In Baba's Memory - July, 2008

It was June 6, 2008, a normal Friday evening. I returned from work and the scene was not too different from any other day. My son Shaurya was as usual up to his regular masti, and aie was busy in the kitchen. Baba was sitting with an LIC agent finalising some new schemes. Conveniently ignoring the LIC agent I was heading towards my bedroom when baba called me. He immediately asked me to sit with him and told the agent to hand over all my policies to me and said now you take responsibility of all your policies, and start keeping a track of everything, I don’t want to do this for both (Gunjarav and myself) of you now on, please be responsible and take over. He also mentioned a new policy that he had himself bought for Shaurya and very proudly he said, “Ten years later when this policy matures, tell Shaurya that his ‘ajoba’ had kept this money for him.” Shunting off this comment I said, “Baba its only ten years na, you only hand over this money to him then.” Without wasting a minute he replied, “dahaa varsha koni baghitli aahet, tu pahilya responsibility ghe, nantar cha mag pudhe baghu.” All this discussion just two days before that disastrous day, was this some kind of a premonition or a result of his style of working and planning everything very systematically?
There was a lot worth learning from baba. I have never seen anyone managing time better than the way he would. Forever juggling between his shootings, theatre, official and social (Prabhu Tarun) commitments, he was the busiest amongst all at home. Still if there was no fish for dinner or no mangoes at home during the season, we would all point our fingers to him. His participation in all household chores was so strong that in the middle of his rehearsals he would call home and check if the plumber or electrician has come. Even if aie and I are planning a visit to the supermarket, he would call to check if everything is happening as per schedule. There would never be a day I’m sure when aie, Gunjar or my cell phone did not have his number in the answered calls list. His ability to think of some other work while he is doing another, and managing both the tasks so efficiently was brilliant! In fact till date I have never been able to figure our when he would squeeze in time to write his monthly editorials for Prabhu Tarun.
His shooting schedule for the daily soap on Zee Marathi, Avghachi Savnsaar would keep him very busy. As we all know, he got a lot of recognition after this serial. He became a household name in all the marathi homes. Not only his talent was recognised but his popularity as Mohite Guruji or Asavari’s baba had increased so much that people would stop him in malls, and different places for a quick photograph with Mohite guruji. Our last trip together was to Alibaug, the kind of respect he got from people in Alibaug was commendable! We all got special treatment because of his celebrity status. Even in Mumbai he had gained a lot of popularity. I remember one funny incident, he and I had gone to one of the banks for some work. We both were busy with the officer there, that suddenly I noticed from one corner, there were these ladies peeping one after the other to take a quick glance at the celebrity with me. Every time I would look at them they would hide behind. Baba was completely oblivious to what was happening behind him. But I was completely distracted by these ladies. When baba noticed that I was not following his instructions he looked at me and then turned around to see where my attention was. As soon as he looked at these ladies, they got so excited that they just couldn’t control their happiness they all just ran away as if they had seen Hrithik Roshan! He went and met all his fans later. Very proudly he told me see how popular your father in law is, now go home and tell everyone this incident! Very obediently I told everyone “you know who had come to the bank today? – Hrithik Roshan!”
Last year March, baba had to under go a bypass surgery, much against his wishes. He being so fond of food, the toughest part for him after the surgery was to maintain a strict diet. The only time both of us must have ever argued was this whole of last year that also only on one point that is his diet. I would constantly pester him to control his oil intake. His favourite snack items were chicken pattice, chicken rolls, samosas, burgers, bhajis, etc. which he would buy on his way back home. And on days when he wanted to pretend that he was very diet conscious he would bring home sandwiches and ask me, now I hope there is no problem in eating a sandwich. On Mondays he would insist on getting sev puri for evening snacks, and I would insist that he eats Sukhi bhel. Then like a kid he used to say “but I don’t like eating sukhi bhel!” Off late I had gone on a diet spree, so he would specially get water melons for me, and would also accompany me to eat them. He had found a new mantra for keeping fit, he would eat only watermelon and soup for dinner, and would say that now we should not complain about his diet. After his bypass surgery he had developed a special liking towards Red Wine, whenever he felt like having a glass of wine he would offer all of us also, so that we were all, his partners in crime!
This January 2008, we celebrated our third wedding anniversary. Three years back like any other girl I began a new life in a new family. All girls are very apprehensive of this new journey after marriage, and so was I. But aie and baba have been instrumental in making this journey a very pleasant and enjoyable one for me. I knew baba even before marriage but some of his attributes came at the forefront in the last three years of my experience with him. He did everything possible to make me feel comfortable at home immediately after marriage. I was so surprised seeing how emotional a person he was. A very witty and sensitive person, he would always keep the house alive with his funny comments and constant advice and sometimes complains. Even if he was not home, he would constantly call to keep a check on all of us. I spent three years of my married life as his daughter, I feel sad that three years is all I had with him as his daughter.
But I feel worse when I think of Shaurya, that one and a half year is all he got to experience his ajoba’s caring and loving shelter. Talking about their relationship, well we all know that grandparents bring special warmth in any child’s life. And Shaurya’s grandparents are no different. Although baba would hardly get time to spend with him, whatever time he would be at home, he would spend it with him, actually out of no choice, as Shaurya would force his attention. They had their own regular sessions together, whether in the morning when I would leave for work, or at night when it was baba’s time to eat his regular dose of tablets, Shaurya would stubbornly ask him to give all the tablets in his hand, and then he would give each tablet to ajoba to eat. I would always grumble that baba doesn’t scold him and he pampers him a lot, but baba would never pay any heed to my nagging. Shaurya is in fact a very big fan of all his commercials, even today he loves watching ajoba eating a pizza and drinking tea in the commercials, and his hot favourite is ajoba’s serial’s title track! Baba was gifted a decorative piece that had a saying which he was very fond of, and very proudly displayed it in our home. The saying read-“Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things” Shaurya will surely miss his ajoba in his growing years!
Well ever since baba passed away, we have received innumerable letters from so many friends, relatives and our well wishers extending their support and condolences. Many distinguished names from the entertainment industry also wrote about him in marathi news papers. I take this opportunity to thank every one who has expressed their support in our grief, it means a lot to all of us. Piyush Pandey, a very big name in the advertising industry quoted in a renowned advertising magazine called Campaign India a few words of appreciation about baba. He said, “The world of acting has lost a phenomenon.” Baba would have been so proud to know. Yes indeed the world of acting has lost a phenomenon, but what all of us have lost can’t be expressed enough in words