Irreparable loss of my beloved wife

Ghardia, Algeria

On 11th July, 1971 , I got married to my wife of nearly 41 years who was my inspiration in life. She has been a true pillar of strength to me. She has given me two wonderful daughters that I continue to be proud of.

She is probably one of the primary  reasons I was able to complete my post graduation. I was initially reluctant to go on a foreign assignment to Algiers, but it was she, along with my father, who advised me  that such an opportunity would open many doors for me. 

 She understood my emotions and respected my decisions, even if sometimes they were at the cost of financial loss. One such example would be when I received a letter from my father who resided in Puri that he was missing our presence in India. I spoke to my wife and explained that if I did not go back to India I would feel that my career and financial success took precedence over my parents' wishes. And Sabita immediately agreed.

We both have tried to build our individual careers to the best of our capacity but when it came to our children’s future everything else took second precedence. For instance, she forwent her specialist position for 12 years so that she could focus her attention on our  younger daughter's  education.

She is the one who supported me in my career decisions, so much so that sometimes we did not catch up on regular medical check ups. This is something that I will regret all my life. I always knew that she was the center of our household, the solid thread that held both sides of our family: her maternal side as well as her in-laws, but it was at her death that I realized what an enormous number of people loved and respected her, whose lives she had touched in her many generous ways.

SCB Medical Class Reunion, March 6th, 2013

People believe that she had a wonderful and blissful life,  and because  she was a pious
soul she had an even more peaceful death. I will miss her enormously at so many different levels. She has left our family bereft with grief but I take consolation in the fact that she had a painless death and I pray to God that her journey to heaven is joyful. May her soul rest in peace.