SLUMDoG

9.00 PM, 11^th March ’09, Kajipur, Meerut. India

I was lying on the hard mud near the garden. Have not eaten much today. Morning was terrible, all morning I was hiding away from the Kids. I just don’t appreciate the festival, where they keep throwing colours and water on each other. It is fine if they are doing on their friends, but when the act extends to the unknown, it is terrible.

“Gloria, Gloria”, Oh! Some one calling me, it is Mrs Kohli. She made some aloo parathas in the evening. If I am lucky I might get something to eat, maybe half or a full paratha. With my tail swinging in a speed more than I can even run, I was at her doorsteps. With ¾ of my tongue outside and saliva dripping at the rate of municipal water tap, I looked at her with hungry eyes. She unfolded the napkin in her hand, and out came the rice and bread. Immediately my tongue went in and tail at an erect position, I remember the rice she made three days ago. After putting the meal (my dinner) down, she never went in. she wanted to make sure that I eat all of it. Man I am not her daughter, I am a stray bitch. I have my own self respect. And lot of meals to choose from, there is Mrs Naidu who treats me with dosas, Mrs Singh who gives me Roti and subzi. I am not having any of this, not at any cost. “Gloria eat”, she came down on me. Meek and a shy canine, immediately I went on my knees and started pretending as if I am eating. I did sniff through the food and did bite a piece. Content that I will eat it all, she closed her door and went in. Aha, what an escape! I went back to my den, hoping Anees from the neighbour slums might come late in the night to finish it off.

Anees is also a stray dog, but unlike me he is very brave and gruesome. I sometimes envy him; he can go anywhere and anytime. He is not bothered about the territory we canines have. He did try hard on me. But I just don’t like the way he keep himself, he is not literate and he doesn’t even understand what hygiene means. I like to live lonely. While Anees lives in a group. A group headed by his brother Daewoo. He also has a name for the group the D Gang. Maybe a Dog Gang! They operate in the dark or in the shadows. I don’t trust these characters, especially Chota also known as Shakeel. I heard he is very brutal and has very sharp teeth’s. “EEEeee” the very thought of him sent shivers to me. They all are bloodthirsty ferocious evils who live on snatching rather than pleading. Not many people like them. And no one want’s them near. Last I heard was, the D-gang had started preying on human kids. It was also there on the rumor table, that they are operating like a cosa nostra and they have a strong link with nearby state. Amazing! Isn’t it, dogs having such a strong networks when ideally they should be linked to a collar strap. I think it is this new technology, the one on which they keep woofing around. It looks similar to the one Rani uses. Rani is the daughter of Mrs Tomar. All the time she is talking to this device. Sometimes it really bothers me.

Today afternoon, it was on the local news that some stray dogs have attacked a 3 year old kid. I am sure it must be the D-gang. It is because of these sinister elements, that the whole community have to bear. I am sure from tomorrow onwards it would be very difficult for me to get three meals a day. Lost in my thoughts i failed to notice the D-gang, who was running with all it’s might. Suddenly the whole street got flooded by the big halogens. Out of the corner of my drooping eyes, I saw some 10-12 young men were there on the street. All armed with iron rods and hockey sticks. Their eyes were searching for someone. A small smile came to my face. I knew that end of D-group is near. As if I couldn’t able to contain myself, I ran towards them to lead them to the D-gang. As I approached them, I could see the anger in their eyes, the fire in them as if they need blood. They were looking no different from the D-Gang. I changed my mind and turned back. “Who Rha Kutta” (there is the Dog); I heard one of them shouting. Unaware, I kept on walking towards my den. In no time there were people all around me. One of them shouted;” He is the one, Kill him!” this angered me to the hilt. I just wanted to shout back to them.” listen I am not a dog, I am a bitch”. But it was late, a sudden blow on my back, sent me flat on the ground. “He is not the one, I think he is a pet here in the street” one of them shouted. I could feel the blow on my back, couldn’t gather enough strength to stand. I was flat on the ground, head down, totally in pain, I was begging. I never wanted to run. I was innocent. “All of them are slime, we will kill all of them, spare no one” said one. I could feel my tail, touching my crouch. There were tears in my eyes. I don’t want to die. I love you people. I have done no harm to you. If only I could talk to them.

Hunt For Man Eater Dogs.

Act of Terrorism

Taliban Amma and Abba lived together in a small hut in Sara Rogha area of South Waziristan in Pakistan border with Afghanistan. Amma was two month pregnant, while Abba was a well renowned Smuggler. Abba lost his job recently when Russian MNC closed their export house. And American companies acquired them. Since Amma was pregnant, and Buzkasi was on the verge of becoming an extinct, Abba started looking out. As there was no internet and thus no Monster or dice jobs available. Abba went to the local recruiter looking for a pleasure filled job. The local recruiter on hearing abba’s requirement suggested him the only available job, the job of a terrorist. Abba without any thought and will to go to heaven to devour thousand and thousands of virgin beauties, took the job. He became Jihadi. His only Jihad was to go to Jannat. He went for a six month Crash course, where most of the Pakistan army officers were earning part time by giving trainings.

By the time he came back, I was eight month old in the womb. Can hear most of the conversations and could very well remember my last birth incidents. Yes I was reincarnated as a child to Amma and Abba. I was a friend to Abba in my last birth. I was also one of the thousands who got influenced by the Jihadi talks of the Baitullah Mehsud. The bastard, it seems had no knowledge of the Islam. Like a HR manager he lured us into the suicide, without giving us a clear picture of the industry, the corruption and the motives behind the organization. I end up killing 100 Americans few Afghanis’s and couple of Indian reporters. I still remember the day, when Americans surrounded us, and when we went through the royal treatment of British and Americans. They took us to a small place in Cuba. The bay was called Guantanamo Bay detention camp. And we were the special ones whom they also took to a special interrogation centres. The thought of the centre sent shudders to me and I start kicking Amma. Amma on realising I am bit impatient slapped hard on her uterus. I went to sleep.

Early next morning (March 2, 2009). I woke up, and fresh like yet to be born baby. Abba was talking about going to India, it seem he got his first posting. And that also mean I will not be able to see him, once I come out. All of a sudden it seems there was a lot of chaos outside. I can make out the sound of Shells. Some fighter planes were hovering in the sky. And they were busy bombarding the locality. Allah this is not heaven, neither had I got all those virgins, nor did I have all those promises meant for Jihadi’s. Where art thou!!

Suspected US missile attack kills 8 in Pakistan

Reuters