The Speaking Animal !

The world of Men is colorful. There is love in hatred and mockery in love. People scoff and yet pretend pleasant. Praise the unworthy and give minutest of acknowledgment to those who deserve. Honesty is rare to find and if found, rare to carry on. And amidst this dichotomy of Peace and Peril, there is something that endures the world of Men or say Humans: The Humanity, the Humbleness and of all, Compassion for those we Love. If not for their love, tenderness and kindness shown, there stands no world to bear the hollow-hearts. My Mother always says, “It is for those few good people that we are prevented from the hovering Doom’s Day.”

But let us leave these concerns aside because I am not going to talk about malice and sad endings. I’ve been indulged in numerous books talking of triumph of Good over Evil, of Prince and Princess, of Fairies and Monsters, and what not. And that imprinted an impression for forever, which is: ‘there is always a happy ending to everything that begins’. I would always fancy or rather believed that I was a part of a fairy tale too. But I never thought I would actually be a part of one someday myself.

I have been a good dreamer. As said, I always had a very defined and nicely scripted dreams making anyone believe it were real. Though I always preferred to have dream-less sleeps. I’d been a little disturbed lately. I liked to sleep more and hence dream more, and there could hardly be a difference made, if it was a dream or what happened was real. [For once I even dreamt that I’d my lunch and I escaped one.] But it was not until this day that I still can’t figure out what I saw was real or barely films of memories hidden in my sub-conscience that took the form of pictures as soon as I closed my eyes.

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I came to a store which ia a little far from my house and rather in a remote area to get my kerosene can filled. There were three young lads standing talking among themselves using as many profanities they learnt from the time they were in their mother’s womb, I guess. Their looks were menacing too along with their indecent conversation.

Yet, with all my guts I moved towards them and dared produced a sentence, “I want kerosene oil to be filled in my can.” Which sounded some unintelligible words juggled and delivered in haste.

At first, I could hear some muffled laughter which turned into a roar of laughter and then I realized what blunder I’d made with my statement. I was not dealing with normal people, after all.

“I said, can you help me fill this can with kerosene oil?” Raising the hand that contained it.

One fellow grabbed it from my hand shamelessly grinning, enjoying their small piece of joke. He took the can and went inside the shop to fill it up. While the others were still busy pulling each others shirts and passing alluded comments over me.

“Get off my shirt ! We’ve a Lady here. I don’t want to expose.” One of the two said eying me from the corner of his eyes.

The other smirked, “As if you’ve something to expose? I would never mind. Those who have it, they flaunt it.” Too proud on hitting a six.

“Oh, really! I wonder then why Sabiya didn’t give a glance at you, with or without shirt.”

Feeling offended the second guy immediately retorted saying, “You are not aware of the scene under covers. So be off!”

And again sharing a sly look they laughed. Apart from profanities, they didn’t even had respect for women. I was disgusted to the core. In fact, I pledged to myself that before leaving I would slap one of them. But again fear enthralled me for I felt very weak at the thought of smacking somebody down.

On that very moment I saw a loitering dog searching for food. It looked very feeble. When the dog came near to those two guys, they threw some bread for the dog. But before I could change my opinion for them, they started kicking the poor animal away from bread. That was the Epitome of Misbehavior. It was enough to collect strength to whack somebody, whatever may the consequence be.

I held the dog by its tail and dragged it with me. By the time, the third guy was out with the kerosene can. I took it paying the amount and suddenly moved my hand as fast at one standing near and ran away slapping him. The dog came trailing after me.

“You are brave! And thank you.” I heard a male voice saying it.

I was too nervous to turn my neck in the direction from where the voice came. So I continued running for some time while speaking out loud.

“Well, I should be thankful for your comment. What makes you say so?”

“You saved my life. And most of all you showed kindness to one who barely receives it from any person.” The voice was so clear that I could feel it was coming from very close by.

“I couldn’t have let that dog suffer in the hands of those mongrels.”

“Yes of course ! And this is why I’m grateful to you.” The voice answered.

I was too confused. I could see people walking on the street but none seemed to be interested talking to me. Then who was it ?

“Hey, whoever you are, can you please show up? Is this dog your pet?”

I was loud this time that passer-bys stared at me startled. I might be looking fool to them, talking to myself. And then I realized this voice was synchronized only to my audible frequency. A jolt of shiver passed and yet what strength led me keep my calm was alien to me.

At that moment, something drew my attention to the dog. It was making a gurgling sound from its throat and parallely I heard the voice again, this time a little irritated but composed.
“I am master to myself and a pet to myself. Though I am not human but I too have sense organs that do feel the pain. I again offer my gratitude for saving me from more pains.”

I just could not believe what I saw. I rinsed my eyes again and again. Pinched myself to be sure if my senses were alert. Till now I could not trust my own mind.
I laughed it off thinking it to be a prank of those nincompoops and increased my pace. The dog was still following me.

“I know who you are.” And with that I freezed where I was and stared back at the creature. The dog was talking to me. It continued, “I’ve seen you coming in and out of your house quite often. But I just not only know your name or your house, I also know what has troubled you all this time.”

More than horror, amazement struck me. I don’t know what made me interested to know what this voice has to say. I was still not ready to believe it was this dog.

“Wait, if its you I’m talking to, that means I can read your mind. But can you read my mind too when I’m not speaking my thought?” I was too eager to have my doubts cleared.

“No. I can’t read your mind but there is someone that tells me about your worries.” Its voice was deep and I was trapped more in a labyrinth.

“I’m sorry but I am lost. You say ‘someone’. May I ask who this someone is?”

“Sure. You usually see a tiny turquoise-colored bird seated on a branch every morning in front of your balcony. She is called Iritaa. Your fascinating gaze on her overwhelms her with pride. She is fond of you. And she watches you while you speak to yourself thinking no one is watching you. She tries to comfort you but since you can’t read her mind, her efforts go in vain.”

The dog’s one ear raised up suddenly as a sign of alert for a while and then fell. And it continued, “When returning to her friends, she speaks of your daily troubles like a speaking personal diary. It is thence I over heard her. And I can give you only one advice: ‘Do not be pained……because everything happens for a reason’.”

“Yeah, except that I am not sure if its for good or bad.” I sighed.

“Do not judge anything in such parameters for they are made by none but your own conscience. Once you might have found something bad but gradually you may have grown fond of it. And so, it was omitted from your Bad’s list. Think once.”

Expecting such wisdom from an animal whose name is used like a profanity, I was too overwhelmed to say a thing. I could only say, “Probably yes.”

“You fear of no fear. It is but your confusion that you are seeking an answer for. It is true that no problem comes without a solution provided you are aware of the problem.”

“What do you know about my problem to judge what bugs me?” I felt very offended without any reason.

“Maybe…..nothing of importance. I’ve not heard your narration and the one which is passed by a third person never holds the exact content of the original. And I won’t ask you if you don’t want to talk about it.” Its warmth was beyond a normal human intellect.
I was almost mesmerized to believe it was some supernatural being or something.

Its words had some sort of pain relief ointment which could heal the most wearied heart.

“How can you know so much? I mean, your life span is barely of few years and still you speak with the experience of centuries. Who are you?”

“I am just an animal…..a Dog as you people call me. I know much because I wander more in the world than the average human. I’ve seen many ill-doings and good deeds. Human minds are corrupted. Their pursuit of glory is satiated with destruction. I don’t deny that there are some good souls but too scanty to stop the malevolence. The large percentage consists of selfish men. And most are indulged in taking the advantage of being the superior race of all. Their lust to govern the Universe has drawn them insane. They don’t consider any living creature’s life worthy. There is a thick line drawn between those superior and inferiors in your own race, the former looks condescendingly on the latter……. But it is we animals who keeps the environmental balance. We’ve control over our unnatural instincts more than humans.”

I was too irked by the truth. I guess I am more like don’t-believe-and-it-is-myth. But coming face to face with reality was more like a whiplash. I heard it from the least expected creature which I failed to analyze myself (With my mind almost filled with so many mixed feelings). There was so much to worry, more than what small troubles I was clinging to. I reached my house and the dog was still coming beside me.

It caught me by saying, “There is so much pain that what you endure is just a matter of your choice. Mind you, its your selfishness that tells you that your pain is beyond suffering. Think about it and see if you can face it for you may not get what you want but you always get the best……..Go home…take rest…..and give some exercise to your mind….” It turned back to return but suddenly flipped its head and was too smug to say something that startled me more. “And yeah….I know His name.”

And it was gone. I came inside my house and was contemplating what I’d just now heard. I felt asleep gradually. Suddenly my morning alarm rang and I sprang from my bed wondering how I slept from afternoon to morning. When I went and asked my mother if I’d gone outside last afternoon, “No. You were busy with your books as usual. Always been too lazy to go out.” My mother has post-it complaint on her forehead regarding my laziness.

“Did papa go to get the kerosene can filled ?” I asked.

“No…..good that you reminded, its over and needs a refilling.”

I don’t know why I still wanted to check it myself. So I looked for the can and it was full to the brim! I wonder………………


------------------------------to be continued------------------------------------