10 / 10 / 10

I remember Him with a smile, I always do.

Maybe it is because the memories I have are of Him smiling His warm, sweet smile.

Memories:

 - of Him and Her during our Psychology Practical Exams - smiling at each other shyly while She conducted her experiments on her "subject" - Him

- of my last brief meeting with him at Babs' place on January 26th 2008; before four of them friends were getting ready for an outing - his ready smile, his gentle demeanor, his black bike (the make and model of which, I don't remember, but I sensed He was very proud of it)

- of seeing Him smile in all the photographs I had seen of Him

- of Her first telling me about Him, in notes passed along in the English Literature class - the gloomy classroom with pink and white walls and both of us interested in each other's respective love stories (mine was non-existent then, Hers had just begun)

- of reading about Him in Her blog posts and feeling really happy for them

- of remembering their "monthliversary" once in a while on the 23rd of some months

Memories - because He is no more.

If I, who have only met Him only fleetingly, over the past few years, can feel so much pain with Him gone and with Her feeling so much pain after knowing and being with him for almost 4 years, I cannot imagine - I really cannot imagine what his Parents must be going through. 


There are some of us who cry hoarse on losing an artificial earring and there are some who bravely face what Life gives them, and sometimes, what Life takes away from them as well.

His Parents:

My first introduction to His Parents was when, in the aforementioned English Literature class, She had told me about them - His Dad was originally from Andhra Pradesh and His Mom was a Maharashtrian....

That was about all I knew about his Family.

His Parents, now:

After He passed on, I have made a new Friend in His Dad, Uday Uncle - through e-mail exchanges, messages, brief meetings etc.

Uday Uncle is a man of quiet strength, of gentle seriousness, of few but meaningful words, of pragmatism, of courage, of Hope....

Nithya Aunty is the person you fall in love with from the moment you look at her - her soft eyes, her sweet, ever ready smile, her support to Uncle and her Family - you just cannot help liking  loving her. 


The first time I met her, she told me she had heard about my e-mails.

The second time I met her at Landmark, Forum Mall (where Uncle was invited to speak as one of the writers for the Chicken Soup for the Father's Soul), she told me about how the last time they came here was with Him and how He would do anything to keep His sister happy; about the tradition He had started (and they continued) of taking his sister out for dinner every Sunday evening/night.


They told me that I must come home. In fact, whenever I interact with Uncle, he tells me to visit them and something or the other comes up and I just cannot meet them. Shame on me.

When it was time to leave, Aunty gave me a gentle, tight hug that I will never, ever forget. Her warm hug is what I associate her with.

Uncle's courage and strength is what I associate him with.

His warm smile and smiling eyes (with long eyelashes) is what I will always, always associate Him with.


For Uncle, Aunty, His Grandparents and His Sister, here is a song I had once sent Uncle and I am listening to right now:

I Wish You Peace - Eagles

I wish you peace when the cold winds blow 

Warmed by the fire's glow 

I wish you comfort in the lonely time 

And arms to hold you when you ache inside 

I wish you hope when things are going bad 

Kind words when times are sad 

I wish you shelter from the raging wind 

Cooling waters at the fever's end 

I wish you peace when times are hard 

The light to guide you through the dark 

And when storms are high and your, your dreams are low 

I wish you the strength to let love grow on, 

I wish you the strength to let love flow, 

I wish you peace when times are hard 

A light to guide you through the dark 

And when storms are high and your dreams are low 

I wish you the strength to let let grown on, 

I wish you the strength to let love flow, 

I wish you the strength to let love glow on 

I wish you the strength to let love go on.

Today is His 24th Birthday that would have been.


Happy Birthday, A.

Photograph: Thomas Firak

Your beautiful Soul lives on
You live on
You smile on....

I know.