Arkady Petrovich absentmindedly drew crosses in his notebook, trying to turn them into some kind of pattern. Inside, there was emptiness and longing. From the laptop screen, his loyal dog—a Ca de Bou named Azart—was looking at him. Azart was a gift from his best friend Andrey, who had left many years ago to serve in the Far East. They had been through fire and water together, sharing all hardships. Once, in a hot spot, Arkady was seriously wounded and discharged from the army. Then he went into business, while Andrey continued his military career.
“Here you go, buddy, you won’t get bored with him,” Andrey said then, handing over a box. Inside was a sturdy puppy that Arkady immediately hugged. The little one, unafraid, started running around the room exploring the new space and was soon caught at the door with a slipper in his mouth. That’s how Azart came into his life.
Andrey left but always asked about the dog over the phone. For Arkady, the dog became a real support and friend. His marriage with Elena ended peacefully, without scandals or affairs. One day at the table, they simply realized life had become gray and monotonous. “There’s no spark,” Elena said.
“Maybe we should live separately?” Arkady suggested. She agreed. What started as a joke turned into a divorce. They stayed on good terms for the sake of their son Zhenya, who often visited his father, especially after Azart arrived. But it was no longer a family that ate together or rested outdoors.
Then Zhanna appeared in Arkady’s life—a beautiful, charming girl. They quickly found common ground and understood each other at a glance. He was sure he had found his soulmate, proposed, and she moved in with him.
But as soon as Zhanna became the mistress of the house, everything changed. The sweet girl turned into a capricious woman. She was annoyed even by the fact that Arkady helped his housekeeper Darya Matveyevna.
“Fire that lazy fat woman!” she once demanded.
“Listen, Zhannochka, Darya Matveyevna isn’t a servant, she’s someone who helps me. Don’t say that again,” Arkady answered firmly.
After a while, Zhanna started finding fault with Azart:
“I’m afraid of him! He’s so big, scary… like the Hound of the Baskervilles!”
“Wait,” Arkady protested. “You used to love him, kiss him, hug him. And now he scares you? He’s just a well-trained dog. And if I ever have to choose between you and him—I’ll choose him.”
Zhanna wilted, apologized, blaming her bad mood, and even started walking Azart. But a few days ago, she ran home in tears:
“Sorry, Arkasha… Azart got hit by a truck… He’s gone…”
Arkady wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks. He couldn’t believe what had happened. Zhanna told him the dog had chased a cat and she couldn’t hold him back. But how could Azart, trained by a canine specialist, chase some cat? This question tormented Arkady.
There was a knock on the office door. A girl who looked very young stood there. It turned out she was a graduate of an orphanage.
“Why are you working as a cleaner?” Arkady asked, surprised. “You’re young, beautiful. You could find a better job.”
“I study by correspondence,” she answered. “I need a flexible schedule.”
He nodded. Many worked as cleaners for that reason. The girl hesitantly added:
“Can I take expired food? You throw it away anyway?”
Arkady felt a wave of sympathy.
“Veronika, aren’t you getting enough to eat? Need help?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” she answered. “But can I take the expired food?”
“Of course, take it. And if you need anything—ask,” he said.
She was happy, thanked him, and ran off. Over time, employees began to notice Veronika took too much food and whispered among themselves, “She could feed all the homeless!” Arkady wondered if things were really hard for her.
One day he saw her walking down the street with a heavy bag. Following her, he saw her approach a private house and head first to the shed. Opening the door, she shouted joyfully:
“Hello, my darlings! I’m going to feed you now!”
Dogs rushed out of the shed. Arkady’s heart froze—among them was Azart, alive and well.
“Azart!” he breathed, rushing to the dog.
The dog hesitated at first, sniffing, but upon recognizing his owner, happily ran up licking his face. Veronika tried to stop the dog:
“Stray, back! Fie!”
The dog darted between them but eventually chose Arkady. Veronika, seeing the unexpected guest, exclaimed:
“It’s you?! How did you get here?”
“I just decided to check if help was needed,” Arkady replied. “And here’s my Azart…”
Her expression darkened.
“He’s not your dog anymore. His name is Stray, and I won’t give him to you. Do you realize what he went through? I nursed him back to health; he almost died in my arms!”
“Wait,” Arkady began. “Maybe there’s a lot I didn’t know either. Let me help you feed the animals, then we’ll have some tea and talk.”
Veronika calmed a little and nodded. Inside the shed, among other things, were spacious enclosures with many animals: cats, squirrels, a raccoon, and even miniature pigs.
“You’ve got a real zoo here!” Arkady Petrovich exclaimed, opening a can of food.
“This isn’t a zoo, it’s a shelter for those abandoned or cruelly treated by people,” Veronika gently corrected him. “All of them have a terrible past. I literally pulled them back from death.”
Arkady was amazed.
“How do you manage? You need knowledge and experience to treat animals…”
“My father was a vet, the best in town. He died when I was fourteen, but I learned a lot from him,” she answered. “Now I’m studying by correspondence at the veterinary academy.”
“So you’re a future Doctor Dolittle?” Arkady smiled.
“Something like that,” Veronika nodded, finishing feeding the animals.
“Then let’s go home; tea will warm us up,” she suggested.
Over a cup of aromatic tea, Arkady finally asked what had been bothering him:
“Tell me, Veronika, where are your parents?”
The girl sadly lowered her eyes:
They died. They went to the theater and never returned—a crash. After that, I ended up in an orphanage. Then I came back here, to our old house. Now I’m trying to continue my father’s work—treating and saving animals.
“But how did Azart end up with you?”
“I found him at the cemetery when I came to my parents’ grave. Someone tied him to the fence without food or water. He howled, cried… People avoided him as if he was contagious. I took off my jacket, wrapped him in it, and carried him home.”
“But how did you manage? He’s a big dog!”
“Not without help. A taxi driver gave me a free ride. Didn’t take any money,” Veronika smiled. Then she looked Arkady straight in the eyes and asked: “If it wasn’t you who abandoned him, why didn’t you look for him? Why didn’t you raise the alarm?”
“I was told Azart died under a truck’s wheels…” he answered thoughtfully. “But now I realize the person who told me that was not who he claimed to be.”
“Then he definitely wasn’t a friend,” Veronika said quietly.
“Yes, now I’m sure of that,” Arkady agreed. “There will be a serious talk with that person today.”
Proudly walking down the street, Arkady led Azart on a leash. The dog occasionally looked back to check if his owner was nearby. Reaching the car, Arkady opened the door:
“Well, take your place, Azart.”
The dog joyfully snorted, sniffed familiar scents, and jumped into the front seat.
“Let’s go home, friend. It’s time to face the truth,” Arkady said.
Azart barked happily in response. On the way, Arkady dialed Zhanna’s number.
“Zhanna, I have a surprise. Pack your things.”
“Are we flying to Thailand?” she rejoiced.
“Maybe there too, if you want,” he laughed. “But for now, get ready to meet my ‘surprise.’”
“Well, buddy,” he gently patted the dog, “let’s show the lady who’s alive and well here?”
The dog wagged his tail happily. When they arrived home, Zhanna did not expect to see Azart. Her face went pale.
“Well, do you recognize your ‘corpse’? Did you tie him to the cemetery fence yourself or did you hire an assistant?”
Zhanna froze, her eyes filled with fear.
“Sorry… I don’t know what came over me…”
“Of course, you don’t,” Arkady said coldly. “But now you won’t play such games anymore. Especially in my house. So pack your things.”
She stood still, clutching a bright swimsuit. At that moment her world collapsed: no more wealthy life, cozy home, servants. Instead—a rural reality: a drinking mother, an unemployed common-law husband, three young brothers, and maybe a job at the local store. And constant neighbor gossip. Realizing all this, Zhanna fell to her knees:
“Forgive me… Don’t leave me…”
But Arkady was resolute. For him, this woman had long stopped being the Zhanna he loved and desired. She left for her native village Klyuevo.
Over time, Arkady reconciled with his first wife Lena. It turned out reconciliation just needed a first step and a “sorry.”
Veronika successfully graduated from the veterinary academy and received her diploma. As a token of gratitude for saving Azart, Arkady gave her his own clinic, named after the dog—“Azart.”
“You didn’t just save my loyal friend, Veronika,” he said, handing over the keys and documents. “You helped me see people clearly. To understand who around me was dangerous and deceitful.”
The girl smiled happily and accepted his generous gift.