Niśītha (निशीथ)-01
Back here after a long time… Missing home deeply today. Took a WFH day—spent most of it sleeping, though I managed to fit in a few hours of work, juggling between PPTs and some coding.
A memory came to mind, taking me back to the final days at IIT-D in June 2023. Although my degree was already complete, my professor generously offered me a two-month consultancy role before my move to Bangalore. During that time, I worked on a communication-related project.
Around the same period, a senior professor at IIT-D, who had retired but continued teaching, suffered a stroke. He had taught our batch during the COVID era, conducting fully online classes—no videos, just reading notes and explaining concepts. He was also connected to the lab I worked in. News spread quickly that he had been hospitalized and was in a critical condition.
The professor, in his 80s, had no children and only his wife. One day, I was asked to accompany his wife to the hospital. I went to their home to pick her up and then took her to the hospital. It was an unfamiliar and awkward situation—I didn’t know what to say or how to comfort her.
All I could perceive was her desperation to save him and the profound fear of losing someone she had spent a lifetime with. Seeing such a fragile state made the experience even more poignant, leaving a lasting impression on me. At the hospital, his wife told me that the professor wanted to see me, even though he was in the ICU. I wasn’t ready and felt reluctant, but I went to meet him. It was the first time I saw him, and in a condition that would shake even the toughest person.
In a slow, weak voice, he greeted me, thanked me. He not only recognized me from the lecture but also shared a few anecdotes with me and I could see tears welling up in his eyes. Then, holding my hand, he called one of the attendants over and said, “In bachon ka haath lgg gya inse mujhe shkti milti hai dekhna mai theek ho jaungaa…”. It was all so overwhelming for me, and I couldn’t find the words to say—I just stood there, unsure of how to react. In the meantime, his wife came in and saw the professor crying. She immediately went to him, trying to comfort him. The love and affection they shared were so evident, and I could see how she projected herself as a strong, optimistic woman. I was deeply humbled and moved by the sight of it all.
A few days later, he was discharged and taken home, slowly recovering. However, a few months later he suffered another stroke, and this time, he couldn’t be saved. When I heard the news, all I could think about was that cab ride with his wife and the interaction I had with the him in the ICU.
Though his passing was a deeply sad moment, it served as a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the strength of human connection. The love and dedication the professor and his wife shared, even in the most difficult of times, left a lasting impact on me. It reminded me of the importance of cherishing those around us, offering support, and showing resilience in the face of adversity. Life is unpredictable, but moments of kindness, love, and optimism, like the ones I witnessed, can offer us the strength to keep going, no matter the challenges ahead.