Lui was my first dog. Within 30 minutes of being home, he peed a puddle right in the middle of the living room. Then started, the toilet training phase, which he promptly learned in 5 days. Since then it was either the bathroom or the balcony, besides the walks. Such a Good Boi, no!

Naming him was a task. He was naughty and playful, but my brains just couldn’t decide on a name. Until, an ad on TV blared out, “Machhar hoon main, LUI mera naam…..”, and it was hilarious when my boy dumped his toys, to go jump at the TV screen and do zoomies, every time “LUI” was sung! Then and there he became a LUI.

Barely at 5 months of age, Lui accompanied me on a road trip to Goa, where I smuggled him into a hotel. The concept of Pet Friendly Hotels was rare at the time. Also, though at 5 months, he looked a robust adult dog and to add to the woes was a “kaala kutta”! People moved back a step or more at his mere sight. Nevertheless, since then, weekends and holidays were road trips with abandon.

He was a good 50 kilos as an adult dog, active, healthy, with the shiniest black coat, obedient and well mannered. Lui offered the gentlest of handshakes, and thumping tail wags (Boy, those hurt bad!). He was stealthy at his crawls, never lost an opportunity to grab the middle of the Queen sized bed at night. Refused to get nails trimmed and ears cleaned, unless it was by the Vet, one of his favourites. Greeted women with lusty eyes, and the butt sitting posture, with front paws joined as NAMASTE. As the faint white began appearing on his muzzle, I realized he is starting to age, though his agility still remained the same.

Few months after his 8th birthday, a pink patch developed on the roof of his mouth. And it grew real quick in a month. Surgical extraction and further diagnosis of the growth, via histopathology confirmed it as Squamous Cell Carcinoma… CANCER!

My entire world shattered! It cannot be! How could my dog have cancer? Why him? Why us? He will die! What should I do? I was ready to give up anything and everything to cure his cancer. I still can give anything and everything to get both my boys, LUI & FIGO, back.

The Vet who was initially consulted with for this situation, claimed that there was no facility and/or treatment for canine cancer in our country. In his opinion, with or without treatment, median survival for Lui, was a month or three, and advised euthanasia.

I decided to consult the regular Vet of LUI, because of whom I had Lui in the first place. Meanwhile, the tumour had rapidly regrown in a fortnight. Not only was I explained in detail on the cancer diagnosis, treatment and prognosis but I was more elated on being informed about ACTREC at Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.

Histopathology was repeated and we readied a plan for LUI. Tests, CT scan, extraction with clean margins. LUI was ready in a week for his first session for target radiation at ACTREC. Chemotherapy in tangent with the radiation sessions, diet for cancer and other holistic remedies helped Lui to go cancer free in a couple of months. He was in remission.

I sighed in peace and was overjoyed.

But our joy was short lived, when around 8 months after, Lui started gagging at regular intervals and the CT scan showed metastasis with multiple lesions in his lungs.

I chose quality over quantity then. It was essential to focus on LUI living the rest of his days happily than on treatment to add more days of his life. Though on medical suggestion we did try a few more rounds of chemo, which if it were today, I would not have opted for.

He became a bag of bones due to muscle and mass loss, and yet weighed 35 kilos. He refused to let go. Every conversation I had with him to let go was reacted with a deep sigh and an abrupt walking away. The Vet had advised me euthanasia as there wasn’t much anyone could do medically for Lui.

Soon, one day, he stopped retaining his food and seemed disillusioned. He was recumbent. By the next evening, I steadied my emotional wrecked self to the possibility of putting him to sleep. LUI had his favourite paaya soup that evening, which he did not throw up. We snuggled and I whispered to him, “LUI BABA, You need to let go. It’s okay. I will be okay, we will be okay.” He looked at me with his droopy eyes, and wagged his tail a bit.

Lui breathed his last that night, at 12:07 am, in my arms, with Figo by his side. 

LUI, my BLACK KNIGHT.

May 26, 2003 – May 9, 2013.