The time is something woofish...7 am in your language, I guess, so time to wakey, wakey! It is my chance to sleep on the top of Bhanu Kaka's BMW, so I can easily say that I have slept well, almost like a king. Ronnie and Bobby, my bestest barkies are already awake and have climbed on top of the BMW and sit alongside me as we watch the hoomans go about their business.
Hey wait, I forgot to shake your paw and mark my imprint on you! My name is Chiku. I’m a handsome, street-smart stray doggo, they also call me a ‘Streetie’ at times. Tall, dusky with light brown eyes that know a thousand secret places to hide treats and a heart that can identify the good souls from miles afar. Don’t ask me my lineage, but I’m as tough as they come! I’m from Mumbai and I stay under the Lower Parel Metro bridge, in case you want to visit me in my territory. The sky is my roof and all humans are my family. Today, I’m going to take you through a day in my life! Why, no special reason, just so that you never go astray!
So, just when everything seems so nice, Bhanu Kaka’s driver, Rangaa emerges from the gates of Bhanu Kaka’s house with a stick and hits us with it multiple times. He hates to see us sitting on top of the car. Ronnie and I are slightly bruised but Bobby looks like a trainwreck. He has been beaten up badly. We don’t know what to do. He is unable to move. I quickly scramble to get help but since there is a lockdown in place, there aren’t many hoomans roaming around. Soon, a pleasant morning is starting to turn into our worst nightmare ever. I run to find the hoomans.
I run towards them hoping they will help but they run away from me thinking that I am going to bite them. If only I was able to talk, it would have made life a bit easy. Now, I’m running on an empty stomach. I sniff new smells, there goes some chicken pasta in the tiffin on the school bus (psst..I hate the yellow school bus, its my nemesis, but that’s another story for another day), there goes snarly Jugnu who wants to enter my territory, oh damn, there goes my crush, gosh she looks so cute in that pink collar! But I have to focus, here, my friend is in trouble. I fluff my ears and try to remain strong!
I haven’t eaten for I don't know how long. Since the lockdown, food has been hard to find. I run as far as my legs can carry me and slowly my vision starts to blur. Lack of food makes me feel weak and drowsy, I can see a candy colored rainbow now! I pass out thinking that I can’t save Bobby. When I open my eyes, I’m in a van. Some hoomans have picked me up.
At first, I’m scared and think that they are about to harm me so I try to escape, but then I realize that they are animal healthcare workers. They give me food to eat and also tie a radium collar around my neck. The collar glows in the dark, wow I’m impressed. I am enjoying this treatment just when I come to my senses and remember Bobby. As soon as the van door opens, I run towards Bobby and Ronnie.
Thankfully, I know the way back and run as fast as I can. The van which is filled with animal welfare workers follows me, as I lead them to Bobby, I can only think of how much pain Bobby must be in and I'm hoping that they are still there. Finally, I can see Bobby and Ronnie in the distance. The hoomans take Bobby to the van and give him some medicines and bandage his wounds. They give the three of us food to eat and put a collar on Bobby and Ronnie’s neck.
Bobby is feeling much better now. I am relieved and give all the hoomans who have helped us a big wet boop and they love it. They start clicking selfies with me and I feel like a mini celebrity. Soon after, they say goodbye and are on their way to help more strays or streeties like us. We feel truly grateful to them. I hope their tribe increases!
We then discuss some things and come to a conclusion that this area is not safe for us to stay and that we should go elsewhere. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a better place and if we’re even luckier, someone will make us their pets. Boy oh boy, wouldn't that be pawsome.
Moving areas has become a regular thing for us but we don’t give up because we know that we’ll find the right place one day with the right kind of people who will treat us right. As the sun starts to go down, we set on our journey of finding a better place. It is night time and it starts raining. After a while we find shelter and see a man sitting near a bonfire. At first we are hesitant but looking into the man's eyes we slowly move towards him and sit by the fire. He gives us some food to eat and pets us. As I cozy up in my spot thinking about this eventful day I realize, no matter how bad the situation is, you need to believe in yourself and know that everything will be alright and that no one can stop you. I hope you have enjoyed reading my story. I’ll be waiting to see you so that I can give y'all a wet boop and convince you to come chasing my tail! You can even join my pack, but I’ll be the alpha.
Till we meet again, I'm Chiku and I don’t mean the fruit. Just Chiku, a streetie not gone astray, yet!
