Overcoming the bully

Basking lazily in the sun, he was content-fully savoring the lunch he had just had. Today, it was mutton day at the Dhaba, and he had finished chewing the bones till the last pieces. Now it was time for a peaceful nap.

It was the same routine everyday. His family of four brothers and their ailing mother would gather around the Dhaba during lunchtime, and would fill their stomach with whatever food they could lay their hands upon. Most of the time, they had to fight among themselves for small morsels. After all, there is no “WE” in “FOOD”.

It was only few months back when they were born wet, naked and hungry. Subsequently things got worse. Somedays were better than others, like today, when all of them had a fair share of the delicacies of the Dhaba.

Though he was lying and waiting for his forty winks, his ears were prick alert for any suspicious activity in the surrounding. He was the youngest of the four, but nevertheless, he felt his responsibility towards his family. No sooner has he let his guard down, he heard the footsteps of an unwanted intruder across the ditch. It was the black bully, who came to terrorize him and his brothers everyday. But he was determined to fight back today.

It was not the size of the dog in the fight that matters; what matters was the size of the fight in the dog. With all his might he rose from his slumber, and chased the intruder with gritted teeth, occasionally few barks escaping his tiny mouth. His barks alerted his brothers and all of them followed him, in the same demeanor; their combined barks resonating in the air. He led his battalion towards the other side of the ditch, where the protagonist stood, aware of what to do.

He lunged forward across the ditch towards the bully, but due to his small physique, suddenly, he slipped into the ditch and fell below. Momentarily, his brothers were dumfounded and an eerie silence followed. However, he didn’t lose hope, and continued barking from the ditch below. Seeing his perseverance, his brothers renewed their efforts at shooing away the black bully.

Where there is unity, there is always victory. The bully was no match for their unified stand, and had to retreat. The brothers rejoiced in their first triumph, and he joined in their celebration from the ditch below.

Now he had to get up from this trench.

At a distance, he could see a low lying area, to which he could jump. He ran at full gear towards the spot and with one mighty jump of the small legs, he reach the top. It’s not the size that matters, but the will that does. His mother was waiting for him at the top, and as soon as he reached, she licked the dirt off him and lovingly nuzzled him. Victory is sweeter when augmented with mother’s love.