The Top Dog

Found Roxy lounging near the TT table today. Petted him for a while since he looked at me with these huge lonely eyes. I tell you , this Dog has it made. Roxy , BTW is the pet dog of the Director of the institute, and treated more deferentially than most of the professors on campus. He stays in AC rooms for the most part, often sleeps in the girl’s
Hostel( a privilege denied to most of the boys on campus!), and has more girls fawning over him than any of the guys here would have over their entire lifespan.

Roxy’s a six year old German Shepherd , with an interesting history. Campus lore has it that Roxy originally belonged to the previous director, who abandoned him here when he moved away after his tenure as director ended. And the present director, chancing upon him on one of his walks(everyone takes really long walks here, it seems to be the common favorite pastime), adopted him. The Director (hereafter referred to as PAT)
once told us that he considered Roxy a reincarnation of a dog he had had in his childhood.

Even more interesting is Roxy’s behavior. Once some of the students(our immediate seniors) were frantically searching for PAT. Roxy came ambling up from somewhere and someone said in frustration “c’mon Roxy, take us to PAT”. Roxy took off like a missile, and the students, sensing something followed him . He led them right up to PAT. What he had understood, and how, remains a mystery.
Of course he’s completely devoted to PAT. He stays in PAT’s house as long as PAT’s on campus. The moment PAT goes away, Kachnar becomes Roxy’s home. He returns to PAT’s house the day PAT is scheduled to get back. This happens with unfailing regularity, and how Roxy knows precisely which day PAT is going to come back , is an equally big mystery.

Cheers to you Roxy , may you sleep near the TT table for many more years to come.