Raj glared at him in response before she followed Jill through a door that had a stop sign and the words Close doors behind you at all times printed on it. They entered the narrow room with a row of small pens lining each wall. Blankets covered the tops of the pens, and the sounds of mewing and high-pitched barks echoed around them.

“We got a few transfers from a kill shelter down south,” Jill said softly. “I saw Khunda’s picture and didn’t even wait to call you.”

“Khunda?” Raj said, stunned. “How do you spell it?”

Jill showed Raj the card with the spelling.

Raj looked up at Ajay. “This is a Punjabi word, except it wouldn’t be pronounced khun-dah, but khund. It means sugar. Who named her? Usually the names are something ridiculous like Sunny or Tuxedo.”

“No idea, but I think if her name is a word in your language, a sweet one at that, it’s another sign.” Jill opened the last pen on the bottom right. She reached inside and pulled out the tiniest Short-hair Chihuahua that Raj had ever seen. The puppy had a long snout, unlike the tiny pointed nose she’d seen on most Chihuahuas. Her coat was pure white except for the large tan ears that were almost the size of her head. Her entire body fit on the palms of Jill’s hands.

“Khunda, meet Raj,” Jill said. “Raj, meet Khunda. She’s about thirteen weeks.”

The puppy was shaking hard in fear. Her tail was tucked tightly between her legs, even though Jill was cradling her as gently as she could. “She’s very submissive and needs a lot of love and affection. You can give that to her.”

Raj put out a hand for Khunda to smell, and when a tiny pink tongue peeked out to lick at her finger, she gently took the puppy in her hands. The puppy barely weighed three pounds, Raj thought, as she tucked the quivering bundle into the cradle of her arms.

Khunda’s shaking slowed, and she buried her little tiny head into the crook of Raj’s elbow. She felt the tiny body expand with each breath, and then gently relax with release.

In that one instant, she knew that this puppy was hers. Raj could feel the tears well in her eyes. “I finally found you,” she whispered. “You need me, and I need you.”

“Oh, baby,” Ajay said softly behind her. “She’s perfect.”

He looked at Raj with such intensity that she had to turn away. She didn’t know what he saw in her at that moment, but she didn’t really care, either. She was holding her new family member. Khunda was for her.

Raj stroked one tiny ear and cleared her throat. “Jill, what do I need to do to bring her home?”