Remembering BABA…

13th September, 2003. The day when Baba left us. A never filling void was created in my life on that day. Generally, in Indian society, grand parents are the ones who build the character and generate the feeling of morality in the hearts of their grand children. He was no exception.

I remember, the daily visits to the nearby temple in my early childhood with him and when I started attending school, it was only the Sundays and the holidays when I got that privilege. It was him who generated the feeling of religiousness and spiritualism within me. On the contrary, today I don’t remember when I last visited the institute temple.

In my earlier days, if I had any query or problem related to any topic whether academic, historical, religious or any general problem, he always had an answer to it. After all, he was the gold medalist graduate from Roorkee University (now IIT, Roorkee). He was the top ranker at that institution where I always dreamt of getting admission. Tried real hard but could not get into it.

He instigated in me the habit of reading newspaper everyday. It may not look any extraordinary thing but I really think that it helped me gaining whatever little command I have on Hindi and English language.

I can never forget the daily Re.1 he gave us as our pocket money. Again, it was not a big thing but I remember how he advised me to save all of them and buy something significant and worthy at the end of the month or year.

It’s been five years since he left us, but it seems as it was yesterday. The life after that catastrophe was never the same. I wonder if he lived, then many events that took place in my life would not have been the same. Anyways, what he did for our family cannot be expressed in words. He was, and still is, my idol, my mentor, my life. I miss him. May his Soul rest in peace.