Dear Aaba,
I always remember calling you aaba from the time I started talking.
Our family had a history of only boys being born into the family for almost 11 generations. And there I came fighting against that tradition of "only boys". A daughter born into a family is often considered to be a treasure trove in our community, which you also rightly believed. You named me "Deepa", which means light. It was Diwali around the time I was born and that is the reason you named me Deepa, is what grandmom tells me. You indeed considered me a bright little light which brought you joy, happiness and the pride of becoming a grandfather.
You doted on me and took me places. You never spoiled me by buying anything which I demanded. But you gave me only what was good and healthy for me. You were very particular about your morning walks and what you ate. You never ate food from outside, you only ate what grandmom prepared at home. You always said "The food which tastes good to the tongue is not necessarily good for the stomach". How true you were! As a child, I couldn't understand the meaning of it, but now I very well understand what you really meant! You never missed doing Yogasanas and other exercises which kept you extremely fit till your last days. Neither a single tooth of yours gave you any problem in your life time and nor did you face any eye sight problem.
You were not able to complete your schooling and colleging due to a family problem. But then you rose to a high position in the textile mills and retired as a General Manager on only your sheer perseverance and intelligence. Way back in Punjab, where you worked, people respected you for what you were and always spoke high of you. You were a very strict task master and very dedicated and punctual when it came to work. You worshipped your work and also enjoyed it. You never considered it as work, but always an opportunity to learn something new. You excelled in whatever you did. And that streak of yours, you tried finding in others which often left you unsatisifed with most of the people as they weren't like you.
You enjoyed me going to school more than I did. You always evaluated my report card when it arrived at home. You always asked me, why this time I got less marks in a particular subject. You wrote your evaluations on it too which I didn't like that time. But then given the person you were, you were bound to make your own notes on it. You read the entire paper daily, without fail. Your vocabulary was fabulous given the fact that you received no formal education from school or college. You were a self-made man and remained so till the end with your up-to-date knowledge of current affairs and politics etc. You never enjoyed watching movies, but classical music made you happy.
I still remember the last days where you took food only from me. I could see you lying there helpless on bed, waiting to start moving again. But unfortunately, you never did. Your eyes shone till the end and only on the last day of your journey on this earth, did they grow listless. You donated your eyes and body to a charitable trust and I think it was a very noble thing to do. You did not want dad to perform the rituals which are usually performed on the 10th and the 13th day after death as you did not believe in them.
I sometimes choke at the thought even today that I will be never able to see you or meet you in person in my life again to show you all what I have achieved in my life today. I am sure, I would have made you proud today, aaba. I wish, God had given me some more time to learn till more from you in addition to whatever I learned from you. But, I am sure aaba, you are there somewhere amongst the starts in the sky blessing me and showering all your love and affection. I am really fortunate to have spent the first 18 years of my life with you and get to know you as a person.
I owe my existence and whatever I am today to you as you were the one who always stressed the importance of having a good education for leading a sound and stable life. I always considered you as my role model and if I become even 1 % of what you were, I would be extremely happy!
Aaba, thanks for whatever you did for me.
I miss you and I will always love you!
Your grand daughter
Deepa
I always remember calling you aaba from the time I started talking.
Our family had a history of only boys being born into the family for almost 11 generations. And there I came fighting against that tradition of "only boys". A daughter born into a family is often considered to be a treasure trove in our community, which you also rightly believed. You named me "Deepa", which means light. It was Diwali around the time I was born and that is the reason you named me Deepa, is what grandmom tells me. You indeed considered me a bright little light which brought you joy, happiness and the pride of becoming a grandfather.
You doted on me and took me places. You never spoiled me by buying anything which I demanded. But you gave me only what was good and healthy for me. You were very particular about your morning walks and what you ate. You never ate food from outside, you only ate what grandmom prepared at home. You always said "The food which tastes good to the tongue is not necessarily good for the stomach". How true you were! As a child, I couldn't understand the meaning of it, but now I very well understand what you really meant! You never missed doing Yogasanas and other exercises which kept you extremely fit till your last days. Neither a single tooth of yours gave you any problem in your life time and nor did you face any eye sight problem.
You were not able to complete your schooling and colleging due to a family problem. But then you rose to a high position in the textile mills and retired as a General Manager on only your sheer perseverance and intelligence. Way back in Punjab, where you worked, people respected you for what you were and always spoke high of you. You were a very strict task master and very dedicated and punctual when it came to work. You worshipped your work and also enjoyed it. You never considered it as work, but always an opportunity to learn something new. You excelled in whatever you did. And that streak of yours, you tried finding in others which often left you unsatisifed with most of the people as they weren't like you.
You enjoyed me going to school more than I did. You always evaluated my report card when it arrived at home. You always asked me, why this time I got less marks in a particular subject. You wrote your evaluations on it too which I didn't like that time. But then given the person you were, you were bound to make your own notes on it. You read the entire paper daily, without fail. Your vocabulary was fabulous given the fact that you received no formal education from school or college. You were a self-made man and remained so till the end with your up-to-date knowledge of current affairs and politics etc. You never enjoyed watching movies, but classical music made you happy.
I still remember the last days where you took food only from me. I could see you lying there helpless on bed, waiting to start moving again. But unfortunately, you never did. Your eyes shone till the end and only on the last day of your journey on this earth, did they grow listless. You donated your eyes and body to a charitable trust and I think it was a very noble thing to do. You did not want dad to perform the rituals which are usually performed on the 10th and the 13th day after death as you did not believe in them.
I sometimes choke at the thought even today that I will be never able to see you or meet you in person in my life again to show you all what I have achieved in my life today. I am sure, I would have made you proud today, aaba. I wish, God had given me some more time to learn till more from you in addition to whatever I learned from you. But, I am sure aaba, you are there somewhere amongst the starts in the sky blessing me and showering all your love and affection. I am really fortunate to have spent the first 18 years of my life with you and get to know you as a person.
I owe my existence and whatever I am today to you as you were the one who always stressed the importance of having a good education for leading a sound and stable life. I always considered you as my role model and if I become even 1 % of what you were, I would be extremely happy!
Aaba, thanks for whatever you did for me.
I miss you and I will always love you!
Your grand daughter
Deepa
You must be very fond of your grand father to have written this letter to him.
ReplyDeleteIt's unbelievable at times to think there were people in our lives who are no longer around and one day even we would be not around too. It gives me goose bumps to think all the good times spent with someone might just come to an end cause we are bound to be mortal beings in this world. Imagining to be together with someone today and permanently separated tomorrow gives me shivers... Alas! that's the bitter truth.
I guess a letter to the lost ones like yours is the best way to communicate with our lost loved ones. And I guess creating prints of ours like "mylimitlessblueskies" is a wonderful way to express ourselves as we are still here in this world.
deepa?? is it ur nick name??
ReplyDeletemazya mate aplyasarkhya madhyam vargiya marathi kutumbanmadhye aji ajobanchi pratima hi kahishi ashich aste.....tyanchya sathi khas aplya manat ek kopra japoon thevlela asto....ayushyat asha khup goshti astat jya apan visaru shakat nahi.....aji ajobanche sanskar ani prem he tyatilach ahe....ani ji mule he sanskar acharanat anu shakat nahit ti mazya mate nusti kamnashibich nahi tar nalayak astat.
fakt "to my dear grandpa" chya aivaji "priya aaba" lihile astes tar mala jast awadle aste :)
ReplyDelete"aaba" shabdamadhun tuze vichar jast patkan javalik kartat than in "grandpa"
i would not be able to comment much on this.not been with grand parents.nyways but i always wished when i saw my friends along with grand parents,wat a loving sight it was.
ReplyDeleteHow i wished my grand parents spoilt me with all the care and love.