As I completed my twelfth standard in Science, I was adamant not to do what everyone was doing. This was 19 years back, when still Medical and Engineering were the only well accepted streams of advanced study. I didnt get through the colleges I was looking for, and so applied for BSc. Psychology. I was really attracted to this subject and had an intuition that I would do well there. In the mean time I wrote an entrance for BBA ( Bachelors in Business Administration), a first time course in University of Kerala. I faired pretty well and got through.
I weighed the two options and thought the BBA would definitely get me a job faster than a BSc degree. But I decided to check out the course first before I gave up my seat of Bsc. The course being a start up had a lot of infrastructure issues, but one of the first professors who walked into our class of 60 was Saji Sir. He treated us like a post graduate class and in the first week itself we were filled with interactive exercises, group discussions and challenges which were so out of the box, that  I gave up by BSc seat and decided my future then .
Saji Sir, was a thin framed, highly energetic individual who was contagiously positive and brimming with ideas and things to do. He was teaching us for a semester and frankly I remember most of what he made us go through in that one semester than any other professor/ teacher ever in my life. His big eyes would swell up with excitement when any one of us stepped up to his expectations. Having received that once, you always wanted to be there. Its no wonder that he has done so well for himself and taught over 8000 students all over the world. It was 'reciprocate' first for both of us. He was our first under grad teacher and we his first students.
Life moves on and so did we. Now after 20 years we decide to meet and some enthusiastic group members have planned a get together in this coming Dec 2014. I too agreed to go and also heard that Saji Sir would try to be there. I thought of how nice it would be to get in touch with him again and show our gratitude for having moulded us at a very important stage of our lives.
Our group came alive after we formed a whats app group and in whatever small form it helps us all keep in touch with one another. On 23rd of June, as any mundane day would be, we all were going through our chores when  we hear the news of Saji Sir passing away... I skipped a heart beat..
He probably was a maximum of 10 years older than us and was no age to be taken away from life. It was a shock gripped day and continues to haunt me even now. Now we get to know that it was cancer that took him away...
This is the second death this year of close people I know who had died due to cancer. My aunt passed away in April and now Saji Sir. We do not know the reason of this deadly disease and I sincerely hope with all the advancement in science someone is able to help find the answer to combat this disease.
In another way I feel I am connected to this disease because of the business line that I have chosen. My company O!Bhaji caters to organic food; which is chemical free produce. Chemical based vegetables and fruits which one buys easily, have found to be cancerous to a high extent. Though I may not make it very big financially in this business seeing how unorganized the whole sector is, my determination to spread awarness has now increased multifold.
We are all here with  number of days pre-detemined. With every breath we are going closer to that day.  But within those days, why not do something right? Why not be the change?

Saji Sir is no more and the loss is un-repairable. But the teachings the guidance the support has brought that batch of 60 of us to some level that we are all proud of. The remaining days that we are destined to live on this world, lets put all that we have on the plate every day and live life to the fullest. Make the right  choices, dont take things too seriously and look ahead with the brim of excitement everyday !

 

Comments

  1. Beautifully written Shubha......if only we could have told this to him.....if only we could have met him.
    Saji sir, may your soul be at peace...you will continue being in our thoughts...

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  2. Shubha, you just took me back to our special BBA class. Saji Sir, we really were looking forward to meet you this December. Never imagined fate could have such shocking plans. Shubha, thank you for the this wonderful piece of writing. Saji Sir, thank you for instilling little of you in every one of us. Tears, Love and Respect. Always.

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