Chennai, Aug 31 : Sruti Nakul, the wife of actor Nakul, has now penned a heartouching tribute to her pet dog Gello, which passed away on Saturday, saying that they didn't rescue Gello while in fact it was Gello who had rescued them.

Posting pictures and videos of Gello on her Instagram timeline, Sruti wrote, "About 14 years ago, on a cold midnight, after Nakul and I finished watching a movie, we found a wounded little pupper outside his apartment. He wouldn't even let us touch him. We left him with some food and water, just hoping he would make it through the night. Miraculously, he did.

"The next day, we got him medication and more food. And that's how Gello came into our lives. For months, he would wait patiently for us every day, yet never let us touch him. It took him nearly two'three months to fully recover, trust us, and finally allow a gentle pat. Soon, he became our apartment dog never stepping inside the house no matter how much we tried except of course when his food was late.

"Through our dating days, the floods, marriage, babies, and even a relocation with us to our new place, Gello was always there fiercely loyal, protective, and endlessly loving. No matter how squeaky clean we managed to get him after a bath, he'd somehow be rolling in the mud or finding a way to get dirty again within seconds as if to remind us he was very much his own boss."

Sruti then went on to say that on Saturday, Gello passed away.

"Yesterday, at almost 16-17 years old, he passed away in his sleep at the very same apartment complex we relocated him to.

"When I first saw him lying still, I felt numb. We knew his final days were here, but seeing him gone still hit me like a wall. At one point, when I went to get a bedsheet to wrap him for his last rites, I thought I heard his paws walking behind me. My heart skipped a beat but it was just the rustle of leaves."

"Thank you, my Gello boy. You were a fighter. You were goofy, intelligent, and so loving till the very last day. I'll miss the way you greeted us at the gate every time we came home. You lived life on your own terms and filled ours with love. Honestly, we didn't rescue you' You rescued us and showed us what it means to hold so much love ! Sleep well, my boy. You're now resting right next to Bubbles, Oola, and Oreo ! You're forever loved and we are forever grateful to have had you in our lives !"

/IANS