January 2020 to May 2024. 4 years and 4 months. That’s how long I knew her.
And somehow, that feels both too short and long enough for her to leave a permanent mark.
My first conversation with her was on the phone. All she said was, “I’ll give you Chinnu’s number.”
The firm voice of a strict principal. Measured, No-nonsense, (almost) intimidating. I remember thinking, “mom-in-law is not good.”.
But that image didn’t last long.
Behind that voice was one of the most fun-loving and endlessly curious people I’ve known. A scholar. A university rank holder. Someone whose thirst for knowledge never slowed down. Not with age, not with responsibility, not even with failing health.
She kept learning. Always. Astrology. German Cars. Winemaking. Schools in Mumbai. Swimming. Survival Skills in Forests. Ayurveda. Anything, everything. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to.
She taught me something I’ll carry for life. That knowledge has no finish line. That nothing, not age, not profession, not health, not circumstances, not responsibilities, is an excuse to stop being curious. All it takes is the willingness to learn.
Chinnu often tells me I didn’t call her enough. She’s probably right. I could have called more. I should have. But I know that our connection was real. That I was never just a son-in-law to her. I was her son. Not her firstborn, but loved with the same certainty as her firstborn.
And that’s how I’ll always remember her. With gratitude. And with a quiet promise to never stop learning.
