The heroic stray cow has always been a subject of endless debates during my college days. It was our unanimous conviction that the heroism of the sweet and innocent cow, let loose on the streets to fend for itself, always remained unsung. Giving the valiant stray cow its due, I am obliged to acknowledge with gratitude that on many occasions these nomadic cows, enjoying their right of way on the arterial roads of the city, have guided us safely to the bus stop across the busy road that housed our college.
The ubiquitous cow, doing the catwalk on the city roads with customary ease and navigating deftly through the dense traffic keeping pace with the pedestrians, has always been a source of mystery and mirth. My little niece and nephews, who visit their grandparents from abroad, have another reason to look forward to their annual vacations.
The dogs and cows that monopolise the road spaces, forcing the traffic to crawl behind them, fascinate them no end. They constantly shadow the neighbourhood cows that take a leisurely stroll, halting on and off, to duck into the dustbins on the sideways to source out edible items to munch all day.
Having tuned their taste buds to relish even the toxic and forbidden plastic bags and colourful posters, the turnaround in the lives of this breed of cattle is remarkable. Experience has taught them the tricks of handling the mischievous stray dogs that flirt with them by donning a holier-than-thou attitude to claim their share from the contents of the overflowing trash cans. Swaying idly near the garbage heaps, the cows retort instantly. The supreme contempt with which they swiftly rotate their tails with a whirring noise to chase away the nagging stray dogs and itchy flies puts gymnasts to shame.
The city bred cows, with their innate instinct for self-protection, are way ahead of their rural counterparts in displaying their wily ways. Rural cows that stealthily stray into the fields invariably give a slip and run for their lives at the sight of a stick or stone thrown at them. But the defiant ones in the cities are daredevils that demand a royal entry into your compound to conduct a survey over the green patches and take their sweet time to select their meal. No amount of cajoling, stone-throwing or screaming would prompt them to make their exit.
The evolution of the sacred cow into a sagacious one is worthy of in-depth study by our town planners who have no choice but to take cognisance of the omnipresent cow in their endeavours to modernise our cities.
Next time, when you happen to see a cow crouched under the shadow of a tree, munching placidly in a sombre mood with dreamy eyes, never ever make the mistake of dismissing it as a gentle creature of the bovine ilk.
The soft cow has just turned shrewder!