and he ate only one meal for 14 years...our Fountainhed!

Once there lived a man, made up of earth and soul. I hear stories about him from my elder siblings and my father

He was my grandfather aptly named VED ANAND (VED is the science of knowledge which is deemed as the last stop in hunting of secret wisdoms and ANAND means BLISS)

When he realised he was not able to fend for my father’s studies he ate only ONCE- in- a day for 14 LONG years!!!

We were so poor that we did not have staple food to eat– he would grow potatoes and feed his family

He had fallen from being a Jeth Raiyat (a high position of that era) to being a man who had no money to educate his kids, a fall which should not befall on enemies even

But he persisted

I hear stories like how he never told my father to study (the longest time that my father has studied is 45 minutes), of course he was born brilliant! With borrowed books and library he cleared his states examination and became a state level administrative officer who was revered and loved by his colleagues. His fellowship money (my father was a scholarship winner) of 18 Rupees was used to run the household and his education fee. He could not sit for Central Level exam (IAS) because he did not have money for the forms…

My Grandfather would be outside my father’s examination hall with Sweets (rasgulla) after each exam, he told him “I want to feed you so much of your beloved stuff that after a point of time you will not have the NEED to have them”

When my elder sister, who was the first and only child to be born in our family then, because of her childhood insisted upon having some staple food and not boiled potatoes always he would wipe  tears off his eyes and look straight. HE WOULD NOT BORROW, even not for his beloved (my sister)

So was HE!! not to be bent...no compromise on VALUES!

Later on, my father went on to become a successful officer, a man who refused a job with INDIAN AIRFORCE because that would mean going away from the family and that was not acceptable to him! Like my grandfather, my father is a self – made man too! He refuses to compromise on his values (especially with finance)

Lots of things have changed now, my Grandfather’s passion for education flowed from him to my father who later on put us in choicest of schools to make sure we grew up to be a refined being

We have not seen financial issues and I cannot imagine which man with this earthy body would GIVE UP on food

I am a parent – am I capable of such missionary zeal for my child…I doubt…

My father insists he would never be able to better his father when it comes to being a good father …

I miss him so much today…wish I was matured enough to know what kind of SPIRITUAL TREASURE I had when he was around…the only thing I remember about him is …he would always put the first morsel in our mouth before beginning his meal… he is alive amidst us all in us and in the family- lore

I miss him…..so much…that my heart aches and my eyes weep…