A paradox of a significant life

A dear colleague and one of the best human beings I've ever come across is no more. As I write this, he is being taken off life support. Ironical that the most talented, intelligent and genius of a man has been declared brain dead. A recent father, a great intellectual, a dedicated professional, a huge talent and more importantly a fabulous man, is no more. Stories of his talents, abilities are sort of urban legends within his alma mater, at his workplace, someone all others know deep inside to be the next big thing to happen to not just us but to the whole of corporate world. But the promise of his professional career would easily be eclipsed with the persona that he is. Ever efficacious and attentive, he is what I'd consider to be a role model if I ever had one. Nothing but his memory remains - an idea, a memory, a life - all enclosed in a figment of thoughts, pictures, words - of his idea with in the conscience.

And it all happened out of the blue, just like a blip in the fabric of existence. All it took was a couple of seconds. It hit like a bullet, but once the realization dawned, it brought with it more than just the obvious. Yes, a life is no more, affecting lives far beyond his own or of his wife, or his 6-month old boy, of his parents with an only son, of his friends, his colleagues and even beyond his known for his circle was immense, as a man with a magnificent personality would.

It all brings questions on the frailties of life, of its vulnerability, of his insignificance, of its mirage. All it takes is a small piece of metal, even smaller amount of a poison, and even lesser mass of stress. For something so incidental and week can never be significant, can never be permanent, only a small peripheral incident. The truth, the omnipotent, the permanent is far beyond.

Krsna says its your soul and the only role you play is to fulfill your duties or Karma. Maybe or maybe just another figment of our imagination and ever-yearning desire to fulfill egos to achieve significance. Whatever it is - its a debate for a later date.

But right now, Aseem Chaturvedi, you'll be dearly missed. Your life, however few moments we shared are and will be cherished. For all the things that you are and you were, may your smile and your memories remain forever and ever. But most importantly may your family find the strength and your soul find the peace that you deserve.

One-man team

One bad result and a man looses it all. The world as it were instantly changes to be rosy nomore, the morning breeze doesn't refresh him, the minor insignificant arrays of everyday trite happenings suddenly feel like omens pointing to an impending armaegeddon. The boss's word seems much more demeaning, career seems more so to be headed nowhere and no amount of the pretty company can make for a merry proposition. Life just ceases to exist, at least till the next weekend.

This my friends, is the fate of a sports fan. Its his bane. A person who finds a divine connection with a sport and more so with a team and in due course of time begins to live their successes and more often than not, to suffer their defeats as well. The effect that his favorite sport team's loss can have over a man's life is amazingly significant. Irrespective of the numerous achievements, just one simple defeat, even deserved as it may be and definitely regardless of the importance of the match, is all it takes to throw the fan into a desperate complex sets of conundrums.

But it is this roller-coaster ride, within which he tries to live his own fantasies. Of this search for perfection, for success, for glory. He breathes and lives as his team and the team as him. His desperate want of being more than he is, of achieving more than he thinks he could, he puts his hope nah his spirit into a team. This team then becomes his passion, his sweat and through his distant passive implicit involvement limited only to defending his team's glory (in debates, in fights and more), he becomes the most crucial cog in his team's wheel, perhaps even more, he becomes the team itself.