Another Year Begins

A leap year I am told.





The last year ended on a very dark note - losing an old jewel among my friends, suddenly and without any apparent reason, except a one in a thousandth case of cardio surgery complications, at one of the best equipped and manned Heart Care centres in Delhi. The combined prayers and efforts of the best Cardiovascular surgeons in town over several tortous hours failed to check the cruel hand of fate .


The grief stricken faces of Ranjana, Suman, Pikku and the Saikia brothers known to me for over 40 years was too much to bear and I left the hospital, desolate, around midnight. I knew that the battle was over, and the last minute efforts of the AIIMS team which went into the Escorts OT were highly unlikely to succeed.


When Gokul confirmed at 0430 hrs on the cell phone that Ashok ( Roon to family) was no more. Oh No was my reaction in disbelief, though I knew that it was inevitable when I had slept. That is the philosophy of miracles not happening!





Did not quite feel upto leaving for the airport with the kids for the brief get away at Goa planned months in advance. I had anticipated the family taking ashok to Titabar in Assam for the last rites which I was informed was being done. Embalming at AIIMS and the entire family alongwith the remains leaving for Guwahati by the 4 PM flt. Moon the brother immediately after Roon ( based in Jorhat Assam)had already in the morning via Calcutta to make advance preparations.



It was over. Only the formalities involving the family remained to be carried out. The gettogether of three generation cutting across contents involving six cuples and children would have turned sour if I dropped out at the last minute. his would not be fair I thought. So I went to the airport.



Shailey and I were in Goa after nearly eight years. Despite the steep rise in the volume and density of the autos on the roads, we were not disappointed. Met up the few old friends from the early seventies when I spent three years there, as SP Goa , Daman and Diu. The landscape was as charming and the air as balmy as before. The pace of life suddenly slows down as one drives out of the Dabolim( Goa) airport in the port town of Vasco.



The one big change was the bridge over the Zuari river. Earlier, there was only the two ferry boats which took across four cars at a time in the opposite directions.



The Sun and Sand hotel overlooking the Mandovi ( the other great river estuary on which Goa is located) in Panjim is an architectual beauty . It appears tht the five storied hotel has been woven around the old trees on the hill top. A nice and cozy place with the proverbial Goan friendly and hospitable service.



Funkiet Martins and Dr Antonio Valadares our old friends had both gone out of their way as usual to arrange every evening entertainment for the nearly fourteen strong family which had congregated in Goa to spend three nights together. We met up with Funkiet and Antonio's families at different places including the fabulous house of Sadiq, Funkiet's brother-in law married to Gidda, Nanda's ( Funkiet's wife) sister overlooking the Arabian Sea at Donna Paula, a picturesque land mark of Goa close to Panjim town.

Except for our 1 year old granddaughter Antara's stomach infection and six months old Akshay (my late brother's grandson) alo being similarly infected just before our departure at Dabolim, the Goa trip was enjoyable and tranquil with a lot of good goan sea-food, wine, drinks and live music by Goan musical Groups.



Goa was nice and warm but Delhi was feezing when we landed at Palam on Second Jan evening. Delhi was in the grip of a severe cold wave withtemperatures 5 degrees below normal.





The family and close friends dinner do at home last night was well attended with almost all turning up. Shailey had as susual put together a lot of good food while the Boys and I kept the best drinks flowing. All 40 + had a good time with the kids spilling into the bedrooms and the Study.



More in my next Blog for the family with some stuff on my favourite subject Gardening.

Wishing all a happy and healthy 2008