The singing dog

2:00 am

Logged into orkut. No, my life is not that bad. Seriously! Shuttled around a bit on the social network dodging people. Now I am up and wide awake, checking e-mails, blogging and saving the world from disaster in ways-you-would-not-understand. The summer heat is stifling me so I open the balcony door a wee-bit. 10 mins of dead silence and now I can hear a drunked party speeding on the intermediate ring road. SRK looms ahead with his blood-red airtel logo. I wish those guys don't hit an electricity pole at the next turn. The _DS logo is blinking ahead. Doggy Shit. The storm spun off from Nargis had managed to rip the N off a few days ago. Also the huge bill-board at the 'lal-batti' junction that had come battling down in fury & crashed in the rain.

2:15 am

Earlier in the evening I had gifted myself a "Learn how to play the Guitar" coffee-table book. Do not snigger at the title. It is a beautifully crafted book with white-yellow covers and bold black n' blue titles. They even have all the chords drawn out in the last few pages. 2:15 am is not a bad time for a new beginning. Yes! Yes! I pull out my gb&a and my uber-favourite black pick. Chapter 4: finger picking techniques. I push out the balcony door to full so that the music can waft in through open windows to my neighbours - they are nice people. I start with slow strumming.

2:20 am

Not a soul screams back. See, I told you - nice people. Knopfler now? The book offers me good advice - which I carefully avoid, and continue with my usual... hotel california, time of my life... and thats when it happens. A dog starts howling in that shady alley in-between our apartment and the nalla beside Oasis mall. I look down from my balcony and identify the creature, he is really not looking in any particular direction but he has stopped howling now. I strum a few carefull patterns and peak down my balcony again. There he is at it again - howling at his best!

2:30 am

My flat mate is up and at my door. I strum again - the dog howls - and I point exhuberantly first towards my guitar - then the dog - and then my guitar again and wait for her to make the connection! She rolls up her eyes and mutters sumthing that sounds like "It's no big deal (ass-hole)" and then a few more expletives. Yeah, I know I suck at my guitar! But this dog appreciates it! That means something, right? Damn right it does! Wicked world....

2:41 am

Rolled up in blankets and dreams nudging. Come by tommorow night and we shall play to the music again.