Augusta our dog friend...

I do not exactly know whether there was any strategy involved or not but Augusta, a street dog did something unusual...

I am not much of a social person but one Saturday in December last year in order to break my dull monotonous routine. I went out to a nearby monument, an old castle built in centre of a lake. The palace would have been prettier in its time but now it lay in ruins. A half broken pathway connected it to the shore. Boat rides were also available which are normally preferred to reach this fort from the shore.

Since, I was in an adventurous mood so took the pathway and with my heart in my hands successfully crossed the lake underneath and reached the palace.

The palace doors were still intact, it opened into a large courtyard with rooms all around it, and its walls were embroidered with images of birds, people, and artillery. There were not much visitors at that point of time. So, taking this as an opportunity to click some photos, I took out my smartphone. Just as I raised my arm, made a pose to click a picture, a dog came from nowhere, made a smiling face and got captured in my lens. I found dog’s this gesture very adorable, so gave it few biscuits I had brought along and petted on its back and head. Dog acknowledged by wagging its tail.

Later, I went to a different location in the courtyard under one of the windows crowned by a Peacock like statue and clicked a picture of self with my eyebrows raised. I checked my galleries in phone to see whether I had snapped it right, only to find the same dog with a smiling face captured in the photo with me. I noticed it was still in same posture looking at me; I felt happy and gave dog a few more biscuits.

At this very moment a guard standing in vicinity said, “it is a routine job for this dog, it loves being snapped, every time someone clicks a picture here, this dog comes rushing towards that person to become part of the snapshot”. I found this interesting which made me look at the dog more attentively.

It was a Half brown, half white beagle with black spot on its white neck. It must have been around two years old and its stature showed that it would have been runt of the litter. A dirty black ribbon band with metallic name plate was tied around its neck. I read the name “Augusta” written on it.

The guard said, “once a pet, now an orphan, it is looking for a new home”

The guard’s words and puppy’s eyes melted my heart and I picked up this puppy and brought it home.

The next month after Augusta had become really comfortable in my world I took it to meet my parents in my native home. It somehow quickly gelled well with them too and especially with my mom who fed it a variety of dishes.

While I was at my native home, my parents persuaded, no! In fact emotionally blackmailed me to meet this girl with whom they wanted me to get married to.  Meeting was arranged in my house the very next day. All night I thought about plans to escape this trap but could not decide on any one. The night passed fruitlessly and the day came.

It was Sunday morning, Augusta and I were sitting in my room while my parents were talking to the girl and her parents. Soon I was called to meet them, In order to make them reject me an idea struck me, I picked up Augusta in my arms and went out.

As soon as I came in the living room, my parents furiously looked at me, I had anticipated this but what I had not anticipated was the girl and her parent’s reaction. They were looking so happy, I don’t know why. A moment later I found out the answer. As soon as I came close to the place they were sitting, Augusta jumped out of my arms and rushed towards the girl and the girl too joyously got up and picked Augusta in her arms.

She said “ Oh my Gosh!, mom it is Augusta, my baby, where had you been?, i missed you so much “

Augusta licked her gleefully and I felt betrayed.

She was pretty and I had known her qualifications too. I had heard from my parents that just like me she loved adventure and travelling.

I said “I found it during one of my travel adventures”

She looked in my eyes and gave me the best smile I had ever received in my life.

I sat in front of her, mesmerized, looked into her eyes and explained the whole story.

After a courtship of six months our wedding cards got published, they read:

“With the blessings of our common friend Augusta, We, Shekhar and Sarthika are getting married on....”

Fenil and the Waiter - Amit Saini

Fenil: Can I have menu please

The Waiter: Sure Sir

(The Waiter hands over the menu to Fenil)

The Waiter: What would you like to have Sir ?

Fenil: Let me read first, will you?

The Waiter: Sure Sir,

(While Fenil is scrolling through menu, The Waiter is standing in front of him, continuously observing his every move)

Fenil: I will call you. it takes me time to decide on things in life,

The Waiter: It is just food sir, Order whatever you want for the moment, if you don’t like it, order something new tomorrow. We have variety of dishes.

Fenil: You should be the owner of this place.

The Waiter: If only my girlfriend lets me be one.

Fenil: And how is she stopping you? In fact from my experience, girls should love a man owning such a place.

The Waiter:  You cannot generalize everything based on your experiences. This is a particular case.

Fenil: You Sound Intelligent.

The Waiter: I am!

(Fenil again starts to read the menu card intently, The Waiter keeps on looking at him)

Fenil: I will have an Italian Toast and ummm.. Darjeeling Tea.

The Waiter: Alright! (Goes Away)

(Fenil observes the Ambience of Restaurant, It seems new and is filled with young crowd.  Wooden chairs on Wooden Floor, Chandelier on the roof above him, an old guitar, old telephone and other antique material kept on shelves made in form of love on wall in front of him. These decorative old showpieces make him check out his current status on social networking page)

(It reads “I hope moving on is good for you” He changes it to “I am going to get you back”

While he is busy scrolling down, The Waiter places food on his table)

The Waiter: It will get cold sir, eat it fast.

Fenil: There are other things to do in life than eating food.

The Waiter: for doing those other things you need to survive; try new Dishes, hear new music, visit new places, meet new people, work on multiple things and then optimize all of these to select what suits you best.

Fenil: I can see some grey hair on your head ! Being a waiter suits you?

The Waiter: Yes it does.

Fenil: You haven’t done much in life, have you?

The Waiter: I don’t boast but you can visit “The Gallery of Robots” to know more about me.

The Fenil: I have, innumerable times, my girlfriend works there, My Ex- girlfriend in fact. I had even applied for a job there for a role in training Robots about love.

The Waiter: It is the highest paying job there, especially in times like these when all we hear about is wars around the world.

The Fenil: Yes but I got rejected, for the two jobs at same time.

(Fenil looks at the picture of a young red haired women, showing off her motorcycle tattoo drawn on her neck, The Waiter tries to sneak a glance)

The Waiter: that is one fine woman.

Fenil: How do you know so much about “The Gallery of Robots” ?

The Waiter: I used to teach the robots what you want to teach them there,

Fenil: No Way! And, you left it !

The Waiter: Yes I did, they wanted me to teach the robots to love only one person, his/her master.

Fenil: That’s how it should be.

The Waiter: Still you got rejected?

Fenil: I got rejected because my girlfriend works there.

The Waiter: Why? Didn’t you take her reference, before applying?

Fenil: We had a breakup and she wanted to move on.

The Waiter: So should you.

Fenil: It is none of your business. Anyways, what did you want to teach the robots.

The Waiter: To love everybody; each human being and each robot, this is the only thing that is going to save us from destruction caused by wars.

Fenil: But that would defeat their purpose to accomplish certain task.

The Waiter: What purpose? What task? It should be tasks.

Fenil: They are not living beings like us.

The Waiter: Give them a set of tasks, let them learn from their experiences and let them optimize themselves. Why do you want to supervise their learning. Let it be unsupervised.

Fenil: That is what we should do.

The Waiter: My Point from the very beginning, but are we doing it? Are you doing it? You are still sticking to your girlfriend, trying to possess her. What I can see from her picture is, she is alive, not dead like you. She is living in moment and you are feeding on past.

(The Waiter snatches his phone and unfriends her from his list)

(Fenil grabs waiter’s collar)

Fenil: (while grabbing waiter’s collar) How dare you?

(Fenil and waiter keep looking in each other’s eyes, then Fenil leaves his collar, takes his phone back and sits on his chair)

Fenil: You are right. You are right.

(The Waiter gives Fenil a glass of water)

Fenil drinks glass of water.

Fenil: I will move on, I will love everyone, I will try new dishes, I will start my own company of robots, I will become the man she repents losing. No! I don’t care what she thinks, Let her be happy or sad, whatever she wants to be! I will be what I want to be.

Take this away, bring your menu card or infact bring something new you cook here, something which isn’t available anywhere

The Waiter: I will bring our best dish, the highly priced, “Door to Heaven”

Fenil: Bring it on.

(The Waiter goes in the kitchen, gives order to chef for making “Door to Heaven” Then takes out his phone, makes a call to a number)

The Waiter: Hello, I have done it. We have done it. He won’t bother you again. You were right, he is indeed a gullible idiot! What an emotional fool who couldn’t find flaws in argument.

The woman voice on the phone: See my decision to not hire him was right.

The Waiter: and also not to love him and of choosing me over him.

The Woman Voice on phone: Yes! but don’t start acting like him.

The Waiter: I won’t ever! Ok bye for now my Ducati. “ Door to Heaven” is ready.

(The Waiter cuts the phone, picks up the dish and moves out of the Kitchen)