In the sky, dark clouds were slowly moving from east to west, deep into the night. Occasionally, two or more rains would come, only to stop again after a short while.
After all the formalities of the wedding house were completed, the bridegroom stood on the embankment of the river adjacent to the house to bid farewell to the bride as the clock struck two. The bridal party squeezed into a couple of microbuses and headed home with the newlyweds. I was among them, but unfortunately, since my home was not along the same route, I had to embark on the journey alone. I walked 300 yards straight north along the embankment, bypassing the large bridge. I stood there for a while, hoping to catch a ride, but to no avail.
Rows of small and large grocery shops and tea stalls were closed on both sides of the bridge. The traffic of large inter-district freight trucks had dwindled to nil, and there were no electric light posts illuminating the road. I had to cover five kilometers alone to reach home.
After traversing about three kilometers, I reached the police outpost adjacent to the Naogaon bus stand. Everything was visible under the light of the lamps in front of the main gate of the police station. I didn't see any police officers on duty, which made me a little nervous, contemplating the reasons and possible consequences of walking alone late at night. Three dogs were lying in front of the gate. As they noticed me, they stood up and stared at me intently, appearing as though they might attack me at any moment. If they did, there would be no one around to help me. The dogs looked strong and well-fed. I debated whether to leave in haste or continue walking at a normal pace. The dogs started moving toward me. My clothes were soaked with sweat, and droplets trickled down my cheeks.
As the dogs approached, they began sniffing me, then fell into step with me along the path. I tried to tread as quietly as possible to avoid attracting the attention of any potential robbers or bandits lurking behind the large trees in the darkness.
I could recount numerous stories of pedestrians falling victim to bandits and villains, but that wasn't my focus. What intrigued me was observing the behavior and movements of the three dogs. Generally, these animals prefer either slow or fast movement and are not fond of walking. When I fell behind by about 20 to 25 yards, they paused on the road, waiting for me to catch up before resuming their pace.
Their behavior suggested they were protecting me from potential threats. Looking back, it seemed like they were expressing their own natural inclination rather than any conscious decision. After walking for about a kilometer, their final intentions became apparent. A large bridge loomed ahead; beyond it, my house lay more than a kilometer away. This was a point where the road branched off. The main road continued straight west after crossing the bridge. The dogs followed me across three bridges and proceeded around 40 to 50 yards ahead on the main road to the west. After I crossed the bridge, heading toward a smaller bridge on the south branch road, they left the main road and returned to my side, continuing to guard and accompany me as before. I was astonished. I gazed at them in disbelief because these three dogs were complete strangers to me, neither domesticated nor pets. My wavering beliefs have now solidified into firm convictions. They had indeed come to my aid in a time of need.
"It is the love of living beings for one another, undivided by caste." Perhaps this incident may seem insignificant to some, but to me, it demonstrated that a true friend stands by you in times of peril, whether known or unknown, whether human or ferocious animal.
When I finally reached home, it was three o'clock at night. I knocked on the outer door, signaling those inside to open it. The three dogs at a distance away, watching me. As I entered, they remained outside.
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