The Shy Dog of Sadashivanagar

Chapter 1: The Scary Gate Guardian
Ananya lived in a cheerful apartment building in Sadashivanagar, one of Bangalore's lovely neighborhoods. Every morning, she would skip down the stairs with her school bag, ready for another day of learning and playing with friends. But there was one thing that made her morning walk to the school bus very scary.

Right by the main gate of their apartment complex sat a brown and white dog. Not a pet dog with a collar and a family, but a stray dog that had made the gate area his home. Ananya would peek through the window before going downstairs, and there he was—every single day.
"Amma, why is that dog always there?" Ananya asked her mother one morning, pressing her nose against the glass.
"I don't know, beta. Maybe he likes our building," her mother replied, busy packing lunch.
But Ananya was worried. The dog looked big to her seven-year-old eyes, and she had heard that stray dogs could be dangerous. Every morning, she would walk as far away from the gate as possible, sometimes even asking the security uncle to walk with her to the bus stop.
"Don't be afraid, little madam," Uncle Ravi, the security guard, would say kindly. "That fellow is harmless. He just sits there quietly."
Still, Ananya couldn't help feeling nervous whenever she saw the dog's brown eyes watching her.

Chapter 2: The Kind Neighbors
One afternoon, while returning from school, Ananya noticed something interesting. Kamala Ajji and Raman Ajja, the elderly couple from the ground floor, were near the gate with a small bowl and a packet.
Ajji was pouring fresh water into a blue plastic bowl, while Ajja was breaking biscuits into smaller pieces. The dog's tail started wagging slowly as he saw them approaching.
"Here, Buddy," Ajji said gently, placing the bowl of water near the dog. "The afternoon sun is so hot today."
Ananya watched in amazement from behind a pillar. The dog wasn't growling or barking. Instead, he was drinking the water gratefully and eating the biscuits that Ajja had placed on a banana leaf.
"Good boy," Ajja said, patting the dog's head gently. "We'll see you tomorrow."
This happened every day for a week. Ananya began to notice that the dog would wait patiently for Ajji and Ajja, his tail wagging softly whenever he saw them coming.

Chapter 3: A Conversation That Changed Everything
One evening, Ananya gathered courage to approach Ajji, who was watering her small balcony garden.
"Ajji, aren't you scared of the dog?" Ananya asked curiously.
Ajji smiled warmly and invited Ananya to sit beside her. "Scared? Oh no, dear child. Come, let me tell you about our friend."
"His name is Buddy. He's been living near our gate for almost six months now. At first, we thought he might go away, but then we realized something important."
"What?" Ananya asked, leaning forward.
"He's not mean or dangerous. He's just lonely and scared, just like how you might feel on your first day at a new school."
Ajja joined them on the balcony. "You see, Ananya, Buddy doesn't have a family or a home. The gate area feels safe to him because there are people around, but not too many people who might shoo him away."
"But why doesn't he have a family?" Ananya asked.
"Sometimes animals get lost, or sometimes they're born on the streets and never find homes. But that doesn't make them bad," Ajji explained. "Buddy has never bitten anyone or created trouble. He just wants to feel safe and get a little food and water."
Ananya thought about this. She remembered how scared she felt when she first joined her new school, not knowing anyone and feeling like everyone was watching her.

Chapter 4: The Monsoon Worry
As June approached, the famous Bangalore monsoon clouds began gathering in the sky. Ananya loved the rains—the way they cooled down the hot summer air and filled the apartment complex with the fresh smell of wet earth.
But one evening, as she watched the first heavy raindrops fall, she thought about Buddy. Where would he go when it rained all night? The gate area had a small overhang, but it wouldn't protect him from the wind and heavy rain.
That night, as thunder rumbled outside and rain pattered against her window, Ananya couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Buddy getting wet and cold with nowhere to go.
The next morning, she ran to Ajji's apartment.
"Ajji, what happens to Buddy when it rains heavily?" she asked worriedly.
Ajji's face showed concern too. "We've been thinking about that, beta. Yesterday, Ajja and I were discussing the same thing. The poor fellow tries to squeeze under the small gate overhang, but he still gets quite wet."
"Can't we do something to help him?" Ananya asked.
Ajji's eyes brightened. "Actually, we can! But we'll need help from more people in our building."

Chapter 5: The Community Comes Together
That weekend, Ajji, Ajja, and Ananya's family called a small meeting with their neighbors. Ananya was nervous but excited as she sat in the community hall with about fifteen other families.
"We want to talk about the stray dog near our gate," Ajja began.
Some neighbors looked worried. "Is he causing problems?" asked Mrs. Sharma from the second floor.
"Not at all," Ananya's father said. "Actually, our daughter has been learning about kindness to animals, and we think this is a good opportunity for our entire community."
Ananya stood up, her heart beating fast. "Buddy is not a scary dog. He's just lonely and needs help during the monsoon. Can we build him a small shelter?"
Uncle Ravi, the security guard, nodded. "The little girl is right. That dog has never caused any trouble. He actually keeps other stray dogs away, which is good for our building."
Dr. Prasad, who lived on the third floor, added, "A simple shelter won't cost much, and it shows our children the importance of compassion."
After some discussion, the apartment association agreed! They would build a small, simple shelter in the corner of the compound where Buddy usually stayed.

Chapter 6: Building Buddy's Home
The next Saturday was a community work day. Ananya watched excitedly as her neighbors worked together. Some brought wooden planks, others brought tools, and the children helped by passing nails and screws to the adults.
Even Uncle Ravi helped during his break. "This is good," he said to Ananya. "Buddy will be so happy."
By evening, there stood a lovely small shelter—just the right size for one dog, with a slanted roof to keep rain out and open sides for ventilation. They even put an old rug inside to make it comfortable.
When Buddy saw his new home, he approached cautiously, sniffed around it, and then wagged his tail. That night, as the rain began to fall, Ananya watched from her window as Buddy settled comfortably in his dry shelter.

Chapter 7: A New Friendship
From that day forward, Ananya was no longer afraid of Buddy. She would say "Good morning, Buddy!" as she walked to the bus stop, and Buddy would wag his tail in response.
Sometimes, on weekends, she would help Ajji and Ajja feed him. She learned that Buddy loved biscuits but also enjoyed rice and dal that Ajji would save from their meals.
"See how gentle he is?" Ajji said one day as Buddy carefully took a biscuit from Ananya's hand. "He was never scary—we just didn't understand him."
Ananya nodded. She realized that she had been afraid of something she didn't know anything about. Once she learned about Buddy's story and saw how kind and gentle he was, her fear disappeared completely.