Vaishali Chandorkar Chitale
‘Some people make the world special just by being in it’
Dony!!! What do I write about a person who was the heartbeat of our class? A star who shone bright far into the night? Dony, who had a way of walking into a room and filling it with his presence; a way of making the most ordinary day feel special? He was a kind of friend who would show up at your door with coffee when you were having a bad day; who would sit with you in silence when words just wouldn’t come! You felt truly heard when he listened to you; he was the shoulder to lean on… he had this rare gift of making everyone around him feel like they belonged.
And belong we did, fiercely to our class of 80, thanks to the tireless effort that he took in gathering the scattered flock together for our 25th reunion in 2005! He took on the reins of getting us under one umbrella with Kishore, Sharat and Vivek. They, our beloved OC (Organising Committee) organized and superbly executed our reunions. We had a great time under their aegis in Jim Corbett, Ranthambore, Kasauli, and Mussoorie. It was their show all the way, and Dony, an amiable, indulgent father figure, mingling around with a big smile splitting his face, is an image none of us can ever forget. The cherry on the cake was but obviously, the dessert—candid pics clicked by our own in-house dashing lensmen (Kishore, Sharat and Dony) captioned by Dony’s zingy one liners. It made us chatter and laugh for days to come.
When he took up something, he gave it his all, whether it was for his family, work, or friends. How else can you explain on that fateful day of 13th August, this message (amongst his last) on the group chat? He shared a classmate’s name (Ambika Nair), whom not many remembered. He urged the few who did to get in touch with her, even suggesting that we DM her first. That, in a nutshell, was Dony. Devoted to the core.
Many of us, including me, came to know him only after our silver Jubilee. I suspect, and some of you will agree with me, that without Dony pushing us out of our comfort zone, we would not have traversed the country for one evening of revelry and fun! I, on my part, distinctly remember that phone call out of the blue and being cajoled by him (whom I had not interacted with in school at all) to take that bold step and just fly down to be with friends. And wonder of wonders, I did! Such was the magic of Dony. He could make anyone push the envelope just that wee bit further!
We all loved Dony, not because of, but despite his acerbic wit, his sharp tongue, and his punchy one-liners. He did not suffer fools gladly, and it showed and how!! He didn’t hesitate to correct a person on facts and fiction without ever thinking about repercussions. He knew what he was talking about and had a way with words. Well read, with an excellent command of English, his was always the last word!! So, then, it was given that he wrote well too. His pieces on our website about our reunions and get togethers were a delight to read, what with his wicked, witty style of writing.
He touched all our lives in his own special way. He lived life king-size and made many of us live it too. Today, as hard as it is to say goodbye, I’m grateful. Grateful for the years of friendship, grateful for the years of getting to know the gold beneath the veneer, and for the countless memories he helped us create.
Rest well, my friend. We love you and will keep on loving you, in stories, in laughs, and in thoughts. You made our world brighter and I promise that is how we will choose to remember you -in joy , in happiness and in your sparkling laughter.
The Bash of 80 