Man, you are a cheat(English Story)

Man, you are a cheat

After retiring from service in 2001, it was my routine to sit out in the evenings, to see the night slowly replacing the day. To see the stars begin to shine upon the dark robe which Mother Nature prefers to wear during nights. On full-moon nights, the sky will appear like a boundless dancing floor, where the stars dance in the cool light of moon. On rainy days, while looking at the sky, the earth will emerge as a huge ship moving through the pitter-patter of rain towards eternity. In the darkness of new moon days, but for the chirping of insects and occasional warble and twitter of birds, the surroundings of my house will be strangely silent. Even the sound and noise of television, which the other members of family savored, reached me only as a soft vibration, since my seat was far away from it. Even those stray dogs, who wandering around our house during day time, running hither and yon, barking and howling and yowling, kept quiet during nights, obeying the mysterious  command of nature. 

          It was on one of such late evening of a rainy day that he came to me. In fact, it was raining throughout the day, but by evening it had reduced to a thin drizzle. He entered into the sit-out as if to escape from the rain, while his companion, another waif - who was bigger than him- had run away. Once inside, he began to shake off the water from his body that he saw me. He stood still for some time, looking directly into my eyes and probably seeing no trace of animosity there, completed the process of shaking off water.
Then he looked out, but seeing the drizzle, decided against going out and stood looking at me. His body moved slightly from side to side as if from cold.

I raised my hand and signaled him to come near me. He stood hesitating, but only for a minute and then came near me and stood beside my chair like a small orphan kid. I do not know what prompted me to do so, but I began to stroke and fondle the head and body of the poor thing as if to relieve it of tension. I confess that I had my heart in my mouth in the beginning as I was always afraid of dogs, but gradually, the fear vanished altogether, with its place taken over by the tenderness of sympathy and love. And he stood there, without moving his body at all, as if enjoying the massage. After some time, when I lifted my hand from his back, he turned and looked at my face and then lay down with his head near my feet and hands stretched forward in absolute relaxation. And when I sat looking at him, he pressed his face at my foot and made a soft noise as if asking me to continue with the massage. And surely I continued with it while he lay there without making even the slightest noise or movement. Gradually I began to feel that my mind was transcending beyond the present, taking me to a world of total tranquility.

After about half an hour, he got up and looked out as if having remembered something. Maybe, it was some noise from outside, imperceptible to me, which penetrated into him, forcing him to think of leaving the cosy atmosphere.

He walked a little away from me, shook his body as if to get rid of laziness and then moved out.

Once outside, he turned and looked at me. I had a feeling that he was thanking me for the love and affection which he had seldom enjoyed in the past.

Throughout the next day, I tried to trace him among the stray dogs who wandered around my house, but I could not recognize him. And none among them showed any sign of acquaintance with me. 

That evening, around 7^’o’ clock, while I was sitting at my regular corner reading a book, I heard a sound outside. And sure enough, it was the same visitor of last evening.

He stood outside, looking at me as if pondering over the next step to be taken. And when I continued to sit looking at him, without showing any positive response, he turned to go out. But before he left the place, I snapped my fingers and then, he ran to me, like a child who was forfeited of love for a long period. He came and sat calmly near me, just like he had sat yesterday. His entire body shook as if he had come running.

But when I did not touch him for quite some time, he got up. Probably he thought of leaving the place since he could not get that ecstatic experience for which he had come.

Then I gestured to him to lie down, pointing to a spot near my chair. He immediately obeyed and I began to fondle his head and body, as I did the previous day. And he lay there, enjoying it. And he got up at about 8^‘o’ clock, just like yesterday, walked out, turned and looked at me and went away.

The relationship continued for about a month. But never during day time he came to me and I was unable to locate him among the wandering dogs during day time. Even at evenings too, I recognized him only when he came to me.

It was a very hot day. Although it was my habit to take a siesta after the mid-day meals, it was impossible on that day due to the excessive heat. Added to it was the noise of barking and howling of dogs. They ran everywhere around the house, at times a group chasing a single dog. When the noise became unbearable, I got up and came out.

There were about ten dogs there. They were making such a noise as if their sole aim was not to let me take rest. Even when I stood there looking at them, they did not bother to control themselves and in fact, the pandemonium went on increasing.

Normally, I am not interested in hurting animals, but today the case was different. My mind was filled so much with irritation that I took a piece of stone and threw it towards the gang. It might surely have hit one of them that a scream of acute pain was heard and the gang scattered and ran in various directions.

I was just turning to go inside that I saw one of them stop. Slowly, it turned back. All the other dogs had left the place.

Then he raised its head. I felt that it was looking directly into my eyes, as if it wanted to communicate something.

Then it dawned on me. It was the evening visitor! 

Slowly, he raised one of his legs. Maybe, he had his own reason to do so, but I felt that he was showing me some injury.  I felt pity for him. I wanted to do something for him, but was afraid to go near him.

He stood like that for some time. And then I saw – I was sure that I saw it – the hatred and contempt in his eyes.

Then he opened his mouth fully gnashing the teeth. He remained like that for a few seconds and then turned and walked away wagging the tail slowly. As if telling me. “I loathe you. You are a cheat.”

And he never visited me thereafter. I waited a few days for him, but in vain. I never saw him again.

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                                                                             KRISHNA