Come to think of it, Ankik was there at the time. I must have even seen him face to face and briefly interacted with him while meeting the guys (though I have no specific recollection of him!) He must have been present for the dinner and the entertainment program that followed. Separated by over three decades and 2000 km, our lives briefly intersected for a few moments.

And now this!!!

It’s such uncertainties that make life precious and friendship truly valuable.

GFH.
ME/1976
PHR (C-107, C-117, D-220, B-306)

I have already put down my comments on the FB Patel Hall group site and so don’t want to repeat it all over again. I have a couple of observations I would like to share:

Sharing messages in memoriam, video clips and any other bits and pieces of memorabilia which will keep on coming up for a while, with his parents periodically. I can’t even begin to imagine their profound loss and the depth of their grief and shock at having lost not only Ankik but his sister and their daughter also at the same time as a result of this ghastly incident. While nothing anyone can do would mitigate to any great extent their profound grief and sense of loss, the fact that many who knew Ankik personally and many who didn’t, from his alma mater, care enough to recall him and their memories of him, would, I imagine, be comforting to them.

Getting the Institute involved as well, in any scholarship / trophy / award which may be planned to be instituted in his name. It is necessary that the IIT and Patel Hall administrations, together with the alumni, show that they care for an ex-IITian and a Patel Hall alumni and someone who was such a good all-rounder during his period at the Institute. IIT KGP is not a fund constrained organization in any way. For the sake of Ankik, his family, alumni and all present students of IIT KGP it is vital for the administration and the Board of Governors to demonstrate that they care.

Its true that the loss can’t be undone in any way and neither can’t it expressed completely through any form of words, but we just hope that if he is there in some different world, looking at this, he would be happy to know that there are people in this world who cared so much for him, whose number is far more than those who plotted to take him away from us.

And whatever world that he is in, I am sure that world is much much better and happier than this was for him. Hope he manages to take care of his little sister there and manages to “live” happily, just as he did here, until that unpropitious moment.

Thanks for your thoughts. Really heart rending to read how death’s jaws have snatched away a life so tender. It’s so ironic that the song he chose to sing at his farewell was ‘Kal ho na ho’. Prophetic! At a time such as this my comfort comes only from God and I pray the same for you and all who mourn. I’m reminded of the lyrics of a song,

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand!

Finney

Thanks for sharing your feelings. I didn’t know Ankik personally but being a Patelian myself I’m feeling a great loss at his death. May his soul rest in peace. It’s impossible to find words of comfort but my heart goes out to his bereaved parents.