My tribute to Chacha

My uncle, Chacha, was a joyful soul with a gleaming face, short built, having a purposeful stride. He worked for the gas industry for over four decades, starting his professional journey at a young age that took him to different parts of the country, unmatched in our family till now. From the snippets that I remember, Amma would tell me how Chacha had moved out of Delhi without hesitation to explore a job opportunity in Baroda. Then on, he moved to wherever his career, his industry took him, to have new experiences and add value to himself and to the industry to which he remain committed till his very last. 

He lived across cities including Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Vishakhapatnam. No doubt his life experiences shaped his personality and made him into an individual who could communicate with all, young and old, with ease and inspire with his breadth of knowledge. His zeal for any new project at work and desire to share the same with the family was remarkable. I remember, as a child when we were on a summer trip to their home in Visakhapatnam, he ferried us all to see his newest gas plant - with a live demo of compressed liquid nitrogen coming out of a pipe! He would talk about the gas industry, renewable energy, solar panels, and his life in the south with ease and passion, inadvertently weaving his life into an enchanting story drawing young ones like me into his world only through the power of narration. 

Some of my most memorable moments of early childhood are owing to him. Our visits to his homes in Madras (now Chennai) and Vishakhapatnam were as adventurous as they could get. Flashes of  his white Ambassador, family outings to the surreal beaches, crocodile park visit, papayas from the garden, sleeping on the terrace on breezy nights, the Dolphin restaurant, a train journey of over 2 nights, and many more, are etched in my consiousness for ever. I remember how I would beam with pride when telling friends how many places far and wide I had been to during those days.

He subsequently moved back to Delhi to our family home but his work didn't cease to demand of him to explore new opportunities regardless of where they may be. He spent good part of a year in Addis Ababba, Ethiopia - living on his own, adjusting to the culture of a distant land, and building something new from scratch. A deal many young and ambitious would probably turn down nowadays. His spirit of adventure and exploration meant he was the first one in our home to adopt new things. First one to buy a car, a Eureka Forbes vaccum cleaner, a push-button telephone, and a mobile phone. He even partook in the Amway brigade when it was at its nascent stage in India, a natural marketeer he would relate the benefits of Amway products whenever and wherever he had an audience. 

Being the youngest among the siblings and having the strength of character, Chacha commanded respect but was also approachable as a friend with whom we could take few liberties - those which were strictly forbidden with my aunt and father. My older brothers and cousins on many occassions played pranks on his account - small tricks that never did any harm but still gave us that sense of euphoria which comes from having defied authority. He never raised a voice and would simply smile. Once on the festival of holi, our gang of cousins managed to colour his white Fiat to a deep purple. We were chided by the elders in the family but Chacha always played down our 'error of judgement' and drove the coloured car for months after Holi.            

Diagnosed with some illnesses in his middle age, he denounced modern medicine and put his faith in the power of Ayurveda and Yoga. He managed to beat these illnesses and adopted a very simple lifestyle and satwik diet. I remember, he also spent time in Auroville in Pondicherry (now Puducherry) and would relay in vivid detail his 'dincharya' as well as tirelessly praise the freshness and the simplicity of the food that he experienced there. A lifestyle that I aspire towards.

At the age of 63, last month Chacha gasped his last as he succumbed to a progressive lung infection caused by Covid-19. It is hard to reconcile with fate when one of your own blood is snatched away so suddenly. But we as a family can take heart from the fact that Chacha lived his life to the maximum, creating memories for himself and for all of us collectively. Those innumerable photos through which he captured those small and big moments spent with the family will forever be a reminder of how we should live each day in our lives. 

As a young adult, I  hailed many a free ride with you Chacha, the comfort in knowing that there is a trusted person to rely on when the need arises either for a ride or indeed for anything else is now gone. Chacha, you were strong and spirited, your loss is irreparable for the family and I will miss you dearly.