To my grandfather..

He was a good man.

He was a great father.

He was a greater father-in-law.

He stuck to his principles till the end.

His self reliance was exemplary.

He rests in peace today.

My grandfather passed away this morning. I feel shaken to the core.

I owe many things to him. Reading, writing, good handwriting, love for music and a mind of my own.

My mom always encouraged me to write small letters during the yearly Rakhi ritual. This cultivated into a love for letter writing, which caught momentum when I went away from home for studies. My grandfather always wrote long replies to my small ones. We kept the love for writing in each other alive. I was known as the girl 'who's-grandfather-wrote-her-letters' during my hostel days.

Dear Aajoba, your letters are still a guiding light for me. I carry them wherever I go. You have given me the heritage of a lifetime.

I always wanted my kids to know you, to write to you. Alas..

He was a voracious reader too. He would also recommend me books, if I showed interest in what he was reading. He also loved classical singing. Every diwali he would give us money to buy gifts. I fondly remember how eagerly I looked forward to that time of the year. There are so many fond memories when he used to scold us for mischiefs. The time I met him before coming here, he was eager for my return, even before my departure. He was eager to listen to my experiences and I had said that someday he will fly to meet me. :( :(

It's co-incidence may be, that yesterday I read all his old letters to get out of a pang of homesickness. And as I re-read his letters for the n-th time today, I can feel the void forming inside me. I just wish I was there by my mom and dad's side to give them a comforting hug, an understanding pat.

I am very sad today.

~nightflier :(