Krupakar
MFM, 2014-16

Ruchir sir was a father-like figure for me. I have had the good fortune of being his student and also working along with him in cooperative stores for 5 years. If there was an award to be given to the one who got the highest amount of scolding in stores from Ruchir sir, I’m sure I would be one! My classmate and I working in the coffee booth would not repeat the mistakes but innovatively create new ones daily and get a good hearing from Sir. We never felt bad for getting scolded but rather learnt lessons for life from the experience of working with him. I have been fortunate to have experienced the anger and love of sir equally.

One moment from college which I can never forget is the day I left Brindavan ashram with my luggage after my PG exam. Just before boarding the cab, I went to him and touched his feet; he immediately hugged me and when I saw his face, tears were swelling up in his eyes. I saw the love of a father who was going to miss his son; I couldn’t speak much and bid adieu to him.

I regularly kept in touch with him even after leaving the campus and used to visit the ashram once in a while only to meet him. I wish to narrate my last meeting with him. On his birthday this year, we thought that this would be the first birthday after so many years which sir would be celebrating without his students around him, so we planned to surprise him and went to the ashram. Once we reached the ashram, we got to know that he was in Parthi with his mother. We called him up, wished him over the phone and came back. On the weekend on 7th Feb, I again went to the ashram to meet sir and celebrated his belated birthday (Photos attached). He was very happy with the small token of love. We spoke for 2 hours about various topics and he gave me some advice on certain matters. I always used to go to him whenever I needed any guidance and would always come back with a solution to my problems and a feeling that I have a person to always fall back upon. His last words to me before I left the ashram were “I’ll wait for the good news”. If that ever happens, I’ll definitely tell Swami to keep him informed of the same, now that he is with him happily in the heaven.

Co-incidentally I lost my father on 17th May exactly 10 years ago in 2011 just before joining Brindavan for my B. Com course and this year I lost a father-like person on the same day. We miss you so much sir, you will always remain in our hearts.