Brownie and Whitey became adventurous, with many new friends and human acceptance. They decided to latch on to us sisters, for exploring new uncharted territories. On weekends, we would usually walk-down to the market, which is 10-15 minutes away. The dogs usually followed us till the end of their territory. On one such Sunday, as we stepped out of the society gate, the duo's excitement was palpable.
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Team Alpha territory
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They greeted us enthusiastically with wagging tails and eyes shining with mischief. That day, they followed us beyond their territorial border; sometimes running excitedly ahead and sometimes falling back to "mark" a spot. But, whenever we passed near a pack of dogs, they stayed close to our heels, pretending to be our pets. They brilliantly fooled most of the dogs, at least on this first trip.
By the time the four of us reached the market, it was a sight! We had a distinct feeling of escorting two village bums, from the quiet tree-lined residential neighborhood, to the dazzling and noisy city market. Undeterred and to our embarrassment, they waited outside each shop we visited; taking in the sights and smells, their tongues hanging out with excitement, sniffing each new scent.
And, then we reached the ATM: brilliantly lit, with glass walls, shining like a jewel amidst the other shops. Brownie pressed his nose on the glass wall to see the strange contraption that humans were paying homage to. He wanted to get in, but the security guard had already read his intentions, and hit him with his stick. Yelping, the poor dogs ran away. We finished our errands, worrying about the dogs. We need not have; the two adventurers were hiding in a dark corner outside the market, waiting for us to return. They happily greeted us and followed us back home with their heads held high. Their "Mission" for the day was accomplished.
The market became their favorite haunt. Unlike pet dogs, they had many human friends from different households, and could go with one, and could return with another. Their adventures were not without injuries. Brownie would sit near the gate, leaving just enough space for cars to pass by and would refuse to budge. It was a driving test, that many failed. He injured his right hind leg several times. If a street dog gets sick or injured, it goes away into a hiding place, and returns when it recovers. Brownie would do exactly that, returning with a slight limp in his foot.
One day, both Brownie and Whitey disappeared. We waited, assuming that one of them was injured. A couple of days later, Brownie returned alone, he looked physically fine, but sad and lonely. He would sit near the gate, as if waiting. The guards found out that Whitey had passed away in a road accident on the main road. Probably, he was running crazily to dodge the cars on his way to the bus-stop. Brownie was in mourning. He never be-friended any other dog, till almost the very end. We usually greeted the dogs on returning from office, but after this, I made sure that I patted Brownie every evening to reassure him. Brownie had more worries on his plate these days.
Firstly, he had to give up some territory, as he could not control it alone. This loss was minor compared to the loss of the neighborhood park for the better part of the day. The new gardener of the park was not pleased to see his flower beds being destroyed. He chased the dogs out of the park; canine entry was a no-no in his duty hours. Brownie protested. Every day, he would put up his front paws on the corner wall and bark at the gardener, non-stop, for a few hours. The gardener, now a sworn enemy, was equally prepared for the war. He would slowly jog past the park's corner in a comical manner, teasing the dog.
To get past his misery, Brownie quickly drowned himself in a routine. Dogs have a keen sense of time and Brownie was never late. At 6 AM he went out for morning walk with the residents. He played the "wet nose" prank on his old and new friends. He invented a new prank, where he would "ambush" people by suddenly emerging out of bushes onto the jogging path. At sharp 7 AM, he could be seen hurrying towards school bus point to see off school kids. He would stand with the kids, his tail wagging at top-speed, while the parents waved good-byes. He was fiercely protective about the kids and would not let any stranger near the bus pickup point, till the kids left.
Brownie would then sun himself in the park with the senior citizens and ladies, till the gardener arrived, followed by a few hours of barking. He would welcome the kids back near bus drop off point in the afternoon. Sharp five in the evening was the time for prayers. He would sit with a group of elderly men who prayed and chanted together, every day in the park. Brownie would sit around them listening and waiting for the occasional "prasad" in the end. This was followed by an evening nap; a visit to the market, if possible; and then the night-long guard duty. I have not seen a busier dog.
Sometimes, he would also see me off to the office cab. He had noted that scent of my office cabs and had no objection to them. One day, I returned home late in a hired cab. Brownie sat near the gate, alert, and waiting. As soon, as I got out of the cab, I was greeted with a volley of barks. I tried to pacify him, but he was visibly upset with me for returning home late. This became a pattern. He had no objection, if I came back late in our family car or in the office cab. But, returning home in a hired cab, like Ola or Uber, was met with strict disapproval.
Part 3 (Brownie Chooses His Way)
