"Furthering Aspirations"

On the 21st of June 1978, an exceptional little baby girl was born to the Mahanty and Mukherjee families. A beautiful baby with grey eyes and iridescent skin, many came to admire her “just to see” until the hospital authorities had to impose the embargo of “No Visitors”, enabling the mother and child to rest! There was something very special about her from the very beginning!

Kudy’s love touched everyone who came in contact with her in the short years she graced this earth, (10 years and 8 months); whether the postman, the domestic staff, her school friends, teachers or relatives. As her grandparents often said, she knew only to give love. At five, she started collecting money for poor “Chiren” (her delightful way of saying “Children”) and used to share “her treats” with the less fortunate. Kudy was abundantly gifted and talented; a math honors’ student, a Kuchipudi dancer, a gifted artist, an elocutionist and debater, and a talented actress, she enjoyed all the opportunities that life had to offer. Full of sparkle, mischief and fun, she was loved by all, and enjoyed traveling with her parents.

The 3rd March 1989 was a very dark day where little Kudy was grievously injured in a traumatic fire accident. Exceptionally brave, she survived with grit for 82 long hours; in those dark hours, during the time that she was conscious, not only did she tell her parents how much she loved them, she also remembered to thank each doctor and medic who came to treat her. That was Kudy.

Kudy left us on the 6th of March 1989 and her parents Niroop and Rupa firmly believe that they were extremely fortunate to have been chosen by God to bring such an exceptional child into this world. She touched them with the purest love and lives on, immortal in their hearts.

The most beautiful baby in the world was born today
You would say that “you’re her aunt” …
you might say
But I never saw such a halo around a child
Angelic in nature, sunny tempered and mild
But as I called her baby, I looked around
Ten years had flown by on the wings of sound
And my baby was baby no more but a girl
Enchanting and enchanted as the oyster in life’s pearl.
Then suddenly she left us
Why where how             No one knows
But in each one of us
Her light still brightly glows.
I cannot believe it I will never forget you
Neel my Kudy there was nothing you could not do
But before it could happen, all of life they took away
Who decided the time had come no one can say
But even as I ask the eternal WHY
Remember our memories will never die
A chubby hand holding a big “mummy’s bag” high
Identifying at 2 every plane in the sky
Chips in the open air movie together
Swimming “a whole breadth” in warm sunny weather
Doing well in school but never proud
Was this the little baby who said “gwee” aloud?
Making so many things for her baby brother
Babysitting as carefully as a little mother
I can go on and on and I do - inside deep
As all of us do
And will do     and will forever do
And thus within us we will always you keep.

(This is written in fond memory of my niece Kudy who would have been 10 ^3/4 years old ..............from her Chandu Mashi)

Horizontal, face up,
                              gleam of many colours
Square pieces of living, edged in white
Evoking heartbeats,
                              glances naughty,
leaping joy
Of thigns we once shared, now over.

Come out to me child!
Fill out my folded arms,
                              embracing,
Absorbing father/motherhood,
                              just once more,
From your softly pulsing
                              Essence,
Nevermore!
It’s only a photograph.



(Adsmashi is Kudy’s aunt)

Soft as the voice of an angel,
Breathing a lesson unheard,
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word:
Wait till the darkness is over,
Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the shower is gone.

Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.

If, in the dusk of the twilight,
Dim be the region afar,
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star?
Then when the night is upon us,
Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over,
Watch for the breaking of day.

Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.

Hope, as an anchor so steadfast,
Rends the dark veil for the soul,
Whither the Master has entered,
Robbing the grave of its goal.
Come then, O come, glad fruition,
Come to my sad weary heart;
Come, O Thou blest hope of glory,
Never, O never depart.

Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.

One day God came to me and said
The love in your heart is what I want you to spread

I want to send you on a journey of life
It will be a short one but you will thrive

But then you are such a beautiful soul
I need the best parents for you to fill the role

Me:
But why would you make them suffer in vain?
How terrible it would be to give them such pain

Why would you do this to the best
Why would you put them through this test?

God gave me the knowing smile
For me to comprehend it took a while

Do you see only the pain
Don't you understand what's in there to gain?

You are such a divine soul
The lives you touch will be complete and whole

And thus I traveled all this far
To be born to the couple N & R

Life was never the same again
The happiness we shared was hard to contain

The bonding grew so strong each day
That when it came time to take me away

I refused to leave them and go
Indignantly I shook my head in a firm 'No'

And so God could only take my body away
My soul had absolutely decided to stay

Since then I've become a part
I stay on in their heart .....