Pradeep

How do I  introduce  Pradeep to all  of you? I  really  got to think, so  that I can do  that without getting emotional.

Pradeep is a tall, sinewy gentleman brimming with positive spirit, so full of chivalry and etiquette.  If you have served the Indian Army, you would learn it automatically, I guess.  Ah, and he always wears a cap.

I got to meet him sometime around 2015 in our walking track that I frequent and the friendly person he is, waved a big hi loudly, with a broad smile.  I liked him instantly.

I don’t remember how we got speaking, but many of the days this man’s “Hi Ms. Vincy“ got me going an entire day, presumably.  I always wish him back saying "Hi Pradeep" ( the only name I remember from the people on the track other than Susan, my friend)  with a smile from my soul, which I reserve for only special people.

Our walk timings were different and Pradeep always jogs and so, on most days we crossed each other, but on few days, I would hear the cheerful greeting coming in from behind and passing me – perhaps Pradeep was late those days. I have seen Pradeep cycling upto the track and he carries a little backpack.

I remember this very clearly – A Monday in November 2016, I had a particularly bad weekend, 7^th of November, I reached the walking track, gloomy and dejected wondering how I was going manage my own company.  I heard a voice asking me, can I walk with you today, Ms. Vincy?  I found that invite god sent. Pradeep, it was, and the only time we walked together.

He told me lot of stuff that day, we shared details about our families, he spoke about spirituality, our faith and how the spirit had led him all through his life and yes about stuff like Machine Learning that he is interested in.  And in the passing he also told me he was a grade IV cancer survivor having gone through multiple surgeries and is on extreme medication.  But he said that so positively, that I didn’t dare ask him anything more about his ailment – he didn’t look like he was ailing.   I thanked Pradeep profusely  for lifting my spirits up on that particularly bad morning.

Pradeep became an instant motivator for me.  When my spirits were down, all I had to do was to think of Pradeep and my positivity jumped several notches up. 

One of the days, out of the blue, he checked if he can mentor my son.  I couldn’t believe he was offering a help without being asked.  Pradeep was head of Training at Blue Dart Aviation, after his stint in army, and told me he was already mentoring some youngsters.  Unbelievably Pradeep called Dennu the very day I sent the contact, not only did he mentor him, he got him an amazing internship Project, at Blue dart Aviation attached to the Chennai airport and Dennu found it so interesting that he was totally excited.  He was part of the complete check of Blue Dart Boeing 757 as part of his internship.  An enormous favour I was not probably entitled to, really. 

J wanted to meet Pradeep  and one day during January this year, we finally met up - J and I, Pradeep and Anita ( Pradeep’s wife), and made plans to meet up for dinner sometime when J comes down from Cochin.

Pradeep’s trips to the walking track was getting less frequent and I stayed in touch with him once in a while through messages, but realised the ailment was playing havoc with his life.  He preferred landlines and specific timings and I was more worried about being a bother whenever I wanted to call him.

In the month of May, on one of my regular walk back, a fellow walker, who has hardly spoken to me, stopped me and said, Your friend from the airport, he passed away.  I couldn’t comprehend who he was speaking about, and kept looking at him.  He said Madam, he is the only one who you speak to in the walking track, and then it suddenly struck me.  PRADEEP.  God.

Anita, Pradeep’s wife, called Dennu a couple of days later and told him about his demise and how both of them used to pray for the youngsters that Pradeep used to mentor. That was so touching.  I spoke to Anita too, and she was so full of composure and told me they were expecting this and were prepared. Apparently during his last few days, he was on palliative care at Military hospital, Chennai. He was taken to Bangalore the same day he passed away and his Funeral was there.

Does God take away the real good ones early?

Every now and then in the walking track, when I see a tall guy around the corner, I wonder if it is Pradeep. Then I realise he is no more.

As I am writing this, I am wondering if this has something to do with me changing my walking track to St. Thomas Mount.

Post Script :

Miss you deeply Pradeep.  You Rest in Peace.