THE LOST AND FOUND - A short story

 “Sometimes the greatest heroes don’t wear capes.

They wear collars… and have a soft spot for jalebis.”

— and so begins the tale of Ravi, Bruno, and one unforgettable festival day.

“Ravi, if you eat one more jalebi, I will have to carry you home,” his mother said. Ravi laughed. “Mummy, I’m only twelve.” “But you eat like you are thirty-five,” she replied. Bruno, Ravi’s big brown pet dog, wagged his tail. He didn’t understand the conversation, but he understood one important word: jalebi. It was the annual village festival. The ground was full of people. There were toy stalls, balloon sellers, loud music, and the smell of pakoras everywhere. Ravi held Bruno’s leash tightly as they walked through the crowd. “Don’t run,” Ravi told him. “There are too many people.” Bruno looked at Ravi as if to say, I am a dog, not a schoolboy. Near the temple, Ravi stopped to watch a puppet show. A king puppet was shouting at a minister puppet. Everyone was laughing. Then Bruno began pulling the leash. “Arrey, Bruno! What happened now?” Ravi said. Bruno pulled harder. He took Ravi across the fairground, past the sugarcane juice stall and the giant-wheel queue, until they reached a small table with a handwritten board: Under the table lay a red schoolbag. Bruno sat beside it and barked once. The volunteer at the desk looked surprised. “This bag was found near the food stalls. Nobody has come to claim it.”Ravi opened the bag carefully. Inside was a water bottle, a notebook, and a photograph. In the picture, a small boy stood beside an old woman. At that moment, a boy came running through the crowd. Tears were rolling down his face. “My bag!” he said, breathing heavily. “Please, did anyone find my red bag?” Ravi held it up. “Is this yours?” The boy’s face changed immediately. “Yes! Yes, it is mine!” He hugged the bag as if it were treasure. “My grandmother is sick,” he said quietly. “The notebook has my homework, but the photograph… it is the only one I have with her.” Ravi looked at Bruno. Bruno simply wagged his tail, happy that the problem was over. The boy bent down and hugged the dog. “Thank you, Bruno.” That night, fireworks filled the village sky with red, green, and gold. Ravi gave Bruno the last piece of jalebi. His mother sighed. “Fine. Today he deserves it.” Bruno ate it in one bite. For the rest of the festival, people kept pointing at him and saying, “Look, that is Bruno—the dog who found the lost bag.” Bruno did not mind the attention. After all, heroes also deserve jalebis.