"I always intended to write a chapter on the life of my Grandad, Naraindas Bhagchand Melwani. Let this be the start of that intent.
And with this I begin..
My Grandad, Naraindas Bhagchand Melwani, is a great man.
He dreamed big, envisioning a life where people and families stayed together, respected one another and did whatever it is that made them happy. I guess we all aspire for this in one way or the other; every one of us, but there was something very unique about my Grandad, something which made him special and different to the rest of us.
My Grandad not only dreamed about this life, he also shared these dreams with others. He translated his words to action, trying to give as much as he could of this good life he envisioned, to those around him. What made it even more special is he asked for nothing in return.
This desire to live a good life meant he never succumbed to his age. At 80+ years he still enjoyed a glass of wine with his meal, sneaking his hand into our box of fried snacks when no one was looking. He watched football and serials on TV, he played cards and walked as much as his body would support him. He ate to his fill and had friends at every corner.
This is my Grandad.
A man who left his home at a very young age, my grand dad crossed the seas and landed up in the continent of Africa. A land unknown to many - to him, a new home. With just a few coins in his pocket, he was determined to start making a living. There he worked and grew, and whilst he did, life taught him lessons about trust, discipline, friendship, hard-work and above all, respect for himself and those around him. These learnings took him to the Canary Islands, where he set base. A married man now with a family, he had a responsibility which he was to fulfill – and how he did!
An employee turned employer, a man with a vision for business – attracted more to providing the best personal service to his customers, rather than to what this service would mean financially to him. A tiny space, no bigger than 20sq feet is where he operated from. An iconic little store which he called “Happy”, a space that still lays standing in the middle of a cobbled street in the town he lived for some time – became his empire.
As he walked along the streets, “Mr. Happy!” people called after him “How are you?”. Age was slowly catching up but his humour was greater than that. “I’m screwed, but still happy”, he would respond.
He was friends with one and all keeping a bag full of chocolates shaped as Euro coins with him always – shiny and golden, he gave these coins out to people making friends with everyone and anyone, taxi drivers, waiters, doctors, care-takers, nurses – extending a handful chocolates to them, with no reason other than to make someone smile, to make them happy.
I remember him now, think about these days and the way he did things, and I break into a smile – and true to the name he was given by his people, happiness fills me.
People came and people left, each of them leaving a mark on him, each one in their own way. Like the sea when looking out in the horizon, he remained steady, unchanged through these times, and true to the principles he lived for and repeatedly reminded us about:
Never hurt
Never lie
Never fight
Eat together
Make others happy
These were not mere words which he preached, this formed the pillars of the life he led. His life was his true message.
How many of us can say this? How many of us can lead the life we talk about to others? The answer - not many at all.
My Grandad was different though, he kept true to his words. This way of life, makes him one of the greatest men I have ever met, an example to me and the rest of us who had the fortune of spending time with him.
He was a man with incredible faith with a mantra of his own which he repeated under his every breath. A faith which we are sure accompanied him till his last breath. His body left us in a matter of seconds, in his very own bedroom, accompanied by his family – no time for him to be in pain or suffering – as happy as he could be. Once again, his life was his message – happy.
It is said that we only really know what we have once we lose it, people leave and their value is only understood once they are gone. It makes me proud to think this was never the case with my Grandad. Our entire family knew that this great man was a gift to us. We realized this every single day, through his selfless actions, his words, his simple sense of humor and his love for all around him. We may not see this gift amongst us anymore, but his teachings and his presence very much remains.
As I write this, I believe we have not lost a man, but rather gained a legacy - the story of a man, the life he led and the things he stood for.
In a style true to him, I’d like to think of me raising a toast to him right now, in celebration of this gift which was given to us and one we shall proudly remember and cherish for the rest of our days.
To a father, a husband, a brother, a grand father, an uncle and a friend!
And with this I begin..
My Grandad, Naraindas Bhagchand Melwani, is a great man.
He dreamed big, envisioning a life where people and families stayed together, respected one another and did whatever it is that made them happy. I guess we all aspire for this in one way or the other; every one of us, but there was something very unique about my Grandad, something which made him special and different to the rest of us.
My Grandad not only dreamed about this life, he also shared these dreams with others. He translated his words to action, trying to give as much as he could of this good life he envisioned, to those around him. What made it even more special is he asked for nothing in return.
This desire to live a good life meant he never succumbed to his age. At 80+ years he still enjoyed a glass of wine with his meal, sneaking his hand into our box of fried snacks when no one was looking. He watched football and serials on TV, he played cards and walked as much as his body would support him. He ate to his fill and had friends at every corner.
This is my Grandad.
A man who left his home at a very young age, my grand dad crossed the seas and landed up in the continent of Africa. A land unknown to many - to him, a new home. With just a few coins in his pocket, he was determined to start making a living. There he worked and grew, and whilst he did, life taught him lessons about trust, discipline, friendship, hard-work and above all, respect for himself and those around him. These learnings took him to the Canary Islands, where he set base. A married man now with a family, he had a responsibility which he was to fulfill – and how he did!
An employee turned employer, a man with a vision for business – attracted more to providing the best personal service to his customers, rather than to what this service would mean financially to him. A tiny space, no bigger than 20sq feet is where he operated from. An iconic little store which he called “Happy”, a space that still lays standing in the middle of a cobbled street in the town he lived for some time – became his empire.
As he walked along the streets, “Mr. Happy!” people called after him “How are you?”. Age was slowly catching up but his humour was greater than that. “I’m screwed, but still happy”, he would respond.
He was friends with one and all keeping a bag full of chocolates shaped as Euro coins with him always – shiny and golden, he gave these coins out to people making friends with everyone and anyone, taxi drivers, waiters, doctors, care-takers, nurses – extending a handful chocolates to them, with no reason other than to make someone smile, to make them happy.
I remember him now, think about these days and the way he did things, and I break into a smile – and true to the name he was given by his people, happiness fills me.
People came and people left, each of them leaving a mark on him, each one in their own way. Like the sea when looking out in the horizon, he remained steady, unchanged through these times, and true to the principles he lived for and repeatedly reminded us about:
Never hurt
Never lie
Never fight
Eat together
Make others happy
These were not mere words which he preached, this formed the pillars of the life he led. His life was his true message.
How many of us can say this? How many of us can lead the life we talk about to others? The answer - not many at all.
My Grandad was different though, he kept true to his words. This way of life, makes him one of the greatest men I have ever met, an example to me and the rest of us who had the fortune of spending time with him.
He was a man with incredible faith with a mantra of his own which he repeated under his every breath. A faith which we are sure accompanied him till his last breath. His body left us in a matter of seconds, in his very own bedroom, accompanied by his family – no time for him to be in pain or suffering – as happy as he could be. Once again, his life was his message – happy.
It is said that we only really know what we have once we lose it, people leave and their value is only understood once they are gone. It makes me proud to think this was never the case with my Grandad. Our entire family knew that this great man was a gift to us. We realized this every single day, through his selfless actions, his words, his simple sense of humor and his love for all around him. We may not see this gift amongst us anymore, but his teachings and his presence very much remains.
As I write this, I believe we have not lost a man, but rather gained a legacy - the story of a man, the life he led and the things he stood for.
In a style true to him, I’d like to think of me raising a toast to him right now, in celebration of this gift which was given to us and one we shall proudly remember and cherish for the rest of our days.
To a father, a husband, a brother, a grand father, an uncle and a friend!