Vijay is no more

Vijay, teenage grandson of Rajappamama, is no more. He died in a bike accident in Chennai. We heard the sad news through e-mail from my sister Bhagya in New Delhi. She had spoken to the grieving parents, jayam and Vishwa.Bhagya,in her mail, said Vijay had gone into coma after the accident; and doctors could not revive him.

When we phoned Chennai,Vijay's mother said his heart,kidneys and eyes have been donated; a very noble gesture, and highly unusual for a conservative Bhramin family. Jayam told us vijay's heart had been successfully transplanted on someone in Bangalore; one of his kidneys went to a doctor admitted in Apollo Hospital in Chennai.

Our recollection of Vijay, an ITI diploma-holder, was that of a toddler, in the 90s, when we were staying at Parson Towers on Pantheon Rd. Vijay and his parents lived closeby. As an year-old child, Vijay endeared himself to us and our son Ravi,then a schoolboy, delighted in teasing the toddler. A particular prank Ravi used to play was pull down Vijay's shorts, if only to annoy the playful toddler, with mischief in his eyes. It was delightful watching Vijay darting around the house,dodging Ravi from reaching for his shorts.

My wife and I last met Vijay a few years back at his Ambattur house. He was then in the 10th class,and he made fond enquiries about Ravi anna in the US, still remembering his pranks when we were neighbours on Pantheon Rd.,Egmore. On receiving the news of Vijay's death couple of days back my wife and I remembered our last visit to his place; and pictured Vijay as a schoolboy who , on the asking of his mother, had escorted us to the neighbourhood scooter-stand at Ambattur to see us off.