Somehow, as one grows, every year adds to the number of cherished co-travellers whom one sadly outlived... Many of them younger to oneself!Some days back, a common friend had sent me a mail: "What I have to share with you is painful - Kokila is critically ill and is in the ICU for the past 15 days. There is little hope, except for a miracle...She is heading for multi organ failure and all this within a span of a fortnight. It started as high fever and before anyone knew anythign, it developed into a major crisis. "
I prayed for that miracle, which did not happen....
And now suddenly when she has left, some of those small trivial moments/occuring become significant, e.g.,..
...I have wrist-watch of more than 2-decade vintage... It was gifted to me when I left ASCI, Hyderabad, since during those years I did not buy a watch (mine had fell down from a moving train during one of the tours)... I used to just peep-in into my colleagues' cabins or ring them up to find time. The "system" worked fine, since that way I got to interact with them everyday). Kokila was a young bubbly girl who had joined us - full of enthu, warmth and energy...
When I decided to leave ASCI in '88 (though remained informally part-time with the college), Kokila told me, "now you better get a watch, and we will give it to you"... And so that's a gift which I cherish...
Today, this everyday wrist-watch suddenly became significant for me...
After leaving Hyderabad in '90, we hardly had any contact. I know she had communicated with Geeta some time in early '90s - their common interest being the gender issues...
About 3-4 years back, I was in Hyderabad, and rang her up. After so many years, I was not even sure, where to start.... in the meanwhile, she had left ASCI, had co-founded an organisation - FORDE ...Her warm, cheerful and reaching-out words still ring in my ears: "Hi rascal! Where have you been all these years?!! No news!" and we chatted for a long time...
And then today I received this news which I was fearing to receive: "Kokila Parthasarathy, just 50, passed away today after 15 days on the ventilator. Undiagnosed infection led to multi organ failure. A vibrant and ever cheerful Kokila, who was globe trotting till her sudden illness is no more. It is very hard to believe it..."
Good bye, Kokila!
3 comments:
Kokila was a great person, a good friend to me. I am so shocked! She had not been responding to my emails for quite some days. I was not getting any emails from her either. I was just wondering what has happened, is she busy, is everything alright, may be she is traveling? I did not know that she was on her way to the eternal travel. I wish I had made a phone call to her. I will always regret it! Kokila, I will miss you! May God give you peace!
Kokila was my classmate in school (St Annes , Tarnaka) and my memories of her was of a bubbly prankster. unfortunately after we left school, did not keep in touch. but fate bought us together after 30 years when she came to take an HR session at one of our training camps. when i saw the name kokila on the programme list , something in me told me that it could be the kokila i know. and low behold when i saw her in the class, i confirmed so i went up to her during the break time and the first question i asked her was is your maiden name "pant" and the answer to that was " U are Gracey" . my joy knew no bounds at meeting my classmate after some 3 decades. and yet another coincidence - her son happened to work in our Mumbai branch which again i got to know thro sheer guess - when he told me that he was from hyd - i just asked him is your moms name kokila and he was shocked how i came to know. i guess some intution somewhere. and yeserday again, usually is read the news paper in the morn , but yest i skipped cos i had something urgent to attend and was casually looking thro when kokila's face stared at me in the obituary column - and i could nto believe my eyes . i had to call up my colleage in mumbai to discetely check and they confirmed the news. I am truly shocked.... looks like we met afer a long time only to part so quickly....i will always rememember her as the bubbly girl who sat next to me in class 8 to 10th. May her soul rest in peace.
Gracey Varghese
wanakkam uncle..!!
hai..!
m aryan
u dont knw me..
but i knw u and kokila mom very well
im from a vry poor family but i always follow ur blogs
and other things as well
i knw im vry young, but i cn understand ur feelings
life is a game uncle..
dont worry uncle
u are like my dady.
al what i cn say is that..
u shld b stronge now/..
plz dont break down, i knw our life is our loved ones
this money, fame and other things are waste when compared with our loved ones, who are our life..
now u shld make kokila mom live in u/..
do all those things which she loved to..
make her live in u
love u uncle/..
im depressed too..
take care uncle
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