Naman, me friend

Naman makes Monday a Sunday. Am trying to sight and track a warbler inside a jackfruit tree on Link Road when there is a lick on the right foot. Naman, the Labrador, is wanting a pat. Naman is in no hurry not being owned by clocks; me pats him, he licks me, we chat up; he leaps; me hugs; yes it has been long and we were miserably missing each other. Link Road, the Borivili (W) stretch, is kind with old and young caring for strays, crows, house sparrows, cows ....the old, disowned by a Mumbai in a hurry, loll around with milk and biscuits; creamy coated Naman, being handsome, has a following; maybe his easy laze is his scoring point. Exchanging a Good Day me thought of the absence of dogs in some of the signature books me go back and forward to; in Swami and Friends, Swaminathan has no dog; R.K. Narayan does not give him a dog; in Jungle Book, Mogli has no dog; dogs do not live in forests (except the dholes or wild dogs) and Rudyard Kipling is aware; in Kim, Kim has no dog. Perhaps, the first mention of a dog is in the Mahabharata, walking along with Yuddhishtra to heavens; denied entry being a dog; Yuddhishtra protests, rejects heavens. In Ramayana there are no dogs; Ithihyamala has no dog story. Famous Five of Enid Blyton has a dog Timmy. Naman reminds me of Labrador Retriever, Zanjeer, also dubbed Ginger, for its coat colour. He smelt out bombs during the Mumbai bombings; born in Jan. 7, 1992, died on November 16, 2000, was given full state honours. Roald Dahl denies space to dogs in the three books me has read: The BFG, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sunday me is sundaying with nothing or at best something equal to The BFG (Big Fat Giant) and the funny, sensible chats; some gems: 'What I mean and what I say is two different things'; 'Meanings is not important. I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right; 'Now hang on a minute,' Sophie said. 'Where do you get these dreams?' 'I collect them,' the BFG said, waving an arm towards all the rows and rows of bottles on the shelves.'I has billions of them.' That's the job this blogger will readily apply for, the keeper of dreams and surely not get it. But the Britishers, in their loving ways, put Dahl on a stamp. The Royal Mail issued a set of special-edition stamps-starring the BFG and Her Majesty the Queen. Am making a plea to India Post for putting my friends on stamps; not honour, that's too pompous a word; just pencil drawings of all for all dreamers brave enough to dream dreams. India Post should start with Yuddhistra's dog, preferably a Labrador; me can lend them a pix of Naman; follow up with Swami, Mogli, Kim, Zanjeer. Perhaps a Wildlife series with Sultan, Machchli ...