Bark For Heart

Oddity has a way of attracting attention and surely a canny-canine like him couldn’t help smelling the nefarious intention behind this walk for health shit, so he barked. TOM wasn’t just an ordinary dog born yesterday, he had seen this luxurious lifestyle dig deeper into the urban human lifestyle. since the time he was born eight-year ago. Mankind has become addicted to pizza and noodles culture and so was he. This human awakening to care for their heart was injurious to his taste so, he barked.

The bark attracted Shera, Mintoo, Goldie and Sweety, a delinquent gang of street dogs. They all barked.

Shera was about three years younger to Tom and he was a great admirer of Tom’s intellectual capabilities. His association with Tom over the past few years had given him the insight to differentiate his luxurious bark from that of an intellectual one. This annoyed barking at early hours of this lovely morning when the sun had just started to peek from the edge of the horizon, surely didn’t qualify to be the bark of leisurely indulgence. So he came closer to Tom and barked, “What’s wrong?”

” What’s wrong?, You are asking me, what’s wrong? can’t you see these fellas walking?” Tom was definitely annoyed.

” Yes, I can see them. They seem to be simple peace-loving Doctors enjoying their morning walk, that’s all, they are no thieves.” Shera said candidly, swaying his dirty tongue out to lick his calf wound which he had acquired during his street fight with those of neighbouring street dogs while making a pitch for the sexy bitch from that street.

” Ha Ha!, theft, burglary, chain snatching, decoity… You think in this century and in this country, any Dog like me would care for such piddle shit. NO WAY… they are so commonplace.” Tom panted in a mocked grin

” So what’s the cause for concern?” Shera was now curious. Meanwhile, the doctor’s group had moved forward admiring the beauty of early morning sky against the backdrop of astonishing Jain temple. The dog clan followed them still barking.

“You intellectually deprived fool, look at the banner they are carrying… oh yeh!, how will you know, you have never been to school…. it says, ‘WALK FOR HEALTH’. Tom was so annoyed, he almost shouted. Shera, on the other hand, was still clueless.

” So what if out of 365 days in a year they decide one day to dedicate for their heart!” he grinned ” I see no cause for concern”. Shera asked bluntly.

Tom paused for a moment to look at his companion, sheer ignorance, he judged that needed an elaborate explanation, he decided ” It’s not that, Look at their faces it carries an awakened smile and the shine of their eyes, I am telling you, it’s contagious, This, care for heart shit… this movement… has the capacity to spread”, Tom looked as if he was getting ready for a detailed barking sermon.

“So why should it bother us?” this time it was Sweety who yelled with her shrill bark.

” Shouldn’t it? You counterfeit whore.” Tom barked with a chauvinistic irk. ‘ these females my God they suffer from intellectual paucity I can’t handle” He disregarded Sweety and turned back to Shera, “Tell me what did you have for dinner yesterday?”

“Why? There’sno problem on that front, I had a mix of Mac grill chicken burger and mushroom pizza leftover. The house that I live outside of, belongs to rich obese junkies, they have a party every other day, Italian, Chinese, Thai you name it man, I love it all.”S said dripping his saliva in greed.

“Hmm…”

“What about you sweety” normally he would have avoided Sweety but he knew well that when it comes to being greedy for taste, Sweety was a perfect pray.

“Me, I don’t like all this shit”, Sweety almost cat-walked, “I live outside a desi chaat and snacks corner. That guy makes delicious stuff, you should taste it once. That guy has a huge clientele especially ladies in all shapes and sizes. and, you know what’s his trade secret, Water!, Water that he uses is contaminated with leakage from the sewerage pipe that runs along with his shop. Chole Bhature with sewage topping! boy, I am loving it.”

“That’s what I meant”, Tom was now stitching together, the relevance. “We all are so used to this delicious junk food menu that I can’t dream of going back to dead pigeon and rotten rat kind of food any more. and if this Walk for health nonsense gathers momentum we are for big trouble, all this rotten ‘Meva’ that we all are so fond of will cease to exist.”

” He is right,” said goldie the black one with a spotted body and short, cut tail, ” I am a true wanderer, unlike you guys, I don’t restrict myself to any territorial jurisdiction for loitering. I roam about freely around Macdonalds, dominos and Chinese, joints. Their shops, corridors and parking lots, almost anywhere. A few days back I was roaming around this building which houses the corporate office of Mechanize”s research and analysis wing for promotion and marketing of junk foods. I am telling you, the mood was dismal, they too were worried about this cardio thing, the awakening and all that bullshit about heart care you know.” He continued.

“If this cardiac care idea stays for some time, the sale of obesity product like Bhature and Tikki will go down by at least 40 per cent and that of specialised cardiotoxins namely the cheese and mayonnaise group can dop down to almost half of its present sale. they looked serious and were planning to rethink their strategy.” “My God ! lets bark the shit out of these doctors, we can’t allow this to happen.”

And they all barked.

Doctors group was walking briskly with a determined stride. The dogies followed. Just about the destination point of this five kilometres walk when the barking became more ferocious and impatient, Lara the bitch walked in. She was white as milk and was famous for her bitchy habits. All dog heads turned her way lurking their tongue with the lure. Lara said in a calm voice.

” Don’t you guys worry, things aren’t going to change that easily as this wanderer boy is telling. I have a strong network and admirers coming from far of places. One of my lovemate from Delhi told me a few days back during our night out together that he had a chance to sneak into one of the retail food chain’s corporate meeting. These guys are powerful and connected and so dedicated to their goal. You guys should see the tagline written on their board:

‘DON’T WALK FOR HEALTH… YOU SHALL REST IN PEACE ‘

“I am told, they have bargained a cut down on taxes to offer discounts and freebies on their products. Not only this, they are lobbying for increase in public taxes and insurance premiums’

“An increase in insurance premiums! Ha Ha! and how is that linked to our cause my darling?” goldie mocked.

Lara was not perturbed by goldie’s ignorance and she continued,

” Insurance premiums cause people to strive for more earnings, more labour, pay for future that might not come and destroy the present. This not only causes undue stress which leads to a complex hormonal release and increases hunger but also insurance pressure augments the mortal fear of death among humans. “

” My source has definite information that these corporate people are engaged in under the table deals with the officials of the ‘Ministry of health degradation and commodity welfare’ to promote screen addiction. Likes free internet by Jio en’all. Screen addiction again has a direct causal relationship with increase junkie consumption exponentially. So don’t you guys worry” Lara took a deep relaxing sigh. So did the others.

“Are you sure?” Tom asked affectionately.

“DOG PROMISE…”

Dog clan looked relieved with satisfaction and hope. They stretched their neck extending it upwards in a coordinated gesture looking skyward their tongues hanging down and saliva drooling from the angle of their mouths and,

THEY ALL BARKED FOR WALK.