Dr. RajKumar: Less a Prince. More a King.

The well manicured beard. The classy double breasted suits. Each inch tailored to perfection.

Style icon. In the lanes of Lucknow.

Trays of shades and watches adorned your drawing room, before I could see time.

But you made time stand still, with your sense of living.

Anything you liked, you touched, you possessed it.

You showed me, at a young age, how attainable each dream is.

Big or Small.

We saw the VCR before its time, as we did the great Polaroid.

Both hold memories of our past. Ingrained in time.

Both showed us the path of life, later we were to realize.

Others might have lived kingsize, but you were the KING I saw.

Your court never ceased its session. Ever.

Surrounded by friends, students, patients and others I didn't even know.

Teaching. Guiding. Helping. Always.

You showed me what compassion was. And Empathy too!

For you all were equal : Family, friends and outsiders.

Others saw a man standing by all, I saw a rock. Solid and anchored.

More a Guardian Angel to all.

Mental health might have been your specialty, but physical health seemed your core concern too.

You might have spent more time waiting with families outside hospital wards than your own bed.

With you there, we never feared.

We knew our Guardian was there to stay.

Brusque and short might have been your words.

Maybe slighting too.

But the actions spoke larger than words.

More than a few would vouch for you.

None of us can match up to you.

Never will. Nor in actions or in caliber.

Today as you sit frail and quiet,

We miss your boisterous self. That man who would bellow out Welcome home

With that half smile.

The smile is there, but just get the spirit.

You are the man we all look up to

We want that spirit back!

PS: A renowned psychiatrist of Lucknow, a man who lived, loved and showed us how to live. He is also my Phupha. But more a role model.

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