The Unknown Friend

The small river that flowed beside the village was called "Madhumati." Its water was crystal clear, like glass. In the morning, when the sunlight fell on the river, it seemed as if gold was floating on the water. By this river lived a little girl named Mita. Mita was only ten years old, but her eyes held an extraordinary vision. She often wondered how big the world was and how small she was in comparison.

Mita's father was a farmer. He would wake up early every morning and go to work in the fields. Her mother took care of the household chores and sent Mita to school. Mita's school was on one side of the village, in a small house. There were only five teachers and about thirty students. But to Mita, this little school felt like her entire world.

One day, on her way back from school, Mita noticed a small dog sitting by the river. The dog had black and white patches on its fur, and its eyes looked very tired. Mita thought the dog might not have eaten for days. She took a piece of bread from her lunchbox and offered it to the dog. At first, the dog hesitated and stepped back, but then it slowly approached and ate the bread.

Mita was overjoyed. She started feeding the dog every day on her way back from school. The dog also began to recognize Mita. Now, it would wait for her every day. Mita named the dog "Kalo" (which means "black" in Bengali).

One day, Mita noticed that Kalo was very sick. It had a fever and could barely stand. Mita became very worried. She went home and told her mother, "Mom, Kalo is very sick. Can we take him to a doctor?"

At first, Mita's mother refused. She said, "Mita, we are poor people. We can't afford to treat a dog."

But Mita, with tears in her eyes, said, "Mom, Kalo is my friend. I want to save him."

Seeing her daughter cry, Mita's mother couldn't say no. She took Mita to the village doctor. The doctor examined the dog and said, "It has a fever. Some medicine will make it better."

The doctor gave some medicine, and Mita's mother bought it. Mita fed Kalo the medicine every day and tried to reduce its fever by wiping its body with water. After a few days, Kalo slowly recovered. Mita was very happy. She thought to herself, "Kalo is now a part of our family."

But one day, Mita noticed that Kalo wasn't coming to meet her. She went to the riverbank, searched around the house, but Kalo was nowhere to be found. Mita was heartbroken. She thought, "Did Kalo leave? Or did something happen to him?"

A few days later, on her way back from school, Mita saw Kalo sitting by the river again. But this time, Kalo wasn't alone. Beside her were three little puppies. Mita realized that Kalo had become a mother. She had returned with her babies.

Mita was overjoyed and said, "Kalo, you're back! And your babies are so beautiful!"

Kalo looked at Mita and wagged her tail, as if to say, "Thank you, Mita. You're my best friend."

Now, Mita fed Kalo and her puppies every day. She thought to herself, "There are no boundaries to friendship in this world. Kalo may be a dog, but she is my best friend."

By the end of the story, Mita realized that love and friendship are not limited by language or species. Kalo had come into her life as an unknown friend, but now she was a part of Mita's family.

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