IT’S A DOG'S DAY ... not every dog's but Bosco's.

Disclaimer

All the characters except the dogs are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. The story is based on observations and imaginations... nothing new

Prologue

Do you believe in rebirths... Bosco made me believe so. "Bosco" is our hero, a stray dog and the leader of its pack. Nothing comes to mind than his upright neck, erect ears, stiff muscular body, inwardly pulled stomach with a brown patched white body and his barks with an attitude. As Wordsworth would have said, "I hear his barks even now, long after it is heard no more".

* * *

The day dawned with joggers coming in cars and bikes and getting parked in his territory. Bosco was very particular about how people drove, parked or walked. He would express his resentment with only with one thought "Why don't these people understand?". Little did Bosco know that humans no longer understand him, and he is a soul reborn as a stray dog in a street next to the same Police Station where he was the station in charge during his previous life. He still walks around taking care of his station limits.

The pack of five controls the movement of every human in their circle just next to the Museum Police station. The morning starts with the team supervising the cleaning staff, making sure their circle is neat and clean. All five stay next to the Jimmy George Swimming Pool and get on Duty at 7 in the morning. The daily control continues till night when they get back to their haven.

"Kaala" Bosco shouted as a car went on the wrong side almost hitting him. He did not stop barking as he called for backup to bring the driver to book.

Kaalabhairavan, true black skinned potbellied with a stern look, and was not as fit as Bosco. He was waiting for a biscuit the Retired Colonel would buy and give him from the tea shop. Kaala turned around on the call and ran to the rescue.

"Note his car number, he should not pass our circle without paying up for his mistakes" instructed Bosco. Kaala was distracted by the Colonel waiting with a biscuits and maybe a few sips of the tea." He said to himself and barked at Bosco "Sir tea..."

Bosco composed himself and walked along with Kaala towards the tea shop for his morning freebies. Bosco took a bite of a biscuit Colonel gave and turned to Meena, a bitch... sorry for my language but that is how they are called by even civilized humans. She had beautiful eyes and a slim body. Kaala had his eyes on her but his respect for his senior always stopped him from bringing her a bone or two from the nearby bin, where the hotel would drop their waste.

"Meena, you were howling all night ... any issue?"

"Sir... I was on my night patrol and that belted Dober tried to...." and tears rolled down her eyes.

"I have told you a million times to take Kaala or Billa along with you when you go for night patrols" barked Bosco.

Bosco got furious and lost his temper, sniffed out a breath in a sneeze, when he saw a jogger go with a canine pet, a cute little Pug of his. He barked his anger out and ran behind both. They had a wonderful work out till the end of Bosco's Circle. The Pug who already was depressed in looks was exhausted at the end of the raid and looked more depressed with heavy panting.

Bosco was marching back to his post, by the tea stall where Billa was waiting. Second in command Billa was more suave and never spent time running behind cars or bikes. He was the one to wag tail and stand guard to the thrown biriyani packet on the street and keep it ready for his boss Bosco. Billa was a mix of white and black and was vigilant only when Bosco is around.

"Billa ..." called Bosco. Billa turned around to see Bosco trot in slow motion as if he were a Tollywood Hero. The admiration gave a twinkle in his eyes. "Now you stand guard... I will be back after lunch"

Billa nodded his head in affirmation and took charge of the road barking at those violating rules, parking the vehicles wrong and those who walk carelessly on the road. Brown, the youngest of the pack was a novice and kept watching Bosco and Billa all day to learn from them with a hope that someday he would get to lead a pack. He always had a sad face. The coat of brown, as his name suggested, gave away that he was just a common stray kind, but with aspirations high as any youngster.

"Brown... make sure no cats enter our circle" instructed Bosco as he was finishing the last piece of bone in his lunch, and Brown whirred into action making sure he barked their souls away backed by the Lion's growl in the background. His Dad used to live near a theatre where Singam was running when he was born, and somehow he had a strange affinity to the growls and grunts from the Zoo behind their circle.

Days passed with their daily duty from 7 till late in the evening, when one day Kaala heard about it "The Virus". He came and informed Bosco and they decided to wait and watch. Things started turning grim as the vehicles reduced in numbers and soon it was declared a Lockdown. Their eventful days were reduced to just regular march and barking on a few bikes a day. Humans were scarce and their food supply started getting affected. They held meetings on hourly basis to find ways to survive, waiting for the day when humans would return and they would resume their duty.

"We would have our day" Howled Bosco with all his might to his team. Each one energized by the cry. But deep within himself Bosco was petrified thinking about the days ahead with no food. He saw a car come and stop near an old run down police jeep, which was dumped there and ficus had sprouted through the seats. A lady walked out with a few packs of food..."Biriyani", that too fresh... Bosco could smell it. He had a faint thought “I know this smell… I know it”

With a controlled wags the pack slowly started moving. Bosco stopped. He knew her... He knows her scent... It is her "Jasmine" Bosco all of a sudden remembered the smell of the biriyani she made. He saw her eyes filled with tears, as she walked towards the Jeep and placed the open packs of Biriyani.

Colonel who walked out of the police station mentioned to a newly joined Constable "Today, 8 years back, that jeep was the one which went into the river during a raid and all five of the police officials died in the accident. I still remember the officer, bold and strict... poor soul... that's his wife Jasmine"

Bosco's eyes filled with tears... He saw Kaala, Meena, Billa and Brown... his team mates who were with him in the raid when the jeep fell into the river. He wagged his tail with love and had the Biriyani she made... He wished he could say "Will you bring us food every day?"

Bosco saw the car move away, Jasmine wiping her tears... He howled with love wagging his tail faster in love and his heart pounded and his pack understood his words "Jasmine... I am your Bosco"

... He waits for her
…. and the team waited for the lockdown days to end.