Please take me to the hospital! - a short story by vikash

“Oh someone please help me”.

Cried the injured dog which was like a wrecked ship in the bloody waters..His veins were visible; the meat became a host for the desperate flies .the soaky eyes clearly spoke about his pain. The limbs were distorted. The internal organs also suffered a major blow.

Two hours down the memory lane

It was a chilly Monday morning. After a great Sunday night with his friends; the black dog was in a lazy mood and having a leisure walk in the solitary road in the mahato locality. The school children were off to school. So there was no hustle and bustle around. It decided to have a nap and lied down and was lost in deep slumber until...

That is the last moment which the dog reminisces. The speeding motorcycle had a direct impact with the dog and the collision crushed the fleshes .and now it was; in dire straits and probably running out of life .if only someone could help him in his grief and take him to the hospital. Well! When normal denizens cannot get emergency help in India; it’s futile to expect relief in minutes for the animal.
But things are different on the gloomy day.
The dog hears a cacophony .there was a big rally .it seemed to be a pre election rally. The supporters were in white attire holding banners which had the inscriptions of the political leader face .the politician’s canines were clearly viable in the banner. All the alleys became over crowded in a minute. The rage of people was clearly battling out to get a glimpse of the leader. The Politician was clad in a white kurta. His kurta had no dark spots; contradictory to his character and political career. The garland which was composed of the daffodils-(which once provided bliss in the solitude to Wordsworth) was now draped around the neck of a corrupt soul. His forehead was smeared with a red tika- a symbolic gesture of true hindu.the saffron men dominating the procession were howling ‘doosre se bhay ho; phir bhi humari jay ho’.the incantation of the verses were echoed by other party members.
The high decibel of the dog’s cry caught the attention of the politician: who on normal days has deaf ears even to screams .he tries to source the voice of despair. Finally he locates the voice; tears comes stripping down his face as he looked at the wounds .this was the second time he has cried in his life ;after the last parliamentary elections loss which had broken him down. some of the party members too shared his grief and sobbed . He gets moved by the condition .he gets closer to the dog; squats down and says: ‘brother. You are in great despair. Who is responsible for the condition’?

“Oh.sir you are so benovelent.i always hear sour things about politicians; but you changed my perception. I will give you finer details later. First please take me to the hospi….!”Pleaded the dog

The politician stands upright; asks for a mike .seems unperturbed by the dog’s last words. And then in a thunderous voice exhibits his plight and sorrow at the condition.
“This government is a failed one.it has done nothing to provide shelter to our faithful animal dog. I will raise this issue in the parliament when I will come to power. I will make it sure that our fellow animal- which becomes the sharp target for the disturbing elements in the society gets justice and dignity.” Some party members get too excited by the neta words and put the garland across the dog’s neck.
“But sir - first take to the hosp…!”
“Dog which is a symbol of faithfulness; a living symbol of valor; animal which sweats it out in the night when the whole world is snoozing? Hindu treat dog as one of the members of our family. We foster them with care and compassion; Unmatched by any another religion.i am revealing you a truth.i was one of the karsevak who was part of the mob who sabotaged the babri masjid.some of my friends might have pitched out that it was a matter of ramajanabhommi but the reality is far from anyone’s imagination. We were there to unearth the fossils of the dog which is believed to be domesticated by lord ram.if we would have found the dog’s fossils; then we would have displayed it at our office museum. The dog fossils could have answered any apprehensions from the leftist party who still doubt the existence of shree ram. But our search went in vain and we attacked the mosque to get rid of our frustration. Poor mosque! You see this animal has a special place in history providing company to lord ram when he was on a vanvas.
“Thanks for your words of praise. But sir please takes me to the hospital need your help”
“My brother- I would have definitely taken you to the hospital. I am already committed to the day .I have been invited to inaugurate the new veterinary hospital .I cannot disappoint my m.l.a friend.but don’t be disheartened my dear friend. I assure you that if you die; I will make it a point that you receive the bharat ratna posthumously. You widow will lose a husband-but not be void of money rest of her life .I will assure that your widow gets a handsome relief package from the government. Your children’s education would be completed in an English dog school”
And the mob leaves the place …
And what happened to the dog? No surprise guesses either. The dog became a martyr. No bharat ratna; no help to his widow. And the false promises travelled to the next alley. Some needy and unfortunate was waiting for him…