I lost my Maternal Grandfather (Nana ji) yesterday night...He was very ill for past few months and we all knew this could be coming...but it hurts so much when you lose someone close.
I still remember the golden time spent with him. My Maternal uncle runs a school and Daarji (as we used to call him) was the person who used to take care of stationary and canteen business of the school. I have a pretty big family from my mother's side and we used to be almost a gang of 17 children when we all used to visit Mamaji's place during our school summer vacation. Mamaji's house was just in next plot to school and we all used to attack the canteen just before the break time....Helping Daarji laying out the boxes of sweets and stationary piles before the school children could come rushing for their shopping.
He was a Railway Engineer. Being an engineer meant a lot at his time...Not like today when I can see plenty of engineers hovering everywhere. Jalandhar, Ferozpur and Ludhiana and couple of other cities were under his supervision. A huge bungalow was given to him where the big Nanke family stayed with their 10 bedroom house which had 4 servant rooms and gardens and what all...Have just heard the stories of the greatness and royalty enjoyed by the then family from my Mom, Massis and Mammajis.
Over the past years I remember talking to him on phone...Though I would be calling to get to know about his wellness...But he would hardly let me ask him, and always kept on saying...."Don't worry about anything..everything is fine here...You just take care of yourself..and come back now to a place closer to your home." and I would reply back "Yes Daarji, would look for a change in job and come back soon" Guess I am too late now :(
My maternal grandmother expired when I too small..Have heard it from mom that she wasn't very ill but had to be shifted to hospital for some treatment where some strong medicines and 'The Hospital feeling' costed us her life. All these years after her, Daarji kept on saying...."How much ill I ever may be, never take me to hospital. She was not that ill, these hospital guys made her away from me". Was just discussing the same with my friend Ashish today, and had my full agreement with him when he said "Can't say for sure where I can find this kind of bonding between couples today in our generation. I don't think we need to blame hospitals or death for termination of much of relations these days...."
Still remember me in a snap sitting on Daarji's lap when I was hardly 2 yrs old. He was sitting straight, in a white kurta with a turban on his head. The same kind of turban was he wearing just 5 month back at my sister's wedding. Though he was so ill, but we were lucky to have him pay a visit to us to bless the couple. He was so full of values...I always feel it to be a great loss for any family when they lose an aged one. The presence itself of an old one in family makes it sure that there wont be a wrong deed happening in the house. Their scolding to the grand kids, constant advices to the their own kids, the experience of their lives being gifted to us in small suggestions can never be compensated with anything. No matter how much lifestyle has changed and will keep on changing, the truth of life is that the elders will always have a simpler, better, accurate and a long lasting solution to every problem of life.
Got a call from my sis in the morning at 5 when she told me about this. My emotions were all frozen since I heard the news, but I can see my screen getting blurry now...
Missing you Daarji...
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