The Local Guardians

He woke up and stretched his legs trying to get rid of the laziness of the early morning. The city was still asleep. Not everybody get to enjoy the silent morning that will soon be ruined by the vehicles. Looking at the path, he waited for what has become the most important time of his day. Atlast Siri arrived looking happy as usual with Mr. Raj. She walked past, barely noticing him just like any other day and Mr. Raj as usual gave a look of hatred.  Siri, has been his crush for the past two years, apparently lean, deceivingly calm and incessantly beautiful. She has a silky hair and seems to be a little proud about and keeping tossing it every now and then. Ooops!!! masala, tangential to the primary story which is supposed to be just about men. Bruno was on the other side noticed Mr. Raj and Siri, and growled out of fear. Mr. Raj was prepared. He hurled the stones in hand like missiles targeted at enemy. Bruno vanished out of sight, with a wail, think he got hit. Mr. Raj glowed with happiness. It is for this reason, he hates men like Mr. Raj. Like Bruno, he was an Indian mongrel, born on the streets but now under the shelter of humans. Most of the times it is the kids who give names to the dogs on streets, and that is how Bruno got the name, Bruno.

Mr. Raj loves dogs. But to him Mongrels don't come under that category. His love for dogs comes with **conditions apply. Just like any local products, mongrels not preferred by most of the local people :-) They are loyal, adorable, possess all qualities of dog and come for free.  Probably somebody should attach a price tag to them to make them valuable to men. Not that he wants men to take them  home and feed them, the best thing the humans can do is at least not bother the poor street dogs A doctor nearby tests his air gun every now and then by firing at the mongrels in streets. He usually gets disturbed when he hears the wailing sound of the dogs running after getting hit. Irony is that the doctor  too owns a dog and claims to love dogs. Mr. Raj and the doctor would discuss about dogs for hours, about different breeds, their rates and what they are planning to buy next. They do love mongrels, but the expectation is not to bark at their dogs by any chance, and to submit themselves and let the men and their pets do whatever they want.

The life of Indian mongrels is one of the toughest to endure. At times born on the sides of the road, the initial days depend mostly on luck. Mistakes are fatal. The curiosity to explore the world ends under the tyres of two wheeler or four wheeler. Men seem to have evolved a very complex process to survive and these vehicles help them a lot in running behind too many things that they consider important, which he cannot comprehend. Though the ultimate purpose might be just like him, to live and sustain their species, their process process is simply complex.  Most of the time, it would directly or indirectly affect nature and make men look like weapons of mass destruction. Co-existence is unknown to men. Men have made so many species extinct. Funny part is the campaign which they start at the end to save them. Most of the time they are not sure whether they want to kill or whether they want to save. Anyway, the most powerful species does whatever it wants.

Though the dogs have managed to live with men, still life of mongrels in street is a big challenge. The daily hunt for food, escaping the vehicles, tackling the different moods of men is difficult.  At times they run searching for a hiding place, when men come in huge vehicle to catch them,  and get them killed/sterilized. A check by humans to make sure that the dog population stay in control it seems. They could have avoided a lot of problems if they had controlled theirs in first place. Anyway, he is not intelligent enough to understand the ways of men, and he is grateful to god for the same.

Pets at home have the best life. Keep wagging the tail, and live comfortably. There are few owners who spend a huge money and find a powerful mate too ;) Life will be smooth, till they become old. He had seen few people taking their old dogs away and leaving them at remote places to spend their final years. Had always wondered what happens to them, how would they cope at the old age without any idea about the rules of the street. Anyway, Can't complain, humans do the same to old humans too. Some are very kind, they make sure their pets don't suffer the old age, and end their life.  So Kind.

His life has been smooth from the day he moved into this family. Struggle has stayed outside his life. But for other mongrels, they continue to be the unappointed guardians of the streets, waging their tails to every human, loyal to the biscuits shared, guarding their home, at times guarding the kennels where their pets are sold, not expecting humans to adopt them and give a luxurious life, but expecting some mercy to let them lead their lives.