At four in the morning, the Ganga does not speak. She breathes. Mist hangs low over her patient waters. The air tastes faintly of wet clay and incense long extinguished. Somewhere in the distance, a conch has already surrendered its cry to the dawn. The Math still sleeps, wrapped in saffron shadows and the smell of boiled milk lingering from the night before. He steps out quietly. A tall monk in a simple cloth, his breath a little laboured, one eye dimmed by illness, the other still bright with that uncontainable flame. The earth beneath his feet is cool. Dew clings to the grass like beads of forgotten prayer. And something touches his feet. Not wind. Not water. Fur…
To read the full story and 19 other short stories in this series click on the links below:
This story is part of the book Unknown Companions, my second printed collection of short stories, bringing together twenty quiet encounters between well-known Indians and the animals who moved through their lives.
These stories do not revisit achievement. They turn toward the smaller presences history rarely records: a dog waiting at a doorway, a bird crossing a garden, a stray who appears at an unexpected hour. In such moments, reputation falls silent and a different kind of companionship becomes visible.
Rooted in real lives and shaped by the quiet crossings between humans and animals, this collection gathers the unnoticed companions who stood briefly beside lives that history remembers for other reasons.
If you have found something here that stayed with you, some of my other books (collection of short stories, novels, and more) are now available in print and digital editions. They gather many unique journeys, quieter questions, and stories that continue beyond this page.
Weekend Stories by Trishikh 
I like your description. Is this man a Brahmin or one of the other Priestly sects?
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The man is Swami Vivekananda, an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and was a major figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He is credited with raising interfaith awareness and elevating Hinduism to the status of a major world religion. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest modern Indian thinkers. There are many, many books by him, about him.
He established the Vedanta Society of New York and the Vedanta Society of San Francisco (now the Vedanta Society of Northern California), both of which became the foundations for later Vedanta Societies in the West.
In India, he founded the Ramakrishna Math, a monastic order for spiritual training, and the Ramakrishna Mission, dedicated to social services, education, and humanitarian work. His followers are in multitude, both monks and lay people alike.
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I had wondered what you meant by math in this context. I have never heard of him before. I will look him up now.
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A “Math” or “Mot” is like a monestary in the Bengali language.
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I learn something new with you every day my friend
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My pleasure to be able to share the little I know. I truly believe that iur own knowledge increases much more when we share.
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So true my friend. So true 🙏
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🙏👍nice
Aum Shanti
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Thank you.
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What a beautifully evocative opening. Your description of the Ganga at dawn is so vivid and poetic that it gently draws the reader into a moment of stillness and reflection. I especially appreciate how you shift the focus from grand achievements to the quiet, often unnoticed companionship between humans and animals. It’s a thoughtful and touching concept that reveals the softer, more intimate side of lives history usually remembers for other reasons. A truly graceful and contemplative piece of storytelling
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Dear Verma’ji, thank you so much for reading the story with such care and generosity. Your words truly mean a lot to me.
I have always felt that history often walks past the quieter companions of great lives. Animals stand beside these moments silently, asking for nothing, yet shaping the emotional landscape in ways we rarely pause to notice. With Bagha, I simply tried to linger in that quiet space for a while.
I am very happy that the dawn on the Ganga and the gentle companionship in the story spoke to you. Readers like you make the long, solitary journey of writing feel wonderfully shared.
My warm regards and gratitude to you for always taking the time to read and reflect.
With kind regards,
Trishikh
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Always an interesting and captivating read.
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Thank you so much. I am sure that you will also like the full story and the other 19 stories in the series, if you get a chance to read it.
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I will certainly do.
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You’re welcome.
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