Nanu : Akash Chhabria [Grand Son]
Beyond cultivating my interest in literature, Nanu had helped me in many ways that even he may not have realized. He was an active and involved parent to my mother. Not only did he impart his love of literature and share the importance of knowledge to her, but he also taught her the skills necessary to face the harsh realities of life. From the stories my mother has told me, my Nanu would work through the house expenses with her and encourage her to take the lead on balancing the house budget. This is not only a skill she has imparted onto me but also a skill she has put into practice to empower her family and specifically her children to achieve the goals they desired in life.
It is clear to me that my Nanu is loved by his community and the people that may have crossed paths with him. He has heavily contributed to the Sindhi community and to Pakistani literature, he is a wonderful storyteller and most importantly he is a loved father, husband, and grandparent. When I think about him, I think about how he has inspired me to learn and grow, but I also think about how I could have learnt so much more from him.
When I was younger and visited him more often, I felt that I understood the sentiment but not the nuances or the details of what he would explain. It felt like I was able to absorb only a fraction of what he was trying to say. Now that I feel I’m of the age where I could have an intellectual conversation with him, I can’t anymore. All the conversations we could have had about literature and art, the time I could have spent learning from his wisdom and knowledge, and most importantly the bond we could have deepened. It all feels like a potential that was never realized.
When I heard of his passing, my first thought was of him and how we never got to say our goodbyes. My second thought was of my family. His impact on us was truly profound and the pain my family and I are experiencing is equally so. I feel the most for my mother, she has lost one of the most important people in the world to her and it saddens me that there is nothing I could do to take that pain from her. In my mourning, I also feel a sense of resolve to ensure my relationship and love for my parents remains just as strong as my mother’s was with my Nanu. Nanu, I love you and I want to thank you for being who you were, to me and to your family. You will forever be with me in my thoughts and in my heart.