Coco’s Lonely Walk-Path

My Pet Coco

Deepak Razdan

09 April, 2026

 

Coco is over a year-old, but does not know most stray dogs are aggressive, even if they are wearing a collar. This morning, as he crossed the road for the road-bridge, a large black dog with a collar came to our notice. We looked at him. He did not appear calm and was making sounds from the other side of the bridge. Coco on the other hand was mewing and made sounds to meet the unknown morning walker. With some persuasion and force, he was asked to move ahead.

 

The experience left him disturbed. He moved quickly, raising legs at every growth of grass. Once on the lonely cycle path, he calmed down. He was following his normal walk, few steps on the left, then on the right, doing his chores at every pile of rubbish. The path is deserted. Occasionally, morning walkers or runners appear on the path. Some consider it a quieter way to reach their destination on mobikes or bicycles.

 

Coco shares his morning walk in front of the multi-storyed housing societies with office and college-goers. The young and the old are always rushing to the Metro station on the road. Coco has to adjust his steps with the large flow of commuters, some of whom are quite cautious about dogs. He does not understand why they are moving to the extreme left or the right and wants to sniff the meaning from a distance.

 

Some of the early morning walkers are shoppers or old women on a short daily walk. The elderly are quite amused at Coco’s walk and how he lifts his left hind leg to walk normally. Quite a few have asked if the hind leg was hurt in any way. Coco tries to walk normally and does not show he is stressed due to the leg which does not bend.

 

Every day Coco passes by a white stray dog who is injured in fight with his group and sleeps under a car away from them. Coco tries to come close to him but he is not amused. The injury makes him suspect all.  

 

Coco’s morning path has two efficient municipal sweepers. One of them sweeps all the fallen tree leaves while the other shifts the collection to his garbage carrying rickshaw. The autumn shower of dead leaves combined with the usual litter of empty chips packets and snack-plates make sufficient garbage piles where Coco can have his way.

 

Lately, there are fewer tree-leaves falling on the pavement. Coco seems wondering what will he make of a clean pavement or earth patches where the trees stand. Coco will know one day. The changing season is not just giving trees a fresh green cover but also making birds sing their songs.

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