The new year came.. yes 2013 which we all thought will never see.. but we all did, it came with new hopes aspirations ..encouragement to start afresh , most of us welcomed it with a feeling of new opportunities , with an ever shining light of hope to accomplish and fulfill whatever was left incomplete in the previous year.
I don't know for many but, for some it didn't start with that much a bang!... the previous year made many decisions already which very well determined and predicted the future which was like pretty obvious , my sister decided finally to leave Mumbai and go back home.. something which she never wanted to do but had to, the situations forced her to... apart form that, the never ending misunderstanding with my sisters friend, who also was our roommate. didn't seem to get fine and it was like a cold was thingy which kept on and on and on..but that's not that big and issue because its pretty ok , things happen they go bad but you cant just help it so many times..
so this was like a very very petty part of the bad start which wasn't even bad actually but then its bad for the ones who go through it. all this while the fights and arguments with my friend were also on simultaneously ..
then on January 10th ... another usual day in my 2013 birthday calender, as always i left home took a jam packed train and was on my way to work, just then my cellphone screen flashed the name of "Srinivas".. one of my college juniors and a very good friend, i was more then happy to his call that morning .. and i answered to the call with a very enthusiastic "hello?".. he didn't sound very happy or even normal.. i asked him what was the matter? was everything ok?.. i thought it was the final year and he must be tensed about the placements and other shitty stuff that we have to go through during our final year, his reply was" ma'am, kuch theek nahi hai".. to which i mockingly asked" arey kya hua tujhe".. and that's when he asked me.." aapko rahul sir ka pata chala?" i was surprised confused and curious to know what he actually wanted to say?.. with utter curiosity i asked him " what about rahul sir?"
and that's when i got the worst news and the shock of my life..." unki death ho gayi maam"...
i just paused and remained absolutely silent for a moment , confused as to what to say.. i told him had he lost his mind or something?? i spoke to sir the previous day and it was absolutely impossible that such a thing could happen, its was JUST NOT POSSIBLE!!... at that second i felt like i was in a box full of vacuum,
i couldn't express i coudnt understand what i had just heard , my heat was thumping tremendously.. there were so many people around me in the train, all happy laughing, fighting talking chit chatting, nobody could even understand what i had just gone through and what i was feeling at that moment , i tried hard to hold back my tears.. but they were just not in my control, that instant i just wanted to jump off the train i just wanted a phone call or something that could tell me that what i heard was all a fake new a confusion a misunderstanding anything.
i couldn't believe that, rahul sir.. my teacher, my friend, my inspiration , my cheer leader, my business partner, my god father... had left me..had left all of us....for ever..something that neither i nor anyone could ever change, a truth that we will leave with for the rest of our lives.
rahul sir.. it may seem a very ordinary name in fact a very common one, to everyone who will read this, but this name becomes very special when "nalla" is added to it" Rahul Nalla".. yes thats the complete name .. my senior in college, whom i never knew till i came to second year, i wont say he was a gem of a person, a very different one, always used to help others blah blah... because this is just too less to describe him.
i still remember that day absolutely clearly.. when i gave my first garment construction exam, and as i was deplorable with pattern making and stitching, i screwd up BIG TIME!! gosh!! i had cried copiously that day, with full belief that i will flunk, my world had ended there and then, that;s when, "an angel in black" (ya that's what he should be called as, because his favorite color was black.) held my hand, and guided me through a journey which i would have never been able to even commence properly alone.
"Sirrrrrrrrrr..( scooter style).. please tell me this pattern, how will i pass? how am i going to stitch? i will surely flunk.." this is what i always used to pester him with, 24x7, but the only response i always got was a very silent warm smile" tu kar lega bachcha, pata hai mujhe.. tujhe sab ata hai".. those words which never let me falter, the trust in those sentences gave me so much courage and strength that.. some one like me who couldn't even stitch properly once upon a time, got the compliment in the jury for the best stitching so far they had seen that day.. it was like unbelievable for me.. sir it was you, who helped me all the way through, i can't mention any particular module of mine in which you helped, because there were none in which you didn't , i don't believe you are no more, its not possible :) all the garments i stitched with your help all the knowledge you gave me and the rest of us, can never die can never go away....
Sir, seems like you had come just to help me pass from college.. i just can't imagine what i would have done if you had not come in my life?.. i was absolutely zero when it came to such weird subjects like PM GC, but yes your faith in me and yours trust in me that i can do it and i will.. your words which you always used to say when you were about to pass out " that dont worry i will make you strong enough before i leave, so that you can handle things on your own",, they still linger in my head, i am strong sir i can do things on my own now, but i need you to guide me still.. at every step :(... you wanted to make me strong, but how will i ever be strong without you??? even after i started working, you used to be the only person i called and informed about how i sorted the pattern issue or anything technical, it was like a very big achievement for me sir, :(
when the whole world deserted me, when i went through a very rough phase in college, there was no one, only you were there who stood with me and never let me shatter.. all the times when i used to dine alone at the balaji restaurant, it was you who gave me a call and asked" khana kahaya"? and with a very sulky accent i used to reply " haan sir kha rhi hu".. and thats when you used to appear all of a sudden and order dal khichdi for yourself.. :) even if i left a single morsel in my plate, you used to get so annoyed," dont waste food!! finish it!!.. those words used to scare me and also made me feel guilty for a moment.. and i used to stuff my tummy with every last grain.
That day when you suddenly gave me a call when i was at my home, that you were coming to give me a visit.. i was so over whelmed ... there is actually too much to tell i don't think i will even be able to put it in words.. During Design collection days it was just you who was always worried about our work and wished that we all put up a great show... as you were passing out i had decided that very day that now i will have to come to bangalore delhi or wherever youll go to ask patterns, infact all of us had decided..
you came all the way from delhi just to watch our show :) to see your kids grow and come out with flying colors..
sir, whereever you are i know.. i will again meet you soon, many things will be different but i know i will recognise you .... your principles and your teachings will never ever go forgotten, and i know you are reading this.. you wanted me to write about you one day .. :( miss you heaps sir....
your bhootni ( a name you loved to call me with)..
I don't know for many but, for some it didn't start with that much a bang!... the previous year made many decisions already which very well determined and predicted the future which was like pretty obvious , my sister decided finally to leave Mumbai and go back home.. something which she never wanted to do but had to, the situations forced her to... apart form that, the never ending misunderstanding with my sisters friend, who also was our roommate. didn't seem to get fine and it was like a cold was thingy which kept on and on and on..but that's not that big and issue because its pretty ok , things happen they go bad but you cant just help it so many times..
so this was like a very very petty part of the bad start which wasn't even bad actually but then its bad for the ones who go through it. all this while the fights and arguments with my friend were also on simultaneously ..
then on January 10th ... another usual day in my 2013 birthday calender, as always i left home took a jam packed train and was on my way to work, just then my cellphone screen flashed the name of "Srinivas".. one of my college juniors and a very good friend, i was more then happy to his call that morning .. and i answered to the call with a very enthusiastic "hello?".. he didn't sound very happy or even normal.. i asked him what was the matter? was everything ok?.. i thought it was the final year and he must be tensed about the placements and other shitty stuff that we have to go through during our final year, his reply was" ma'am, kuch theek nahi hai".. to which i mockingly asked" arey kya hua tujhe".. and that's when he asked me.." aapko rahul sir ka pata chala?" i was surprised confused and curious to know what he actually wanted to say?.. with utter curiosity i asked him " what about rahul sir?"
and that's when i got the worst news and the shock of my life..." unki death ho gayi maam"...
i just paused and remained absolutely silent for a moment , confused as to what to say.. i told him had he lost his mind or something?? i spoke to sir the previous day and it was absolutely impossible that such a thing could happen, its was JUST NOT POSSIBLE!!... at that second i felt like i was in a box full of vacuum,
i couldn't express i coudnt understand what i had just heard , my heat was thumping tremendously.. there were so many people around me in the train, all happy laughing, fighting talking chit chatting, nobody could even understand what i had just gone through and what i was feeling at that moment , i tried hard to hold back my tears.. but they were just not in my control, that instant i just wanted to jump off the train i just wanted a phone call or something that could tell me that what i heard was all a fake new a confusion a misunderstanding anything.
i couldn't believe that, rahul sir.. my teacher, my friend, my inspiration , my cheer leader, my business partner, my god father... had left me..had left all of us....for ever..something that neither i nor anyone could ever change, a truth that we will leave with for the rest of our lives.
rahul sir.. it may seem a very ordinary name in fact a very common one, to everyone who will read this, but this name becomes very special when "nalla" is added to it" Rahul Nalla".. yes thats the complete name .. my senior in college, whom i never knew till i came to second year, i wont say he was a gem of a person, a very different one, always used to help others blah blah... because this is just too less to describe him.
i still remember that day absolutely clearly.. when i gave my first garment construction exam, and as i was deplorable with pattern making and stitching, i screwd up BIG TIME!! gosh!! i had cried copiously that day, with full belief that i will flunk, my world had ended there and then, that;s when, "an angel in black" (ya that's what he should be called as, because his favorite color was black.) held my hand, and guided me through a journey which i would have never been able to even commence properly alone.
"Sirrrrrrrrrr..( scooter style).. please tell me this pattern, how will i pass? how am i going to stitch? i will surely flunk.." this is what i always used to pester him with, 24x7, but the only response i always got was a very silent warm smile" tu kar lega bachcha, pata hai mujhe.. tujhe sab ata hai".. those words which never let me falter, the trust in those sentences gave me so much courage and strength that.. some one like me who couldn't even stitch properly once upon a time, got the compliment in the jury for the best stitching so far they had seen that day.. it was like unbelievable for me.. sir it was you, who helped me all the way through, i can't mention any particular module of mine in which you helped, because there were none in which you didn't , i don't believe you are no more, its not possible :) all the garments i stitched with your help all the knowledge you gave me and the rest of us, can never die can never go away....
Sir, seems like you had come just to help me pass from college.. i just can't imagine what i would have done if you had not come in my life?.. i was absolutely zero when it came to such weird subjects like PM GC, but yes your faith in me and yours trust in me that i can do it and i will.. your words which you always used to say when you were about to pass out " that dont worry i will make you strong enough before i leave, so that you can handle things on your own",, they still linger in my head, i am strong sir i can do things on my own now, but i need you to guide me still.. at every step :(... you wanted to make me strong, but how will i ever be strong without you??? even after i started working, you used to be the only person i called and informed about how i sorted the pattern issue or anything technical, it was like a very big achievement for me sir, :(
when the whole world deserted me, when i went through a very rough phase in college, there was no one, only you were there who stood with me and never let me shatter.. all the times when i used to dine alone at the balaji restaurant, it was you who gave me a call and asked" khana kahaya"? and with a very sulky accent i used to reply " haan sir kha rhi hu".. and thats when you used to appear all of a sudden and order dal khichdi for yourself.. :) even if i left a single morsel in my plate, you used to get so annoyed," dont waste food!! finish it!!.. those words used to scare me and also made me feel guilty for a moment.. and i used to stuff my tummy with every last grain.
That day when you suddenly gave me a call when i was at my home, that you were coming to give me a visit.. i was so over whelmed ... there is actually too much to tell i don't think i will even be able to put it in words.. During Design collection days it was just you who was always worried about our work and wished that we all put up a great show... as you were passing out i had decided that very day that now i will have to come to bangalore delhi or wherever youll go to ask patterns, infact all of us had decided..
you came all the way from delhi just to watch our show :) to see your kids grow and come out with flying colors..
sir, whereever you are i know.. i will again meet you soon, many things will be different but i know i will recognise you .... your principles and your teachings will never ever go forgotten, and i know you are reading this.. you wanted me to write about you one day .. :( miss you heaps sir....
your bhootni ( a name you loved to call me with)..
