With sudden fire alarms going on and everyone running madly, we were suddenly confused as to what was happening in this otherwise peaceful, non-happening, old and grumpy looking building. I called up the Security’s extension and asked what was happening and why people were running here and there suddenly. He himself confused came pat with a reply that there was a bomb scare in the building. A shrill ran through my spine and I was imagining the whole building go up in a blast and the consequences that will emerge. I felt as if my mind simply stopped for a minute. The security personnel had hung up the phone but I was there still holding the receiver in my quivering hands and forehead full of sweat. I never thought I’d be such a coward in such a situation but I dint know how people reacted to and reproduced such statements… “There’s a bomb here!!!” So I simply kept the receiver down and repeated the sentence to my 5 more puzzled colleagues in the room. Everyone shrieked their throats out and ran away. I followed them baffled, not knowing how else I should have delivered that message.
There, we saw a group of people with 2 huge dogs who had come for searching the bomb. I was pleased with the quick reaction of my peers in this unlike me. I always knew that they were trained well. At that moment I saw them. The people around them were calling them ‘Tiger’ and ‘Lily’. They were simply magnificent beasts I had ever witnessed in my life. Not that I was an expert in canine species, but I had never before felt awed looking at dogs! In a city like Mumbai, where Bomb threats (and actual blasts) were directly proportionate to number of movies that released, these poor creatures must be having a frantic schedule. What with those odd email threats and bomb blasts in Mumbai’s trains last month, I wondered what a day must be for them (of course these specialized ones). Lost in such thoughts (even otherwise since the call, I was quite stupefied) I could almost sense its eyes crying for help. They were quick in their jobs and soon they found out that it was a hoax! They were all discussing how ruthless anyone can be to create such a rumour.
Everything around me started swinging and getting blurred except ‘Tiger’,’Lily’ and myself. I couldn’t believe that they were ACTUALLY talking and I could ACTUALLY understand it!!!
Tiger: “ wooof .......woof ......whine…whine ……. What a waste of time. Look at me. With numerous threats coming in, life has become frantic and stressful. This is called getting wasted for nothing…
Lily replied: Really!! These crazy humans create bombs and then give threats to each other and make us run for their lives. After my weeks of K9 bomb and drugs detection training, they took me for an urgent opening. I joined with so many dreams and look what I get! 3 meals a day with an extra bone per week along with the reward of a torn rubber ball or toy to play for sniffing a bomb.
Tiger : So much of recruitment is going on for us "ball-crazy” dogs. We could easily switch jobs, but what to do of the bond?
Lily: Yes! I also like only the playing part of it. That’s what makes us stay here still Tiger. Else I would have stopped sniffing which would prompt them to throw me out easily(so that i can join somewhr else). Having to sniff more than 1000 items that are used to make bombs, it is a challenging job indeed, with after all a rubber ball for a reward!!
Tiger: But then ironically we hardly get the time to play!! I get irritated when after running for hours, when we do sniff any bomb we cant even dig it out (as per our nature goes).
Lily: Good for us Tiger! After all this pain the last thing one would want is a blast in the mouth. I am worried about my career. What with so much competition now, that even bees have started sniffing and they’re preferred for sniffing drugs now a days.
Tiger: I hope I get selected for the 12-week bomb-detection program that is scheduled for next month in the US. Ive never been to US of A. At least I will get some onsite opportunity.
Lily: Yeah! Ur right. The package also seems to be better there as they are getting some good quality lamb meat!!! (slurrrp) compared to the cheap thrown away chicken(not even a good hen) bones that we get here for the pains we take.. I also heard that they get all sorts of other excellent dog food there.
Tiger: Moreover, the job there is more of a sophisticated one too!! You remember? Bob? Who joined with us here? He was sent to US post 9/11(most of us were rejected as they said we lack the drive to smell-check an endless stream of cars and trucks). It seems now he has been trained to sniff out even potentially threatening telephone and email communications.
Lily : Oh ya! I heard that the client there has made so many of us sit in the telephone exchanges! Most of them had joined with us here. We were busy in our bomb sniffing when they went for the selection process. It seems that to join the ranks of those defending Washington's ferries and ports against terrorists, they are expected to demonstrate that they love to play with a rubber toy (like us).
Tiger: Oh is it? I missed that selection process. I felt bad when they all left leaving us two here. But last week I heard that they’re all quite depressed too. They rarely get to go out in the open as we do here and feel very home sick and tired.
Lily: And moreover he hasn’t yet found his companion. So he’s sad for that too …
Tiger: At least he gets to see some of the most dazzling glamorous good poodles, Pomeranians and Pekingese in his working place (unlike us who get to see only the street kinds).
Lily: But poor Bob hardly gets time for those poodles of his. It seems they're expected to pull four 10-hour shifts a week, scan for the ingredients that make up more than 1,000 explosives and sit -- under no circumstances dig like us-- when they sniff out something.
Tiger: Yes. Ur right. It's a lot to ask of a mere dog. The dog has to have a lot of stamina. They're asking us to work for hours on end. My life certainly doesn’t have that job security and peace of mind.
Lily: I wish we had a pay revision and bonus for festivals. I would love to eat some good delicacies in the Mc. Goofy someday. Waking up at odd hours and not able to dig for your own nature’s call, is not the most respectable decent life after all.
Tiger: Ya Lily!! That’s why they probably call it a ‘Dog’s Life’… hs hr azc agza vd are mns …whine…whine ........wooof .......woof
I suddenly felt someone shaking my shoulders wildly. Just to realize that it was my colleague who was currently and yelling shouting at me all shocked about where I was lost. She called me back into the office as nothing was found and they all were terribly irritated with this action of some fool. Later they were all discussing about the 2 fabulous lustrous dogs who were looking at each other and whining …….
I looked up suddenly and jumped up to say "Hey No! they were talking to each other about their work problems!!” Everyone looked up at me with wide opened eyes… I laughed and said “Come on!! I was just kidding.” :)
