Run free now, Buddy.

Today, our dear Buddy flew back to wherever he came from: someplace beyond pain, beyond time, and filled, we hope, with open fields and warm sunshine.He wasn’t ours on paper. He belonged to our dear friends the Kumars from our old neighborhood. Every morning or evening, we’d hear the scratch at our door going or coming from his walks, followed by a deep, insistent woof, his signature arrival call. Alka would open the door and in he’d stride, rubbing against her legs like he’d come home after a long day of work. His path was familiar: straight to the kitchen where a treat always awaited him.On Margashirsha Thursdays he’d do the same arrival routine but with a little more urgency. He'd lower his head slightly near the small puja shrine in the kitchen, as if asking forgiveness for the act that was about to follow. Then, with all the grace of an entitled deity, he’d gently eat the banana prasad, slurp up the milk, and walk back to the hall where he’d sit contentedly beside Alka.He was, in many ways, our Margashirsha Thursday’s Khandoba: divine, a little demanding, always welcome, and deeply, deeply loved. Buddy didn’t perform tricks. He just sat there looking handsome, smiling contentedly, sometimes with his head on Alka's ankles. She loved him with all her heart, her first real love in the form of fur, paws, and a fiercely loyal spirit.Today, Alka can’t stop crying. Neither can I.Run free now, Buddy. Nap in the shade. Watch over us when you can. I'm sure Vijaykumar and Bear are helping you chase butterflies. You were never just a dog. You were a presence.You were family.

Prayers and condolences to Suma Sovik Kumar and you Sovina Kumar. Your beautiful tribute to your son touched me. His soul is with dad and Bear and he is at peace!