Earlier this month came in the shocking news of the passing away of one of the kindest and most loving people I have ever come across in life. She was a highly respected lady whom we had as a close neighbour in Dalanwala in Dehra Dun for many years. We were so close that we were like one family. This was strengthened by the fact that we lived on the ground floor of the house and Aunty and her family lived on the first floor.The house belonged to one Mr. Mishra, a retired gentleman who lived a few houses away in a house called “Anurag”. Those were the good old days of the Doon valley when neighbours were well known to each other and had strong bonds that were built over the years and stayed lifelong.
When I heard that Sunita Aunty was no more, my thoughts went back to the past when she played the role of a fairy godmother in my life. Whenever I was a bit upset by something at home or in school, I always went upstairs to her for comfort .In just a few minutes, Aunty would cheer me up with some stories and jiokes.Her infectious , gurgling laughter made it impossible for anyone not to get into a better mood She would patiently explain to me how to look at life and its problems, big and small. I would look at her way of life and that itself inspired me to work harder and do well in school. She was always working! A school teacher, she would come back from school and check assignments of students.Then she would prepare her lessons for the next day. Sometimes, children used to come to her for tuitions too.She was indeed an industrious woman who could make people want to follow her example, Cheerfulness and hard work defined her beautifully.
Aunty extended her love, warmth , kindness and smile to everyone. People always looked forward to meeting her .Her life was never a bed of roses but she knew well how to make the best use of the thorns that life hands over to us.From her I learnt how to make the best of a bad situation and fight against odds. Even as a schoolgirl, I could understand her courage and perseverance to a great extent.
The lessons of life she passed on to us effortlessly have always stood us in good stead. Her daughter, Anupama and son Atul were studying in college and school respectively in those days.The influence of her strength could be seen on them . They were dedicated to studies and later to their work. When I spoke to Atul last week, we recalled those days of innocence spent by all of us together in the then pristine Doon valley. The beauty and simplicity of those years struck us again and we remembered Aunty and her sweetness and goodness.
When I met aunty a few years ago in Dehra Dun at her summer residence in Clement Town, she was just the same-as caring, kind and joyful as ever. She spoke about our days together and showered her blessings on me in her characteristic benign manner. She sat there like a queen, in the garden , surrounded by some neighbours and house helpers .it was a summer evening and the flowers bloomed -.the breeze made us nostalgic and we recalled our summer evenings in the garden on Balbir Road in Dalanwala .That house was broken a few years ago and a huge building stands in its place.
Earlier, whenever I used to pass that house , I could visualize those school days of mine and think of aunty standing with a cup of tea in her balcony upstairs. Now , even that is not possible. The garden and the trees have all gone. And now , dear Aunty is gone .However, she is one person who will live in our hearts and souls forever .Her smiling face, her words of blessing and her shining goodness can never go away anywhere .The lessons we learnt from the way she lived life have become a part of our personalities.
Her memory will aways guide us towards the right path .Many people face troubles in life and also overcome them. However, there are only a few who can smile and laugh through troubles , not letting anyone know about their problems. Sunita Law aunty was one of these people and I am blessed to have known her in my growing years .Thanks for everything, Aunty!