For many commuters in the Mohakhali area in Dhaka, a rickshaw-puller (or you could call it a van also) and his dog have always been the subject of curiosity. People often noticed this inseparable dog-man duo going about their work, while heading back from their offices. A recently released video documentary on the life of this rickshaw puller and his dog throws some light on their special bond. The man is known as Doyal in Mohakhali and his pet’s name is Mr Johny. Their friendship goes back to the days when Johny was a little pup and would follow Doyal down the bridge on rainy days. Doyal, which means one with a kind heart, has a magical quality of making friends with all street dogs. But there was something different about Johny.
He would always follow him everywhere. Finally, Doyal adopted Johny and they ended up becoming 24 x 7 friend. In fact, their dependence on each other is such that Johny has become an assistant of sorts for Doyal. He keep an watch over his cart and the all the items that he transports. “I love him very much. I never leave him…I found only disloyalty in human beings. But animals are the most loyal,” says an emotional Doyal talking about his bond with Johny. He values Johny’s friendship over money and his livelihood. “I refuse to take trips if the customer doesn’t want Johny to come with me. Even if they are paying me Rs 1000. If you want me, you have to also accept Johny,” says Doyal.
Doyal and Johny’s is a beautiful story that each of us would love to implement in our lives. How beautiful our lives would be if we could take our pets to work? For us city-dwellers that’s an improbable scenario. It is sad how in our busy lives, when we spend over 10-12 hours of the day working, our dogs are alone at home craving for our attention. When we head home tired, we hardly have the energy to play with them. It’s also sad that many of us look for dog-walkers to take them out, while we slog it out in office. If only our life and needs were as simple as that of Doyal’s.
Featured image and video source: Youtube/ The Daily Star
