RIP Satyaswarup Mohanty

Every person has a right to live. It hurts utmost and a pall of gloom descends  when like a bolt from the blue we get the news of someone's passing away. And it hurts more, if that person happens to be young and known to you. Because, like every young man and woman, they too have a dream.

I don't know Satyaswarup Mohanty personally. Never saw him, never spoke to him. We hooked up on Facebook. He constantly complimented me on my writing. Soon our interactions increased and we turned into Facebook buddies.

He was a Right Of the Center person, sometimes aligned to my points of view, sometime not. Though an ardent supporter of Modi and BJP,  he was far from a ANDHA BHAKT (Blind devotee). We had our share of differences on occasions, but it was respectful within the realms of civility, never personal.

In fact, during my last trip to India this summer, he texted me with a desire to meet me. I was immensely flattered, but my limited time on hand, prioritization, a hectic schedule and non - cooperative, snail crawling Bhubaneswar traffic prevented me from doing so. 

However, on my "to do list" before my departure I wanted to make a courtesy call to him, but the selfish me kept on procrastinating and the call never materialized. Knowing the vagaries of life, if I were a Clairvoyant and had my ways, I sure would have met him.

Reminds me of this Hindi song.

ZINDAGI SAU BARAS KI SAHI,

ZINDAGI KA BHAROSA NAHI;

CHAAND CHHOOP JAE KAB KYA PATA,

CHANDNI KA BHAROSA NAHI.

Transliterated..

Life is to live for hundred years,

But destiny is unreliable forever ;

Never know when moon goes hiding,

For Moonlight is not worth relying.

When this morning I heard the news of his passing away due to chronic ailment, something snapped inside me. As I finish writing my obituary and regretting my inadvertent ignoring him, not being able to meet him one last time, I can feel the blurriness of eyelids. The haziness is due to the corner of my eyes moistened enough to take off my eye getting glasses. My reflex action used bare fingers as wipers to wipe the tears off.

Stay happy amongst Angels in heaven my dear friend, where you rightly belong.