Jackie – The Mountain Dog

It was August 2017, and my wife and I along with our dearest Kaku (my wife’s paternal uncle) & his family went on a trip to Whispering Waters in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu from Bengaluru. Whispering Waters is a mountain farm cottage spread across 5 acres on top of a mountain in Kodaikanal. It is hosted by Ram Dev uncle who is a lovely person, perfect host and a very dear friend of kaku. After a whole 11 hours of driving, we reached the place in the evening at around 5:30 pm.

It was pretty cold (thanks to the mountain top) and the air was as fresh and pure as it can be. Just as we were stretching ourselves outside the car, a brown mountain dog excitedly hurried towards us, sending my wife (who is scared of dogs), and my two little cousins aged 12 and 9 (in 2017) scurrying for safety. Luckily, Ram uncle had stepped down to meet us and shooed him away. He told us his name was Jackie – a very playful and energetic mountain dog.

Jackie was excited to see new people and he was still standing a bit far away, watching us. I went to him and we hit it off instantly. He was playing and running around me, before I went to my stone cottage allotted to us.

The next day morning, I saw him again and this time, I ruffled his brown fur and petted him for a while before I went for breakfast at the common diner’s area. A while later, my wife, terrified to the core, followed by my cousin-in-laws who were giggling, came running inside the diner’s area and closed all the doors. Before I could realize what was happening, I saw Jackie there outside the area, wagging his tail with a smile on his face. He wanted to be friends with these three. However, all his hopes were dashed. Thereafter, I didn’t see him for the next two days. Ram uncle told me that he usually wanders around from one farm to another and lives a life full of freedom.

Again in the year 2018, my wife and I went there again at the same time. On the second day of our visit, I met Jackie again. He remembered me and I petted him for a while and returned to the common dining area. After some time, when I ventured outside, I saw him again and he was seated in a majestic pose. He was quite a character, unlike other dogs (specially domesticated ones) who give their all to get some belly rubs and treats. He was an independent character, not bound to any person or land and had an attitude of his own – similar to a King or a Prince.

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His pose mesmerized me and I captured him in his majestic pose with a fierce gaze. I guess, he didn’t like me clicking him and turned his head away with a smirk on his face for a while. I had to call him repeatedly and quickly take a couple of more photos. It was as if, he wanted to be rewarded for letting me photograph him. I sensed it and got him some banana chips, and cakes. He out rightly ignored the banana chips that I offered him and gobbled up the cakes. Quite a taste! He wanted more but I didn’t have any with me, and he gazed at me as if asking, “So, is this all you have? Is this the reward you give me for clicking so many of my photos?” After giving him some belly rubs and petting, he left and that was the last time I saw him.  

In 2019, when we went again, this time with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, I enquired with Ram uncle about Jackie. He mentioned that Jackie was poisoned when he ventured out to another farm. This saddened me. A free spirited animal who had no bonds with humans, land or animals was killed for venturing into a farm. I prayed for his soul for a moment and looked at his photo that I had clicked the previous year.

Now, as we are confined within the four walls of our home due to COVID-19, I am left with more time in my hands and fulfilled my wish of painting his majestic pose + fierce gaze. Moreover, I did my first animal portrait with Oil paints. I am happy with the outcome, and hope his soul somewhere in the doggo heaven will see this and have that handsome smile on his face.

Miss you Jackie!