How could a dog not love Riva?

Raj is happy with the turn of events since he brough another dog home

You can read about Chiku, the golden and his war with Raj before this for better experience.

Riva and Chiku vs Simba and Raj

The cold war between Riva and Simba grew slowly from the day her husband brought the puppy home exactly a year after he had her Chiku.

If anyone asked, the soldier wife did not regret having the new puppy in their home. Much. She loathed the day that gentleman was brought home.

And Simba was. A gentleman. Just like his dear Raj. Her husband. So technically she should have had no problems with the cuteness overload.

Even Vamsi didn’t mind another member to care for at his lady’s home. Not that he would ever admit, but the first golden dog had broken him in. Trained him for morning pets, nightly milk, and occasional tomatoes. Another one would be the same.

Neither the housekeeper nor the lady showed their true feelings. Maybe because they didn’t know the reason behind his arrival. Raj never told them the real one.

How a German shepherd pup was found and arranged to be brought for inspection by his military trained subordinates first before being presented to him. The pup lay in the basket, snoring away the travel he had endured in the hands with his caretaker.

He was not bribed by tomatoes, lured by the milk and gram paste dangled in front of him. Nor did he have an affinity to pee on Raj’s shoes at the first opportunity. But what made him pass the test was his blatant ignorance of the white hankey dangled in front of him. So, Raj’s kurtas were safe.

Raj was not. Riva had warmed up to the puppy in the beginning, trying to introduce Chiku to him. They were to be brothers. And Chiku had some duties to perform.

Simba didn’t feel the same. He preferred to stay in Raj’s lap on the sofa. Not on the bed Vamsi had placed for him beside Chiku’s.

Riva had to call poor Chiku to her side when the new puppy didn’t stand up to play with him despite barking. He decided to ignore her dog, and turn his head to Raj instead, making the soldier laugh.

She had to calm her whining Chiku. It was fine. The puppy must be tired from all the travel. He would play with him tomorrow.

Simba did not.

He slept in his own bed, only waking up to walk beside Raj as he went out of the house for his run. The little one got tired and was carried home by her husband. He then sat beside Raj as the man read the torn newspaper. Chiku got a tomato that day. Riva wouldn’t tell Vamsi why.

The whole day Chiku tried to lift his spirits after Raj left for the day. But he only showed some excitement after hearing the sound of Raj’s car. He was the first one at door to greet her husband and to get his laugh.

Not that Riva minded. Much.

But the puppy was too attached to Raj in her humble opinion. And her husband fed it with his coddling. The dogs needed to be disciplined too. Simba was slowly getting out of hand. She tried to take newspaper from Chiku’s mouth while she decided about having that talk with Raj.

The devil barked at her innocent dog before she could fool him with a toy. The intact paper fell from Chiku’s mouth, and the now grown puppy took it from her hands to place it gently on the table. Simba got a banana that day from Raj. He didn’t tell Vamsi why.

Simba was quick in his training, learning the manners like he was born with them while Chiku barked the house down to chase imaginary cats, knocking down vases and photographs till Vamsi found a more permanent solution.

The gentle giant sat by Raj’s legs in the evening with his head in her husband’s lap, barking at Chiku when he tried to climb all over her and slobber her face. Riva didn’t miss the smug smile on Raj’s face when Chiku copied his brother’s stance.

This gave Simba airs. He walked beside Raj on their walks while Chiku made rounds around them, till the husband led his dog on the right side to hold her hand with the left.

He didn’t let Chiku play with newspaper till Raj was done with it. He made sure to keep playing with Chiku away from the cloth line till Raj’s white clothes were hung there. He even brought Raj’s shoes to him in the morning.

But the worst part was how he was admired by Raj’s friends who used to shake their heads at Chiku’s antics, giving their colleague pitiful looks. Now, they admired the poise with which Simba attached himself to Raj’s hip. He even accompanied Vamsi to the market without any tantrums.

Honestly, Riva’s logic was simple. Any pet brought to their home was hers. Like Chiku. She was sure with a little love from her and a lot of play from Chiku would bring him to their side.

It didn’t happen.

So, the bribes started. Tomatoes, bananas, sliced apples were hand fed to the little rascal behind Raj’s back. He was not stopped from chasing pigeons in the park with his brother. And Vamsi even kept their beds in opposite corners of the hall, with Simba’s bed nearer to their room.

Yet, the dog could not be kept away from Raj. So, she changed tactics.

Raj was the one attacked now. Heavy sighs at breakfast table, heavier in the evenings after dinner and the heaviest when Raj started taking him to nightly walks, alone.

When that didn’t work, Chiku was brought in the mix. The dogs were fed before humans, children’s toys were bought to distract them in the evenings, and of course Riva and Chiku could accompany them around the backyard. So, what if they huffed and puffed in exhaustion till Raj ushered them inside.

Simba was slowly warming up to them. He played with Chiku a little longer, accompanied the two to the market and accepted pets from strangers like his brother and even sat down with Vamsi in the evenings, catching stray peas.

Riva barely caught Raj trying to hide his smiles at the four whenever he got home. As months passed, she was sure the plan was working with everyone settling in their roles. She had her husband, two dogs and a one-sided friend in her housekeeper.

Till Vamsi found a cat coming through the kitchen window, and named her Laila.

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