Friday, September 9, 2011

The most dynamic person I've known..


My Dada (Grandpa) passed away yesterday. 

Even though he had been ill for a while now with cardiac and arthritic issues, and this was expected sooner or later, the fact that he won’t be around anymore brings back a flood of happy memories of times with him.

There have been issues where we have disagreed with him and fought with him- like every other family- but he was definitely the most vibrant and active man I have known even in his old age.
Dada and Dadi would stay in West Bengal most of the year, and come over to our place for a couple of months every year. 

Being the elder sibling I would sleep with them in their room. He had the most adorable way of waking me up for school. He would start with his daily chores around 4am, all the while humming shlokas from the Geeta and coming to whisper them in my ear every 10-15 minutes. Though (being a person that shows disinterest in any activity of the religious kind) I hardly ever admitted it, I quite enjoyed being woken up that way. 

He would then spoil me by giving me some money (that my parents never allowed!) to spend at the thelas outside school. This was a daily ritual for the months that they were around in Rajasthan.
We would go out to Shastri Circle in the evenings. Him, for his walk and routine of getting the English newspaper (that would arrive in our city in the evening). Me, just for the fact that I could get him to buy me comics (which, again, my parents didn’t show much interest in getting for me! It was a task to convince them to let me get comics!) 

So every first and fifteenth of the month we had special walks to the stationary shop at the Shastri Circle to get my fill of Champaks, Balhans, Nandan and Nanhe Samrat.  On the other days, it was just for the fun of going out and climbing towards the statue of Shastri ji while listening to stories of freedom fighters and such. 

[It sounds cheesy, I know. But I was a greedy kid!]

Those are most of the memories I have of him as a kid.

Then again, one act that I hold him in great regard for, is his kids’ education. Even though they stayed in a small village in West Bengal, and did not have much money, he made sure that his kids- not just the sons, but also the daughter- went to one of the best boarding schools in the country. 
Even with our differences, he was definitely the most dynamic person I knew.

I’ll miss him.

[The post was just written as a vent-out for me, since I have no one to talk to right now, and needed closure] 

8 comments:

  1. i'm sorry for ur loss.... while he may no longer be there beside u, as long as u keep the memories and remember him with pride, he'll remain with u.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry to hear about your loss.. I miss my grandfather too.. Grandparents give you so much love.. They spoil you like anything.. I remember my grandfather taking me to school everyday.. He taught me so many things in life.. And as Dr Roshan just rightly said.. Even though he isnt with you now.. His blessings will remain with you forever...!!

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  3. saw ur blog after long time

    Sorry for your loss Arps

    Made me laugh
    Champaks, I know. But I was a greedy kid!
    we all are

    and sad
    ’ll miss him.
    Since I have no one to talk to right now,

    Dont say this yaar ...We are here for you and with you

    God bless departed soul

    tc ullu ..Like ur brother says

    i miss my brother, he is working in google mountain view,ca 7 saal ho gayein..4 5 days ke liyee aata hain

    take care of urself dear

    Rahul Paryani
    Fraand..
    twitter, fb,orkut,boston med wala banda shayad yaad huin
    Ab to resident ho gayee hain ladkee...i will take extension in my internship..
    apna source laga ke Cleveland mein ..elective dilaanaa. june ke baad

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Arpita.. Saw your post only just now.. I remember meeting your dada once..he was very kindly advising me on some kind of Surya namaskar, I think.. It was rather sweet of him.
    Cheers to all your memories of him, from childhood. And yeah...it does tend to happen- the most dynamic and awe-inspiring among our close ones are often the ones with whom we end up having the strongest points of disagreement.
    God bless the departed soul.

    Take care :)
    Shruti

    ReplyDelete
  5. So sorry for u there... but let me put in a light word, U are pretty lucky (in my eyes) since u got to be with ur grandpa at the most wonderful times of ur life.. u gotto share ur childhood with him... many a times i ve seen my friends, even my parents talk abt their grandparents with such fondness n it leaves me stranded to realise i couldnt n will never get that marvellous chance.....
    they indeed are a treasure.... a treasure of life, memories, n yes , stories!!! i ve a made a vivid picture from wat my parents told abt how my grandparents were...n i used to even imagine how wud it be had they been there with me as i grew up.... its not jus tht i miss them cos i hardly got to know them in the first place... its tht they left me with this Hole in my heart tht i know ll remain there unfilled forever....

    may he rest inpeace dear friend!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Opened your blog after ages.
    I miss him too :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, Nice site I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing. Would it be possible if I contact you through your email? Please email me back. Thanks!

    Aaron Grey
    aarongrey112 at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

=)

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