The life of Dholu and Kalu

In loving memory of Kalu (~2000-2026). He brought so much love into our lives.

Dholu (female, ~2000-, meaning white) and Kalu (male, ~2000-2026, meaning black) were two dogs. They lived across the road from my house. Dholu is white and Kalu was black. Much of their shared history is unknown, but I will try to recount what I can. They were probably lifetime companions.

I first met them in 2021. They were living happily together. My mother and another woman fed them. They were inseparable. Nothing, it seemed, would ever seperate them.

They sometimes got a little bit sick, or injured, but my mother and the other woman would give them medication and they would be alright again.

But in 2026, my mother got a bit under-the-weather. She decided it was better to not get too close. So she talked with the other woman, and she filled in for her.

But it wasn't enough.

Kalu was the victim of three major gangrenous infections, and the third took his life.

Dholu was heartbroken. She retreated to the edge of the road and mourned her life away. We (me, my mother, and my aunt) started visiting her often. She slowly started feeling better. Whenever any of us came, she would come to us and wag her tail.

She started becoming her old, confident self. She would bark at the young, inexperienced dogs jumping past, almost like she was saying, "Hmph! Kids these days."

But then, a few weeks ago, the second tragedy came, in the form of a rickshaw. She was hit by the rickshaw.

She became disabled and was confined to a small space at the side of the road.

I don't know how long she has left. I don't know if she'll heal. She's very old for a dog, and she's started shaking.

All I can hope is that she doesn't die alone.