Shishu, the Great !

She is every bit my Pitaji's puttar- a perfectionist to the core,an excellent orator and writer, has an uncanny zeal for learning new things, words, and enjoys using them. She made my father jump in joy (more than we all ever did) and get awarded with ten rupee note everytime she achieved the best score, a gold medal,  the most well read student of the college prize, the highly recommended debator in youth festival and an epistle writer par excellence. Infact she has been the best academic performer and had cleared UPSC written twice. Her hand writing resembled (as her face too) with Neelam didi, her most favourite sister and mentor. She has never been an ordinary sister, massi and friend as she always went out of the way to show and prove the loveful commitment she felt from the bottom of her heart for the kin, kids, her sister and friends.

Archana's culinary skills could never be matched by any of us. Everytime there us a get together of family, some surprise soup or a different pizza or some new snack, vegetable, cake or sweet dish can be a guarantee as she plays the great host. Her preference for a cookery channel to a soap may not be welcome by us but when she treats us with relishable things, the joy is immense indubitably.

She hardly ever tells anyone about it but whenever any of us has had challenging time, I think it is Archana's 'connect' with Hanumanji through her sunderkaand paath that we have come out unharmed. Her paath transcend the concern for family, she chooses to do it for anyone associated with her kin directly or indirectly. It may be easier to send the prayers for whom we feel concern for but to spend time in jap or paath for days and days together is not a small gesture, it means a lot, bespeaks her essential goodness of nature. She is a blessing for the family. Bless her.

It feels good that she has chosen to serve the academic arena even after retirement. As Principal of a girls' degree college, she is cobtributing her mite as a teacher cum administrator. One more thing, after her retirement we find her more generous, more lively, more caring and understanding. It seems she feels more free to enjoy life now-unfettered. May she be blessed with good health and also prosperity and peace of mind. I do feel her 'the best' is yet to come. 

She has always mentored me and been very generous to me and cared for me so much, nurtured me, supported and helped so much in my thick and thin that I don't think I can ever reciprocate in equal meaure because what she has given and blessed me with is immeasurable, rresiprocable ever. I might not have told this or expressed this before her but I feel grateful for her overwhelming love for me and on this day, her birthday I would like to tell her that I love her very much.