Caring for everyone, but not about anyone
My husband, Dr Kirti Dua, was a spontaneous person, full of joy and enthusiasm for life.
A friend at his prayer meeting recently said, “He was never in a hurry, always pausing to observeandappreciatethejourney, rather than racing to reach the destination.” Simple sights would fascinate him such as women collecting grain from the field or a flock of pigeons taking flight off the freshly harvested wheat fields. He would capture the joyful moments in his camera that was always attached to his belt.
If the moments lingered, he would write about them in articles to be published or as a
Facebook post.
Nothing escaped his eye for detail. During the Covid-19 lockdown, whenever he would be outside, he would capture the smallest acts of humanity whether it was sweepers collecting leftovers from houses for stray dogs or university students pooling resources to feed stranded migrant labourers and their families. An act of charity gave him tremendous joy.
Travelling was another passion. It could be a road trip or a trekking adventure, he wouldn’t let any opportunity go. Since his heart bypass surgery in 2004, he ardently pursued living in full throttle. He authored books, wrote articles and letters to editors, expressing his thoughts fearlessly.
Together, we have done scuba diving, parasailing, paragliding and he was always game for anything fun. We did road trips to Ladakh twice and also to Lahaul-Spiti in our Santro car. Travellers en route would gasp as we negotiated dangerous nullahs and navigated the heights in the compact car, while they looked on sceptically from their 4x4 vehicles.
It’s not that he did not face any turmoil or setback but he would calmly sit back and reroute to steer through difficult patches.
Dr Dua had a sharp memory. His friends would call him an encyclopedia for he would always have an anecdote ready for every situation or the wit to regale everyone with laughter. He was ever smiling and made the most of every day that God gifted him. He was fun to be with.
As our son posted a tribute, “He cared for everyone but did not care about anyone.”
He avoided arguments; either he would disappear or change the topic as soon as an issue became too serious. He believed in keeping things simple and light. For him, keeping relations was far more important than winning a point. He treated everyone with respect and took genuine interest in their well-being.
He was happy within and accepted others around as such. He believed that the right things have a way of happening if one waits patiently. Even in marital arguments, he would withdraw, never insulting but simply allowing the argument to die its death.
No wonder, he is missed by friends and family.
A free spirit, he finally broke free on June 1, 2020. May he enjoy the adventures in the world beyond. Goodbye my dear, till we meet again.
SINCE HIS HEART BYPASS SURGERY IN 2004, HE ARDENTLY PURSUED LIVING IN FULL THROTTLE