Neeraj Gupta

Energetic, Lover of life, Ultimate Food lover, People person, Giver, Fearless, Strong, Heart with enough love for all, One with a contagious smile, Always trusting and caring, Valiant fighter .... - so very many ways to describe you. But I was lucky to have just a simple way to describe you - my bhai! I am so proud to have had you as my brother.

I have so many great memories of us together. I really wish that our time together was not as short. I was looking forward to us growing old together, to you being Niva's friend and telling me someday about her boyfriends. But I guess I will simply cherish what we did do together and hope that they last me rest of my life.

I wished and prayed that your God take me instead of you, for you still had so much to do and give. But alas, that did not happen. You are perhaps on your next journey. I then wished to be with you so that you were not alone. But I know now that you are not alone. You are likely with your God and hopefully he is taking great care of you.

Come talk to me someday, dear bhai, for I miss you a ton. Please be around me so I can feel you, feel your love. You know that I have always loved you the most, more than anyone else, ever. You have been, and always will be, my #1. 

जियंगे मगर मुस्कुरा न सकेंगे
हमारी ज़िंदगी में अब तुम नहीं हो !
लबों पे तराने अब आ न सकें गे
हमारी जिंदगी में अब तुम नहीं हो !

बहारें जब चमन में आया करेंगी
नज़ारों की महफ़िल जमाया करेंगी !
नज़ारे भी हम को हँसा न सकेंगे
हमारी ज़िंदगी में अब तुम नहीं हो !



 

Forgive my grief for one removed

Thy creature, whom I found so fair

I trust he lives in thee, and there

 I find him worthier to be loved.

The first times I read those words from the poem “Strong Son of God Immortal Love” by Lord Tennyson, I was too young to fathom its meaning. Neeraj’s sudden end bought these words back to my mind.

From the first time I met Neeraj on the lawns of Delhi golf club about 15 years ago, I was drawn to him. As we kept chatting that evening , in less than 30 minutes I knew I had made a friend for life. Anu used to tell me that she really liked this guy and I would just give her that knowing smile.  After meeting him I knew why.

Early in their marriage, they would drop in on the way to one of their escapades. Neeraj would tell me “Maine Ruby to force kiya hai chutti lene ke liye! Aaj office bunk karke poora din who mujhe dene wali hai.” I asked him once “ Arre phir tum edhar kya kar rahe ho!”, to which he replied with his twinkling eyes ” Tum logo ke yaad aa rahe the, so aa gaye.” He did everything from his heart. Whether it be his love for friends or sweets. I have never seen any other soul starting his dinner with a plate full of desserts!

As years rolled by, all of us got busy with the routine of life and work. We kept making programs to meet, some materialised some did not. But Neeraj, would always make it a point to stay in touch. People were his lifeline and he never hesitated taking that extra effort to meet his friends. Imagine, on one New Year eve party, we wound up at around 2.00 in the morning. As we were saying our bye’s Anu mentioned that Neeraj had to go to the Ashram the next morning at 5.00 am. He was to drive down to Panipat all by himself! That was Neeraj taking all the extra effort and not mentioning it even once. There I was cribbing about the next day being a working day. He did teach me the way to live that night. Even in my wildest dreams, I would not have imagined that those pics would be a part of his memorial page.

Neeraj we will remember you and miss you always. We can only find some solace in the fact that up there you would have won over many more hearts! Till we meet again.

Dear Neeraj,

On this 13th day of your journey to heavens, we pray to that  Almighty again and again that you may rest in peace where ever you are. There was not a moment all these days when we did not miss you.

Keep in touch in a way best known to you.
tons of love

Neeraj, is he really gone? Was he a child, a young man or an old guy? All of them indeed!He had the playfulness of a child, the diligence and application of a youth and the understanding and insight of age.

It seems only the other day when he came to our family as a ‘doolah’. At that time we saw in him only a healthy, debonair, handsome young man. With passage of time we saw lots of other qualities of head and heart. He was so loving, so considerate and so understanding.

Over the last one year when my wife was so very unwell and suddenly Neeraj’s disease was discovered, we wanted to go and see him but ignoring his own illness he insisted that with my wife’s condition we should not go and he would, instead, come to see us. And so he did along with dear Ruby.

Oh what a man! How can he be gone? A lively person like Neeraj just cannot go so young; you live and will ever live in our memories and our hearts.