Chaddi, Swami, Tiger and Blacky. In THAT order.

So I had never been fond of dogs, or even animals for that matter. I mean, I did care about tigers dying and animals losing their habitat amongst other bigger concerns but I never really connected with them personally.
Especially pigeons.
Ew pigeons. To me they were just these nymphos reproducing all the time and pooping over my beloved balcony and AC.
When I came to Bangalore for college, the first few weeks were very hormonal for me.
I don't open up so soon and might come off as prudish or even boring at first, so it was quite obvious that I hadn't made so many friends. I say friends, because even though I was on good terms with everyone and was friendly, I was hardly the kind they would invite to booze parties and downtown trips.
So basically I was just being transient.
Anyway so in the second week we were doing a lot of rough sketches. So I and Yori, a bong from Shantinketan went out onto the streets of our beloved Yelahanka to sketch random trees, walls, people etc.

While I was drawing, Yori shrieked suddenly. Given my slow reflexs, I turned around and found a small, clean dog. He didn't move or run away from me when I turned and I didn't shout on seeing him.
It was at that moment I saw how unnatural that dog seemed. He had human eyes. It was as if he was observing me while I sketched, with genuine interest.
I let him stay and watch me.
Later I snuggled him because he was clean and ofcourse, soft.
As the months passed by, I made new friends. Friends who started inviting me. To their homes, to their hostel mess, to their parties.
I chanced upon some very er, human dogs there, in SFS colony.
When the doors to the bungalow were open, they would make themselves at home, sit in front of the TV and not move at all. On the days we were high or just happy, we made them wear birthday hats and they said nothing.
Of all the dogs, I chanced upon one ,which I found endearingly handsome. And more so, because I found he had been named 'Chaddi' of all the things. So we bonded over our common love for the kitsch name.
I still don't care about animals so much. And pigeons, ew.
But this one, this Chaddi and Swaminathan and Tiger and Blacky, they are just so human.

I'll make an exception for them.
I miss them and cannot wait to get back and teach them how to high-five.

Unat and I, with Swami on his birthday.