the Thinker

Mr. Bagchi looked at Brunno and once again resumed his non-verbal conversation with him.

“The man is asking me whether I would like to own you,” this is what the dog read in Mr.Bagchi’s eyes.

“Own me? As in, you will be my master, provide me a shelter and meals 4 times a day, give me a nice bubble bath at least thrice a week and take me out for a walk regularly?” asked Brunno.

“Hmm, we will see about all that,” said Mr. Bagchi (non-verbally).

“No sir, I am very particular about my preferences. My mother was of British origin, so I have heard this fool of a pet-keeper say (eyeing the shopkeeper maliciously). Please don’t take me to be some street-trodden urchin, just because some idiot chooses to call me ‘Moti’,” replied Brunno with an emphasis on the last word.

“It seems you have retained much of your colonial snobbery. Mine is an Indian household, I warn you. Do not expect too much cuddling and all that non-sense. I do not believe in pampering pets,” said Mr.Bagchi, slightly irritated at Brunno’s arrogant tone.

“Afterall he is a dog and he should realise that. He is supposed to be a good pet and listen to his master,” thought Mr.Bagchi.

Brunno sighed in a wearied fashion and replied, “I never said I want to be pampered. See what I meant when I said that humans take a lot of time to understand. I was simply telling you that as an owner of a pet (which is me in this case), there are certain things that I expect from you. You provide me with a home, a place to call my own. You humans too eat 4 times a day, don’t you? You call the sequence of feeding your mouths- breakfast, lunch, evening snack and dinner. I am asking the same from you, is it too much to ask for? Besides, I am not asking you to feed me fresh meat and bones every time. Whatever you give will suffice,” Brunno then paused and looked at Mr.Bagchi.

“Carry on,” replied Mr.Bagchi, nonchalantly.

“I asked for a bath thrice a week, okay I will reduce it to twice a week. You humans bathe yourselves all 365 days (most of you). I too desire to match up with that level of cleanliness. And the last thing I asked for is a regular walk. Humans spend so much time and money behind their physical fitness, but if a non-human like me desires the same, your brow curves. Besides, my fitness regime will not affect you pocket. You only have to pay rare visits to the veterinarian and I assure you that too can be avoided, as I am still only a pup and pups are generally not so susceptible to ailments. I hope I have justified my requirements, and yes, I do not like to be cuddled and pampered,” Brunno finished and looked down.

Mr.Bagchi had been listening in rapt attention for so long. He did not realise when Brunno’s speech started making him think and ponder over the points, put forward so articulately. He wondered for a moment whether this was a bizarre dream, where a pup displays cerebral qualities, which equals to any normal, average human being.

But the next moment he recalled five words that the shopkeeper used for describing Brunno, a few minutes earlier, “…too clever for his age.” Mr.Bagchi had made his decision.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper who had abandoned his prospective customer for some time to decide on his pet, arrived and stood near Mr.Bagchi, hoping for some good news.

“So sir, you surely intent to have Moti?”

Mr.Bagchi looked for one more second at Brunno who appeared to be glowering with rage on being called Moti yet again and replied, “How much will you charge for him?”

The shopkeeper was delighted at Mr.Bagchi’s interest in the dog and said, “Well sir, what can I say.. Labradors are one of the best breeds as I had mentioned and it is not easy to find one like this (pointing at Moti). Generally, they don’t come less than Rs 12000-Rs 15000….”

“How much will you take?” Mr.Bagchi repeated his question. After a lot of argument and bargaining, the shopkeeper settled for Rs 8000. Mr.Bagchi paid Rs1000 as an advance and said that he will return the next day with the rest of the money. Before leaving the stall, he looked at Brunno.

“I will come back tomorrow and get you out of here. Hopefully, you will like it at my place,” said Mr.Bagchi, in his own special non-verbal language to Brunno.

It was difficult to read Brunno’s expression, but it seemed to Mr.Bagchi that he appeared gratified and at the same time, a bit pensive. He had never encountered a non-human creature with such levels of intelligence and reason.

As he walked out of the pet shop, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Something told him that his desire for a partner and friend who would understand and connect to his wavelength is about to be fulfilled. He started walking in a hurried manner. He was dying to tell Mrs.Bagchi about this…”But wait!” Something struck Mr.Bagchi like a thunderbolt. He was so elated at the thought of having Brunno with him that he had completely forgotten his wife’s reaction when he will convey this news to her.

Mrs.Bagchi was a cleanliness freak and he recalled how she would bark at him if he threw his wet towel on the bed or spilled tea on the table. Nothing irked her more than dirty spots, dirt, mud, grime and such other things.

These things could still be excused because they did not create filth on purpose. But a thinking being like an insect or an animal was not to be pardoned at any cost. Mr.Bagchi recalled how Mrs.Bagchi would yell at the very sight of a cockroach or a spider cobweb. The moment she becomes aware of their presence, she would chase them with her broom until their last breath.

Nowadays of course, there are insect sprays to exterminate these things. Mr.Bagchi and a deadly insect killer was a dangerous combination for all these little filthy beings. But with pets, it was a different case.

You cannot spray and kill them or exterminate them. And Mr.Bagchi knew very well that though very strict at times, Mrs.Bagchi was not that hard hearted to kill a pet animal. But of course, she could prohibit their entry in her house, and so she did. This meant that there would be no muddy footprints, animal fur or any kind of mess around the house.

Throughout his way to home, Mr.Bagchi kept thinking of a suitable manner in which he could present his case to his wife and explain the circumstances, which provoked him to get Brunno.
But he was doubtful whether she would understand. His attraction towards Brunno’s intelligence and the fact that he could actually comprehend his (Brunno’s) speech would appear like a cock and bull story to Mrs.Bagchi. Worse, she might also start thinking that her husband has started losing his sanity in the absence of a permanent job.

Mr.Bagchi was about to ring the doorbell, when the door opened from inside. His wife looked at him, beaming.

“Why didn’t you inform me about his coming?” asked Mrs.Bagchi with a light smile.

Mr.Bagchi froze on the spot. “How did she come to know and why is she looking so happy?” he thought.

After a small pause he asked her hesistantly, “You know he will be coming?”

“Of course I know now; he is here waiting in the living room,” replied Mrs.Bagchi.
to be contd…

Amrita..

Nice flow...btw, is there any problem in ur comments section of d last post coz I tried to comment but I couldnt??

So whats jamming at kolkata now...
Roy  

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Dear Amrita,
nice...I suppose Mrs.Bagchi is referring to some relative or friend and not to Brunno...the dog seems quite opinionated...the next thing you'll have him discussing politics...lol

I think you replied to my comment but got my name wrong in your previous post...

best wishes

Anand Ramamoorthy

SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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hi roy,

hmmm..i suppose my comments section gives problems at times, i have written about it to blogger support and am trying to fix...thanks for informing me about this error..i will get it fixed...whats jamming kolkata up? traffic of course and the heat, hahah, have a nice day!

hi anand,

i am terribly sorry for that error in my previous comment...mixed ur name up with another blogger, am really sorry about it, i have rectified the error now, hopefully u will forgive this mistake...glad u liked the next half...finished it really in a hurry..the dog talking about politics? haha, cannot b ruled out, tk care and ve a nice day! thanks for ur best wishes!
SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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flow is goign good amrita... waiting for the next one..  

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Dear Amrita,
relax...no hassles about the name change...

I am sure you'll take the story in a different direction with your next post...is Brunno going to have any friends from the animal kingdom...ooops...we'll wait for what you have to say/write...

all the best, take care and have a wonderful day

SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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i expected this to conclude here.seems like this will go on.

BTW there's a networking site whose name starts with O and ends in T.i've sent u something called a request there.check it out.  

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hi art,

nice to see u...thanks for the compliment and for waiting, am working on the next one, ve a nice day!

hi anand,

actually i should not be messing up with ppl's names. being a journo, the first thing we are asked to look out for are the right spellings of names of ppl we quote...so its a bit embarrasing for me..but i will tk care in future..brunno having friends from animal kingdom, hmmm...let see, a nice suggestion but, thanks for all those nice wishes, and wish u the same...SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!

hi sheks,

seems ur eager for the story to end, guess ur not enjoying so much is it? :)
i know about the networking site ur talking about and i am sorry to tell u that my account has been deleted from there coz i hardly used to visit that site, i tried to log in the other day, but they are saying my password and ID are invalid, sorry about that but thanks for the request anyways, have a nice day!  

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Alas!
I read it last night as soon as you had posted but was too sleepy to comment... But, its better to be late than never I guess :))

Is there going to be twist in this? Or a 'and they lived happily ever after' kinda ending? Personally, I'd like to own one Bruno but I guess I am not as old as Mr. Bagchi :)  

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an equally good 2nd part. nice storyline...and imaginative.  

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hi 1.618,

hope u slept well last night, good to see u back,

happy ending or not, well, wait for the next part and u will know..everything is under making now..ve a nice day!

hi ghost particle,

thanks for dropping by, and for all those lovely compliments. keep looking for the next one...  

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Amrita,

I(nsomniac) come here from Anand's blog and hmmm... the two parts of your story "Brunno" were indeed quite enlightening and Amusing - not in the sense of humouring, but in the sense of enjoyable - to prove the title you have given your blog... A Thinker indeed, you are!

A suggestion if you don't mind... and I make it as my own earlier blogs suffered from it - length. You would do well to reduce the length of your posts, that said I guess the story being interesting it keeps the readers up notwithstanding the length. But do try looking into it!

Shall come back for the next part...

By the way the template, the small fonts and the imagination-liberating photograph of your blog seem extremely refreshing to this little known poet..!  

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Dear Amrita,
wassup...when are we going to read the next chapter..hmm...and I am not even trying to guess the ending (you know what, I don't do that even for the stories I write..lol)
So Srini has dropped in here as well:)

I wonder whether you are planning to end it along the lines of your Finding Neverland...(:))

anyway Best Wishes and post soon

SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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Amrita,

This comment refers to a post which you had made some year and four months and a bit back on February 28 about "Discovering a Friend". I was randomly scything through your archives and thought that title interested me as I am someone who also believes in the same thing you do - friendships are over and above merely verbal cliches. And as you have put it, I have - or had - the fewest friends ever though I do talk to a lot more people these days - than I used to - but those who I have in my heart, I know, will be there forever. Also, most of my present friends are the finest you can care to find and I know none of them will ever quit without a reason more precious than friendship. So confident I am (experience has taught me not to be gullible, but still I trust and live my life by it) that if and when they leave, I don't even need to ask the reason... for it might just be larger than life.
On the whole I enjoyed your post as it took me for a nostalgic, curvy-smiled and also bleary-eyed excursion unto myself. Best wishes to you and your friends!  

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hi srini,

welcome to my blog and am glad u liked the first two parts of the story...ur right about the length, i try to express my thoughts in limited words, but generally i fail to do so..but anyhow, thanks for that suggestion, i will try again...good to know u went back to one of my posts that has been written long back...yes, true friends are very difficult to find and they are also very few in number. but if u have a few, then they really amount to one of the finest treasures in this world...i could really identify with your thoughts about your friends and congratulate you for your treasure...i know i sound senti at times, buts thats the way i am...keep blogging and best wishes to u and ur friends as well!

hi anand,

good to see u again, i am afraid i ve not been able to devote quality time to the next part of the story due to certain reasons...first, i ve not been keeping well off late, so its kind off hampering my other pursuits and also there are certain professional and academic concerns that are keeping my doubly busy...so i know there is a delay, i am trying to finish the next part, lets hope i am able to do it soon...best wishes!  

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Amrita,

No problem in sounding senti(mental)... Somehow the short forms make me feel a little repellant. Sorry about that, no offence! I have quite a few friends who are sentimental and a person or two who don't even know the meaning of that. So I am on an even footing in empathising with both. Do take care: health and priority are very important, and then if you have time you can spend on this... (am I sounding didactic? sorry). Having said that my hols have petered out so much that I am only blogging right now... and oops I told your posts are long, my comments are becoming little posts, too!
'That's' my problem...  

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Dear Amrita,
Take care of your health...and my best wishes for your academics and career (new) old friend...lol,
I have absolutely no problems with long posts...keep them coming...and I will wait for your posts...just as my readers (including or should I say particularly yourself and Srini,)waited for that SowmyaNarayanan story to come to an end...
what's keeping you unwell, if I may ask? have you been to a doctor?
I am a bit like SowmyaNarayanan, ,a friend of half a dozen doctors from paediatricians to psychiatrists (er..only a friend in the latter case...)...lol, in fact I was seen by a host of doctors at my grandparents' home after I was born there...and the funniest thing is I still know those doctors who held me as a baby...

I will try to mail you some info some time soon...regarding mine own career plans and their status...see you in the Blog World...when you wish to return..

best wishes

SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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Part 3,part 3!!  

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hi srini,

thanks for coming back and no, ur not sounding didactic and yes, long comments are most welcome on my blog...so feel free, infact they provide a greater insight into a person's response on reading a post....and thanks for that advice on my health and good luck with u and ur friends...hope u balance it out...tk care and best wishes.

hi anand,

good to have u back...and thanks for all that concern...i am trying my best to finish the third part of the story but have been kept off the computer due to a terrible back pain...am on medication now and hopefully another week will be enough to recover fully...thanks for your offer on medication...tk care and best wishes!

sheks,

as i have mentioned before, my health and educational pursuits are both keeping me off my computer for the time being, and most naturally my blog too, but i will try to finishe the third part as soon as possible, good to know ur so eager for the next part, pl keep some patience and thanks for coming..have a nice day!  

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Dear Amrita,
hmm..sorry to know that you have been having back pain...I too suffered from the same for a year...until Yoga Therapy came to the rescue...if you come to Chennai, consult Dr.Krishna Raman...a medical practitioner who specialises in Yoga Therapy...
Take care...another thing you need to do (if you haven't already done)...is to check your posture...if you sit straight, difficult though it may be (as your extensor muscles have to perform work in maintaining the straight pose) in the beginning...you'll realise that most of your problems are solved and you also acquire other benefits...
Please do not try anything without consulting your doctor...
Take Care and no probs regarding your post...get well soon

SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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Amrita,

Get well soon, clear the log of work you have and reach your blog at leisure.

Best Wishes!  

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hi anand,

glad to see u again...and thanks for all that medical advice and reference...hmm, yoga therapy? have heard its highly effective...and are u a bit of a doctor by any chance? coz ur right about that postural thing...my doctor told me the same thing that it is a postural defect thats causing the pain...thanks for all that concern, again and for waiting for the next part...am still working on it slowly though...u tk care and keep blogging! best wishes!

hi srini,

thanks for all that concern and ur comment, keep coming back and keep blogging! best wishes!  

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Dear Amrita,
lol..I am not exactly a doctor...and dear me...how could I be a 'bit of a doctor'...(that's taking the Uncertainty Principle too far...lol)...I had back pain too..and Yoga helped me get id of it...
I am a bioscience graduate...and dabble freely in medical jargon...though I wouldn't dream of becoming a doctor...except a Doctor of Philosophy..he he...
Psychology is what interests me most...along with maths and physics
I would request you not to try anything without medical supervision..and also, please try to avoid taking too many medicines for pain relief...because pain is a symptom and not the whole problem...in life as well as in medicine...it is best to take pain as it happens and try to trea the cause...and not the symptom..
best wishes..take care..and thanks for your wishes...don't overwork...esp if you use a table (I make it a point to sit on the floor when I study)
All the best for your academics as well...

as always

SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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Amrita..

So whats new u r thinking as its a long time d blog is same. r u ok ...nyahh??

Take care..
Roy  

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Sure Amrita!

I (along with my buddy Anand Ramamoorthy... doth that look like a placard? lol) will keep coming back here at least till our respective careers take us beyond local and international boundaries respectively.

You also take care of yourself. Health is a tricky thing and I know a blogger (d/o doctor) who has written a wholly new dimension on health.  

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Come on. Whats next??????????  

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manoj,

stop screaming and check out the next part.  

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hi srini,

glad to hear that i will have the privilege of reading comments from fellow bloggers like you as long as you can manage it...hope ur work is going on well....and yes, health is a tricky thing and this time it took quite a toll over me..u tk care and best wishes for your and your friends' future prospects.  

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