Mani

Mani

That is my name. No one gave it to me, but i liked the sound of it, so I gave it to myself. This is my life. Am totally free. I live on half of 6th cross street. Until the parking spot of the  diesel jetta car. Mmm diesel gives me a big high.

I feel sorry for the chained ones who come around for walks. Poor things, who the hell goes for walks? When i want to stretch my legs, I run! Inside the seldom used corporation park.

What fun it is to run, raking up mud. But walk? Yawn..

Among the chained lot, I specially like Nisha, the black lab. I know she she likes me too. Sniffing her up is the best part of my morning. She always has a happy smile for me. 

But am a vagabond, so i also love Betsy, Disco, Jackie and Bela too. Another one of the joys of a street dweller. One can be quite the chick magnet and get away with it.

Food, now that is something i can write a thesis on. Firstly i have learnt not to eat anything that i have not hunted. Thing is, humans are fickle. If one thinks, because for a few days a kindly old man has been putting ‘pedigree’ or ‘marie biscuit’ at street corners, one can expect him to do so even on rainy days, you are so wrong.

In fact what i have noticed is dependency on these philanthropists is quite the worst thing you can do for yourself psychologically. And you loose very necessary hunting skills. Besides the stomach gets sick, used as it is to street food, clean stuff, contaminates the inside!

So i have learnt to maintain my scrounging skills with a daily round of walks under the trees where the crows always drop excellent bones. I also wait near the-spot where the milk van comes for the few licks of delicious milk that inevitably leaks from the containers. Other things i do is wait behind the biryani shop back entrance, for the garbage can there, is to die for. Midnight is the best time for that one.

During rains, i rely on watchman anna to give me a corner under the staircase. Ticks are taken care off by rolling in lime waste once a week.

But there was one time my entire life came under grave danger. That too in the name of altruism. 

There were this foreigner couple. They were really an annoying lot with their Royal Canin dry foods, and leather harnesses. Under the harness is the one spot I can’t kick at and the lime stone powder wont go through, so the fleas there were driving me mad. Until i somehow got watchman anna to remove the damn thing.

But one day, something had gotten into the white couple. They were actually selecting a few dogs to leash and take them into their open jeep. That day i very carefully hid myself under Priya akka’s suv and didn’t budge until the infernal couple left with their bonded inmates. 

Who the hell wants to be adopted and give up my super free and happy life.

I know the plight of all pet animals. They go mad. The boredom kills them. Round and round in the same four walls, no challenges, no changes, no street food. I would die.

Anyway that was some years ago. I have already fathered a family, had a dozen girlfriends, been the rag picker’s assistant for some years and watch-man anna’s night time companion. 

In summer nights when the stars twinkle and i lie on my back rubbing myself  against the asphalt, i remember and think..

‘What a beautiful life!’