Reynoo Mathur’s life after death

Rakesh didnrsquot see the minitruck hurtling towards them as they rounded the hairpin bend at Kasara Ghat in the hilly section between Mumbai and Nashik The particular bend in the mountain road combining a steep climb with a sharp turn was known to be deadly In the car a brand new Maruti 1000 was the whole happy family mdash Rakesh his wife Reynoo and children Gautam Sonia and Arjun Reynoo had just unfastened her seat belt and was sitting crosslegged as she unwrapped aloo parathas to feed her broodRakesh had a split second to make a choice veer left to try to avoid the truck or let the accident happen A headon collision would have meant certain death so he swerved left hoping to find a perch on the gravel vergeBut the back left wheel went off the road skewing the balance As in some dreadful slowmotion nightmare the car left the road tumbling into the deep ravine several hundred metres deep The front passengerside door fell open and Reynoo was flung out a moment later the car landed on her crushing her It rolled a few more times before coming to rest against an outcropping boulderGautam and Sonia miraculously were unhurt Arjun had three compression fractures and injuries on his face head and leg which required 123 stitches Rakesh cracked his L4 and L5 vertebrae Villagers gathered quickly ambulances were summoned doctors and friends in Mumbai were informed Breach Candy hospital was alerted about incoming patients Letrsquos talk about BombaiClick the QR code above to join my WhatsApp group to share your Bombai stories for my bookmdashand perhaps answer some of my Bombai questionsWhen he was better Rakesh returned to Kasara to thank Dr Shrikant Sarvagod He wanted to do something to enshrine Reynoorsquos memory A brutal sudden death in a ravine could not be the last word on her life He learnt that the doctor had an NGO waiting to come to life There was an utterly impoverished village called Vihigaon not far away Could something be doneRakesh and the doctor created a fund of about R5 lakh with contributions from himself and others Someone donated a few barren acres Two years after the accident the Reynoo Mathur Memorial Clinic came up in Vihigaon And so it startedMany pray to be the first to go fearing the grief that the loss of their loved one will bring But inevitably one will go first and the other must find a way to deal with the bereavement Shah Jahan immortalised his beloved Mumtaz Mahal with one of the most breathstopping monuments the world has ever seen Few people know that he was inspired by another memorial the tomb that the Empress Bega Begum commissioned in Delhi in loving memory of her husband the Emperor HumayunBut itrsquos never a question of riches Creating an enduring memorial to a departed love requires time and attention more than money Here are a few thoughtful suggestions1 Plant a living memory garden Whether in your yard or windowsill it would have your spousersquos favourite flowers herbs or vegetables Itrsquoll bring fond remembrance every time you tend to the plants2 Memorial recipe collection Was your spouse fond of food Or perhaps loved cooking Put together their favourite recipes as a book or digital collection with anecdotes photos and personal notes Share it with friends and dear ones3 Memorial Bench Buy an artful bench or refurbish an old chair from your home and dedicate it to your loved one Paint it their favourite colour and add meaningful artwork or inscriptions Every time you sit on it they will be with youRakesh didnrsquot let Reynoorsquos memory fade For three decades he has stayed in touch with the villagers of Kasara donating and raising money regularly for the doctorrsquos causes He has watched the doctorrsquos activities grow his NGO now runs a bridge school for about 125 homeless streetchildren from Mumbai They also manage a child sponsorship programme a textbook repository and a home for orphans over 18 Rakesh is still a modest donorApril 22 this year was the 30th anniversary of Reynoorsquos passing Rakesh went to Kasara and once more met Dr Sarvagod who now lives in Mumbai but travels regularly to Vihigaon for his many projectsThe Reynoo Mathur Memorial Clinic was still there still a couple of small rooms With everything else he has going on Dr Sarvagod cannot attend the clinic more than once every few weeks Rakeshrsquos work too keeps him on the move but memorials especially 30yearold ones need attention and watering like plants The clinic it was clear needed a transfusionldquoWhat is your vision for the futurerdquo Rakesh asked the doctorldquoWe should have a full service hospital hererdquo said Dr SarvagodRakesh is no Shah Jahan but he is clear about what he must do next in Reynoorsquos memory start a new seed fund and raise money from people of means and goodwill to bring a hospital to life in VihigaonIf yoursquore one of those people this is a good moment to reach out to Rakesh and ask him how you can help His email is mathurhospitalityyahoocoinOr ping him on his WhatsApp number 98101 65065Reynoo somewhere above and beyond might smile a little smileYou can reach C Y Gopinath at cygopigmailcomSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paperatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params