In his loving memory
My Fufa (my father's fufa, but I used to call him fufa too) passed away at 80. Fufa and Bua lived right above our flat on the 2nd floor, and we were very close to them, often going to each otherâs houses. You may say he saw me grow up.
Fufa was an engineer himself and shared a lot of good stories and tales which I fondly remember. Being an elder, he regularly used to call me to fix something on his phone or a new strange feature in some app, and I would rush up the stairs to the 2nd floor to help him. In return, he sometimes gave me a gift or some snacks, which I loved so much.
I canât say how sad I am right now. Bua and Fufa used to live with us here in their home for some time, and also at their sonâs place in Pune and daughterâs in the UK. But during the time they stayed here, visits were frequent and warm. They celebrated every festival here, and both our families ate and celebrated together as well. It was lovely.
He had his last birthday on 22nd May, and my mum prepared a cake for him which he loved. He then took us to a restaurant for dinner and afterwards for ice cream. I had little idea that this was going to be the last. Life is so unpredictable. Though he had some ailments and a history of medications, he was fine when they took the flight to Pune in June. I would have never imagined that it was the last time I was seeing him. He was smiling, and with his gentle, wise smile, he waved at us.
I feel he liked me a lot. He kept saying, âPadhai aur kaam sabse zaruri hai beta, isske baad sab accha hota haiâ, and I intend to follow this seriously. He gave me a wallet which I still use and will keep forever as a token of his affection. The watch I wear was also gifted by him, and now they both hold a whole new meaning altogether.
I found a lot of similarities with him. He was curious, eager to learn, and of course, a fellow engineer. It is hard to put into words the agony in my heart right now, as it feels like a huge part of my childhood and life has passed away. His face, his kind words, and his sweet voice keep coming again and again in my mind.
Iâm also very sad for Bua, and Iâm sure her children will take proper care of her. Surely, she wonât come back to live here alone, and that is understandable. But may God give her strength to get through this.
Life is very unpredictable, and you never know whatâs going to happen. So just love and live with everyone as much as you can. Never hate or use words of rage for your loved ones. I canât say how much I miss him today. Om Shanti.