A Tribute to my late Nephew Shruchet

A Tribute to my late Nephew Shruchet – that’s what I am going to talk about today. Where most people welcomed the new year with hope and fanfare, some like us have sad memories of 2021.

Shruchet was always my Shruchu Baby. He was special because he was the first of his generation on my Mom’s side. Let me clarify. He was the son of one of my favorite Annas (elder brothers) – Jayatheerth.

My sister and I have several beautiful memories with the adorable kid. (See piece.) For Mom, the little kid was her first Laadla Pota (darling grandchild).

He had always cherished the dream of making a solar car, so much so that his mail id contained the word solcar. Though his father thought that a solar powered car was not possible in the way, Shruchet had imagined; Anna always supported his son.

Shruchet breathed, thought, talked, walked solar cars and post engineering degree, waited for an opportunity to join an automobile company, rejecting offers from elsewhere.

Like every year when I called him to wish on his birthday, January 2nd , 3 years back; he informed me that someone else had already made a solar car.

But I told him not to give up his dream because it was never too late to achieve something. However, I never imagined that fate had other designs on us.

A demon called COVID-19 appeared in 2020 and people began to die. By 2021, a staggering number of people had died. Anyways, January 2021 saw not only Shruchet’s 30th birthday but also his wedding to a sweet little girl called Sukanya.

Soon, Shruchet was also diagnosed with COVID-19 but recovered and got discharged from the hospital. But we lost him on Akshay Tritiya Day in 2021.

With him, we lost one of the dreams, the hopes for a sustainable future. I am already on the verge of crying, right now. On his 31st birthday, all I can do is pen this teary note.

I pray to God to help my Anna, Bhabhi and niece, Sukanya to overcome their grief. No more words come to me. I am already crying.