Indian Camp

"The Dog of Tithwal" opens with Indian and Pakistani soldiers entrenched along their border in a mountainous region. Neither side holds a significant advantage in the conflict; there are no air forces involved, and heavy artillery is absent from their arsenals. The situation resembles a standoff more than an active battle. Despite the tension, the serenity of the mountains prevails. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and clouds drift lazily across the sky. Manto likens nature to a harmonious symphony, while the men with their guns are the discordant notes. The story begins in the Indian camp, where Jamadar Harnam Singh is on night watch. At two in the morning, he wakes Ganda Singh to take over and then lies down, singing a romantic song about a pair of shoes adorned with stars. Banta Singh joins in with a song about love and tragedy. The soldiers begin to feel a sense of melancholy, perhaps reflecting on the notion that life should be about love, not war.

The barking of a dog disrupts this reflective moment. Banta Singh discovers the dog in the bushes and announces that its name is Jhun Jhun. The soldiers are initially in good spirits and happy to see the dog until Harnam Singh asserts that the dog cannot be fed if it belongs to Pakistan. The other soldiers think he is joking, but he then declares that all Pakistanis, including their dogs, will be shot. The dog senses something in his tone and reacts with fear, which seems to satisfy Harnam Singh. Another soldier responds by leading the men in a chant of "India Zindabad!" (a patriotic slogan).

Banta Singh creates a sign with the dog's name and the information that it is an Indian dog, and hangs it around the dog's neck.

Pakistani Camp

The next morning, the dog appears in the Pakistani camp. It turns out the dog had spent some days with the Pakistani soldiers before wandering into the Indian camp. Like their Indian counterparts, the Pakistani soldiers are weary of the war that has dragged on for months. As Subedar Himmat Khan twirls his moustache and examines a map of the Tithwal sector, Bashir begins to sing a song about where a lover spent the night.

When the dog arrives, Subedar Himmat Khan turns the lyrics of the song into an accusation directed at Jhun Jhun. "Where did you spend the night?" he shouts. Bashir takes this as a joke and continues his song to the dog, but Subedar Himmat Khan throws a pebble at Jhun Jhun.

Bashir notices a sign around the dog's neck. The soldiers examine the sign, suspecting it might be a coded message. Subedar Himmat Khan reports the incident to his platoon commander, who dismisses it as irrelevant. Although the commander is correct that the report lacks tactical importance, his unwillingness to investigate suggests a lack of discipline among the troops. The soldiers are bored and feel their presence is pointless.

The Pakistani soldiers rename Jhun Jhun and attach a sign to his neck, declaring him Shun Shun, a Pakistani dog. Subedar Himmat Khan then sends Jhun Jhun back to his "family," urging the dog to deliver the message to the enemy. As the dog trots away, Subedar Himmat Khan fires into the air out of boredom and then decides to shoot at the Indians. For half an hour, both sides exchange gunfire until Subedar Himmat Khan orders a ceasefire. While combing his hair, he wonders where the dog has gone.

Death

When Jhun Jhun reappears near the Pakistani positions, Subedar Himmat Khan becomes enraged and...