Weird, Sceptic, Critic, Inquisitive, No-nonsense, Called spade a spade, To your face, Dutiful, Tarak-mehta fan, liked being alone, maintaned relations but not too involved, very few friends, loved aai, adored you. Seems a lot like I am talking about myself. But, I am talking about a person who was like a Sun amongst Kelekars. He stood alone, but shone the brightest. The heat was unbearable for some and gave warmth to some others. He was my favourite Kelekar. I called him Kaks, your aai called him Kaka, Bhai to Mah-aaji and aajoba, and Bhai-aajoba to your Kelekar cousins. Unfortunately, you were not able to call him with the word i wanted you to address him with - KAKOJA.
I dont exactly remember our first interaction, but I took an immediate liking to him because he was 'not fake'. He was a bit weird like his brother having similar traits - discipline, OCD habits, clock-watcher, train-travels, stubborn to a fault. He was special to me as his residence in Dahisar was the first thing that brought your Aai and me closer during our initial pre-marriage chat. And he became more special when his unfortunate illness landed him in the hospital and by this time u must have realized that once a close one lands up in hospital, i suddenly lose my clarke kent look and fly away in a red cape. Aai fell in love with that and the rest is history. (There is a shev puri story here, but u need to ask your aai about it)
Kaka stayed in Gomant nagar, dahisar west. That made him a regular co-passenger in our car during our return journey from Vagdevi. Being close to our home, he occasionally visited us. Before your birth, it was to learn about operating a smartphone and later, he came to watch you play. Smartphone was his life. He had hundreds of questions and aai had the patience to answer all of them. Watching Tipre or Tarak (only for 30 minutes), listening to songs (only 10 at a time) and playing carrom. Doing these 3 things on his phone made him love his phone. But the marketing calls, the marketing and bank sms, notifications and lot of forwards on whattsapp pissed him off.
He had a special relation with aai. People called your aai his 'poski'. Teaching her, pinching her (janghol), guiding her to topping school exams, giving her extra pocket money, calling her on exact time on fixed time like clockwork when she was in Milwaukee. She was the link between him and other Kelekars. She understood him better than others and he respected her word more than others'. He had broken his rules for her and attended an evening party at our house. Just for her sake, he came all the way to China gate where we celebrated his 75th birthday. And just for his Poski, he visited you in the hospital when you were born, which he had done for no other grandchildren of his.
He had a special relationship with you as well. From staying at a distance initially, to coming closer and then to holding you took a long time. But, then as you two became comfortable with each other, he played with you for hours. He was always on the watch, lest you fall from the sofa, sometimes irking Aai. You were quite fond of him too and the last 5 months of togethernesss made the bond much stronger.
The last 5 months..... Covid lockdown was announced by the government with strict regulations and i decided that kaka should not stay alone. I discussed with aai. She talked with him and in the next hour, i was at his doorstep to bring him to our place. I never had thought the ride on my scooter with him and his bag will end up in another ride in an ambulance in next few months. His home was his soulmate for last few decades and he must have left it hoping it to be a matter of a few days or weeks. Those downtrodden walls never saw him back.
After a little hesitance initially, he tried to blend in, became a part of our daily routine. He was there awake to say you good morning when you woke up and made it a point to say good night when aai took you to your bed. He played various games with you with the ball and toys.He cared for you, rather was quite afraid that you will fall from the edge of the sofa. He was of immense help to aai to look after you, since rohini mavshi was not coming during the covid times. He had started humming your jingle toons songs and the song 'shubham karoti' will always bring back his memories. You may never recollect the old, thin, toothless image of your Kakoja wearing that blue lungi and white sadra, but trust me, wherever he is, he will never forget those little hands and little legs which gave him joy of a lifetime in just 5 months.
For your aai, it was a devastating loss, taking a toll on her physical and emotional health. Crying did not stop for days together and still happens occasionally. (Every chance she cried when she read this blog for the first time). She blamed herself for his death. Every small thing reminded her of him. Things went from bad to worse and she had to take the help of a psychologist.
You know i dont cry when someone dies. Bringing kaka to our place was my decision. I never treated him like a guest. Those 5 months, he was like a father to me. I took care of his breakfast, his lunch, his evening snack and his dinner. His medicines, his biscuits, his chocolates, his occasional craving for sweets. We had even booked a ground floor flat on rent for him to shift close to us forever. I did everything i could to keep him happy..... till i became the carrier of his death.
5 months he was locked in our house with us. It was his first experience of a family, a belonging, affection in decades. He never complained, He never gave us any trouble. He was emotionally strong till his brother-in-law's death took a toll on his health. But, he recuperated from it and was coming back to normalcy. And then covid struck us. I wish i had not got him tested. I wish i had not admitted him in the hospital. I wish i had done something to save from the torture of those IV, injections, medicines and ventilators. I wish i was there by his bedside when he was going through all this. I wish a man who led a lonely life, did not die a lonely death.
I wish i had not brought him home on my scooter that day.
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