The young man walked proudly holding his baby in his arms, the baby was just 4 months old. She was named Munmun and called Moon affectionately. She sported a beautiful smile and had plenty of admirers. Far away in a man-made forest, a black dog had a litter of two pups. One of the pups, as black as coal, tended to bump into everything around it. The other pup was beige and appeared healthy. A philanthropist adopted it within the first few days. Everyone fondly called the little black puppy Bumpy. Unfortunately, after losing its way, Bumpy ended up all alone at the top of the mountain, searching for someone to care for it. However, it refused to give up on life and continued to bump into people. Some kicked it, some petted it, while others simply ignored it. As time passed, Bumpy grew into a proud stray dog, carrying an air of dignity despite no one being able to identify its breed. In the forest, it met another dog, a black-and-white hound, and the two quickly became the best of friends. They grew up together and frolicked happily in the forest.
As time went on, they would trot together down the mountainous slopes of the forest, as if they were heading to work. Everyone would step aside to give them the space they needed. Munmun also grew up quickly. Munmun regularly accompanied her father to the forest. The place was safe and serene; she would run around and climb the peaks. Although she was now seven years old, she barely remembered Bumpy as a puppy. Bumpy was now the equivalent of a middle-aged dog, ageing seven times faster than a human.
Over the last seven years, the forest remained mostly unchanged, but the heat and humid weather became more pronounced. A few men could be seen carrying bottles of water to the higher plains, pouring it onto some thirsty plants. The dry earth would absorb the water almost immediately, even before they emptied the bottles. Munmun would also carry an empty bottle; she would halt at the series of water taps near the lake. This was her favourite haunt where she could see the geese and swans swim gleefully. She would fill her bottle with water for the plants that grew on the higher plains, as she had an amazing ability to understand the needs of the plants and animals around her.
Whenever she crossed the second slope near the playground, Munmun would stop to observe the huge peacock that perched on a tree just out of reach of people. She often climbed up the low wall and whistled loudly, but the peacock would merely glance at her before flying majestically at a low altitude, providing Munmun with moments of awe and tranquillity.
On one of the days when Munmun explored the higher slopes of the forest, she noticed a group of dogs running excitedly toward her. She realised that the dogs were looking for water. The water from the pipes that irrigated the plants at the peaks had nearly dried up as it flowed down the slope.
There was a small, shallow pool of water on the stage of a shelter situated higher than the surrounding plains, with a series of stairs leading up to it. Due to wear and tear, a slight dip had formed on the stage where water would collect whenever a water pipe burst, causing water to gush out and fill the shallow pit. The dogs would prance around it, eagerly lapping up the water.
Munmun stood watching as a white dog struggled to approach the shallow water, with other dogs closely following behind. She noticed Bumpy dragging himself slowly toward the stage. He had injured one of his front legs and was clearly in pain, yet he was determined to climb the stairs leading to the shallow pool. His friend, the hound, had found a new group of companions, leaving Bumpy feeling downcast but still persistent. Munmun glanced at Bumpy and recognised his struggle; he was having difficulty stepping up the stairs because he couldn’t put weight on his hurt leg. She felt her father’s strong hand on her shoulder, offering support.
Bumpy had an open mouth, and his teeth were visible in a sadistic grin. Munmun whispered to her father, “Look at his face, Baba. He doesn’t want to give up or gain pity.” Her father felt the same way. It reminded him of the hurt expression his old grandpa used to wear when he couldn’t move on his own.
That evening, Munmun and her father bought two bright bowls — one yellow and one blue. They carried the bowls to the mountain peaks in the forest and fixed them near the shelter, placing one among the plants where the water pipe gushed. They poured some water into the gleaming bowls and walked away, hoping the dogs could drink the water in peace. However, when they returned, they found the water untouched. Munmun felt disappointed but consoled herself when she saw a group of dogs trotting toward the peak behind some regular walkers.
The next day, when Munmun reached the forest, she rushed to the lake to watch the geese. They were moving noisily, picking up bits of food thrown into the water by a young boy while the older geese strolled along the edges. She filled her bottle with water and hurried back to the mountain peaks. She searched for the blue and yellow bowls, but they weren’t visible. Feeling disappointed after a long search, Munmun poured the water she carried onto the plants. She rushed down to the lake in the forest and stood watching the long stretches of water, with beautiful branches hanging low above it and pigeons waiting anxiously for sunrise. To her surprise, she saw Bumpy resting in a low area near the lake. It seemed calm today, accepting the pain. Munmun waited for her father, and together they sat close to Bumpy, lost in a trance. Nothing disturbed the beautiful morning. Munmun filled some water and poured it onto a leaf folded into a mould. Bumpy lapped up the water.
The next day, as Munmun entered the forest, she noticed signs reading, “Say No to Plastics,” “No Noise,” and “No Vehicles.” She also saw some workers picking up plastic waste from the river and the surrounding areas. It dawned on her where her plastic bowls had ended up. Curious, she approached one of the workers and asked, “Did you find two plastic bowls, one yellow and one blue?”
He nodded and replied, “We can’t keep plastic bowls in the forest. I donated them to a poor family whose child uses them.”
Feeling sad, Munmun asked, “What about the dogs?”
The worker explained, “We leave the taps slightly leaking for the plants and the dogs. They know where to find the water.”
As the wind whispered and leaves crunched beneath her feet, Munmun made her way to the lake, smiling as she began to enjoy the calm environment. She recalled the cricket match that had taken place on the road for the members of a housing society a few weeks ago. It was a World Cup match between India and New Zealand. The excitement in the air was palpable as everyone cheered for the players, but every time a goal was scored, the DJ would clap loudly, and the loud music echoed harshly. Munmun could feel her heart thud with the loud noise. She disliked it.
Overwhelmed with the serenity of the forest, Munmun ran to the lake and sat at the edge with Bumpy. Gently, she patted him and, together, they watched the lake stretch towards the horizon. The water was populated with several adult geese and many goslings. The adult swans, pristine white, swam serenely away from the shore in a straight line, while the young ones ventured closer to the bank. People nearby were tossing various kinds of food to the geese, watching as the faster ones snatched up the tidbits. Munmun noticed a pair of young geese squabbling, which drew the attention of the others. After several exhausting attempts to settle their dispute, the young geese eventually flew away in opposite directions. The presence of dirt, leftover food, and the receding water level had made the geese quarrelsome.
Munmun felt sad because, on some days, there wasn’t any water in the taps. She sat lost in thought even after reaching school. Her teacher, Supriya Ma’am, noticed and asked lovingly, “What’s the matter, Munmun? You seem lost in your thoughts.” Munmun smiled and shared the whole story, asking her teacher how she could help the animals.
Supriya Ma’am contacted the authorities and the Centre for Environmental Research. They collaborated with the community, students, and local officials to clean the lake and the surrounding areas. Trenches were dug to store dry leaves, which were then converted into manure. A few terracotta bowls were placed in various locations for the birds and animals. Eventually, the lake was filled with clean water from the municipal corporation, and a new drinking water cooler was installed on a higher peak. Munmun found these changes rejuvenating.
One day, Supriya Ma’am took all the students to the forest, where they met Bumpy and other animals. Bumpy led the group to the higher plains, and the students had an excellent time.
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