog-hating friend of mine happened to come in tow with me towards a nearby bus stand at the opposite side of the platform, may be to take a bus to the town. Engaged in chatting with me while walking, he missed a bus. Luck being in his favour, the next one came straight and halted about two or three steps away from the edge of the platform on the opposite side. Stepping down from the platform, we both were walking on, my friend in next to time going across the road tried to board the bus.
Just then a car coming from behind the bus was all but overtaking the bus from the wrong (left) side without even a beep of the horn. At that very moment, a stray dog was seen crossing the road at the same spot in front of the car that halted tout de suite. This sudden and instantaneous presence of a dog in front of the car saved the man from being run over or knocked down by it that stopped in next to no time. Had the canine not appeared between the car and the man as if by providence, my friend would have for certain been hurt and fallen across the road unsparingly injured.
As the bus began moving ahead, he easily got in and waved to me occupying a window seat. It was a narrow squeak for him from an otherwise serious accident. The dog was the same one that was following us closely during our health-walk.
From then on, his erstwhile hatred for dogs turned into oodles of love and affection for the canine species. Dog as they say is no doubt the best friend of man.
