Thursday 11 June 2015

UG's Parting Remark.....

December 2006(?)!

It was late afternoon. I was in the office winding up for the day. 

Capt. Kamal, our pilot friend rang me on the cell phone, " Suresh, Listen ! UG asked me to book your tickets to B'lore and wants both of us to go and stay with him for a few days. Am in Delhi now and will join you there. Am booking our accommodation close to Babu's place in the Transit House. I am sending you the tickets , just apply for leave and be ready to fly tomorrow !"

A surprise invitation from UG! Next evening we found ourselves in Bangalore. I am ever grateful to kind Kamal for all his arrangements. 

I had traveled all the way from Bombay but never once felt like visiting my parents who were just an hour's drive from the transit house. I called them up, excused myself that this journey was exclusively to be with UG and I would be visiting them next time round!

The next few days were some of our best days ever with UG! His words, guidance in those days provided me with immense strength and succour to carry on with my life during the subsequent years. UG had said, " The next two years will be tumultuous years for you, I am concerned!" In a way, I was forewarned about my upcoming trials and tribulations!

 Everyday myself and Kamal would walk down to Chandrashekhar Babu's place around 5 O' clock in the morning to find UG, fresh like a jasmine would be in his 'hot seat', ! The 'shop' would be open and in full swing, The morning hours started solemnly with some melodious bhajans or devotional music and some hymn chanting. Chandrashekhar Babu,Uma Balaji, Nagesh and others were among the singers. Sometimes Kamal and myself lent our voices too!

  As the day progressed, huge crowds gathered and spilled out into the street. UG never disappointed anyone who came to hear him. He obliged one and all , he pumped up more  'lung power', raised his decibel levels high enough so everybody could hear him. UG, by then, had discarded his dentures but amazingly his 'toothless' words rang out sharp and clear into the distance.  

  Louis Brawley took the centre stage! He obliged UG by playing the 'court jester', kept everyone in splits through his jokes, repartee  and entertained UG by singing his compositions - 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' and other UG poems, embellished with a dash of his characteristic humour!  Everyone would join the chorus. It turned out to be non-stop fun! UG would also insist on other performances like dancing, mimicry, palmistry. At times, the fun took a bizarre turn, especially in case of Louis. He found himself at the receiving end with UG egging on small kids to smack his bald pate in full public view!

  Unlike in the past, the 'shop' went on into the night beyond the usual 9 O' clock closing hour ! It was a 'full house' at 11:00 PM, very unusual! Happy Hours extended !

  Finally the day arrived for our departure. Kamal departed early evening for Delhi and after a while my turn came to say bye to UG ! House was filled with people everywhere. I stood up, folded my palms in 'namaskar' and said, " UG , please permit me to take leave!" UG looked at me poignantly, after a pause, " When do I get to see you again ? ". It stirred me ! My answer was ready,  " Sir, whenever you want to see me!" He gave a knowing smile and feigning surprise turned to Chandrashekhar Babu, "Chandrasekhar, did you hear what he said!", Babu smiled! 

I reluctantly bid him goodbye and walked out,  it turned out, never to lay my eyes on him again!

(An aside :

Whenever someone said 'Bye' to UG, he simply dismissed him, "See you sometime, somewhere sir!" and looked away. The parting was sudden! UG would summarily dismiss you and never look back in your direction again. His saying, " out of sight, out of mind " was an operating reality in his life !

Instead, when he asked me, " When do I get to see you again ? ", it appeared uncharacteristic of UG, but as it turned out, it was a hint of his impending departure from the physical realm ! Perhaps he was aware that our tracks would never cross again!

When UG's death watch began in March in Vallecrosia, self and Kamal were in Bombay monitoring, getting constant updates and after a while, we finally learnt that the end came on the 22nd of March 2007! )


P.S.

I wish to throw some light on my reply to UG ,  " Sir, whenever you want to see me!" in a later post, as this was a learning from an earlier lesson in UG's 'training camp'!





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