A little angry young dog, our pet, is called mad. He is ready to take on huge dogs. An exclusive for Different Truths.

There are two Rottweilers in our neighbourhood, whom every other dog gives a wide berth to.

Not quite every dog as our little desi rescue dog is dying to give them battle, as well as to every other dog including the packs of strays, quite literally, 

as he’s very unlikely to survive any such battle. So, we carefully try to keep him from trying.

The other day, on my morning walk, I encountered those two, who, like all other dogs, pet, or stray, try to nuzzle me and get a pat.

But that day, I overheard their handlers saying, danra, pagolta aschhe, or wait, the madcap is coming.

Looking up, I saw our little tyke out for his walk with his handler, straining on his leash to carry out his suicidal attack on the Rottweilers.

I realised that other pet owners call our darling, quite justifiably, pagol, or mad, and avoid confrontation.

This feels very weird because his predecessor, a Labrador, was the gentlest of creatures, an angel in a black coat. In fact, we called her Jesus Christ, but that’s another story. She walked without a leash, was friendly and popular with dogs and even cats in the neighborhood, and even attended birthday parties, and like a true party animal, puked after eating and drinking too much.

LOH commented, takes after the owner.

Even the Doberman we had, a terror for anyone entering our premises uninvited, was quite sober when walking outside, sometimes going without a leash, but then other dogs stayed safely away, and she was quite aloof.

But this little guy is the angry young dog, like his namesake who ruled Bollywood having come from the hard school of the streets and has a chip on his shoulder.

He must be top dog of the area, or die trying, a far more likely outcome.

So, I was relieved that even the most ferocious beasts in the neighbourhood gave our little pagol a wide berth, for their mutual safety.

Picture design by Anumita Roy, Different Truths

Soumya Mukherjee

Soumya Mukherjee is an alumnus of St Stephens College and Delhi School of Economics. He earns his daily bread by working for a PSU Insurance company, and lectures for peanuts. His other passions, family, friends, films, travel, food, trekking, wildlife, music, theater, and occasionally, writing. He has been published in many national newspapers of repute. He has published his first novel, Memories, a novella, hopefully, the first of his many books. He blogs as well.