India, Aug. 24 -- This is the story of Sultan, Begum, Nawab, Saheb, Sultana, Sahiba, Sundari, Anokhi, Singhye, and Nacho Libre. They are the dogs who have been part of our family over the last three decades and the source of immense joy, laughter, solace, comfort-and grief-when they pass on.

Sultan was a rescued dog, a cross between a Labrador and an Indie, whom we adopted in the late 1980s. He grew into a handsome dog and, although much loved by the family, became essentially my shadow. His whole life used to revolve around my routine. When he got lost-running away from the car near the vet's clinic before the driver could chain him-I was inconsolable. We put an ad in the papers, announced an attractive monetary reward for anyone who fo...