The dream moment in Mathura Road

A tale about a man's love for his dog.

On a Wednesday night, I was walking in Mathura Road, central Delhi. I reached a pavement, where a couple of homeless people were sleeping. One man was awake. Lying on a woollen blanket, he was lovingly patting a black dog.

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“She is

Kaali

,” the man said, and identified himself as Ramesh. “I have no one in Delhi except her. I met her six years ago in this very place and since then, she has been living with me.”

A DTC bus whizzed by. “I may go hungry but I make sure that

Kaali

gets her roti every night.” In the morning, Ramesh buys her bread and milk. During the day, he has to be away in Bhogal, a nearby market, where he works as a labourer. “I tell

Kaali

to stay in this pavement when I’m off to duty and she obeys me.”

When Ramesh returns in the evening,

Kaali

never leaves his side. Patting her again, Ramesh said, “I have been betrayed by

insaan

(human beings), but she has always been nice to me. She is my family.” At that instant,

Kaali

turned her head towards Ramesh and wagged her tail. It was a beautiful moment.