TDWS | E7: Who’s A Good Boy?

The Dog We Stole is the definitive biography of Her Majesty Begum Pathumma. Read earlier episodes of the series on the TDWS page.

Echo watched for a very short time, the human playing with Pathu. ‘I love being chased. Why should she have all the fun? I am bigger and more fun than her. And I came first. So I have more claims on the human. I should join this game’, thought Echo emphatically. Even as she zigzagged between the morose pillars holding up the basement, Pathu knew what Echo was thinking. Before Pathu could say, ‘You idiot! He is here to take us back’, Echo was running towards the human.

But that big loser! I don’t know why I thought he was a feminist ally who stood for freedom.

With Echo in the mix, their capture was imminent. Pathu knew this because Echo was conditioned by society to follow human commands. Where she ignored their lousy calls to ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘no’, Echo was the obedient sort—a good boy! When asked to obey, Pathu simply stared back at us with her large marble eyes and acted like she didn’t understand this language we were speaking in—kannada gothilla. And continued to do whatever it was that they had not approved of. ‘But that big loser! I don’t know why I thought he was a feminist ally who stood for freedom. Why did I have to include him in my plan? He just wants to please the man. I could have been free’, Pathu grumbled in anger.  

When they were brought back to the apartment, both of them looked defeated but he was grinning ear to ear. The Begum had done us proud. During her little escapade, she had left a pile of shit outside the door right below us. There lived one of those vile creatures who hate dogs. Other than being nasty, he was also the secretary of the Resident Welfare Association aka RWA, making our lives difficult with his anti-dog rules on the daily. The rules were not really enforceable but it made for many staircase confrontations and strenuous conversations. Though we cleaned up after her, we grinned all evening, praising our puppy’s emotional intelligence and sense of justice. Pathu was definitely a keeper. Who wouldn’t want a posh pup who stands up against patriarchy and its arbitrary rules with all ten kilos of her might?

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