Dear Selvi Aunty, The dust is now settling, tributes have flown in, and people who came to pay their last respects have returned with heavy hearts. You are nowhere to be seen, and instead, what’s left now is a void in the place where you were living and breathing just few days ago. We are left with so many good memories of you in thousands of photographs and millions of brain cells which will exist as long as we live. It was July 1998 when I met you for a brief minute or two at home in Chennai, as I was packing my bags on my way abroad to pursue my higher studies. Little did I know, I will be meeting you again in 8 years at home again in Chennai, but this time asking for your dear daughter’s hand. From there-on it has been a honour to be a part of your last laps in your life run. You were one of the most large-hearted, energetic, daring, fun loving, straight talking personalities I have met. ‘Teacher’ is how most people addressed you. There must have been thousands of students whose lives you have touched significantly, but most importantly you were an eternal student too – be it exploring the world, researching Tamil literature, or just figuring out your iPad. Your bravery matched the bravest of soldiers, but you had a sensitive side too! We have agreed on so many things, disagreed on so many, argued on a small number of things, but there was never a problem a hug could not fix. Motherhood, you always said, was not part of your life, but many saw you as their mother, and I have never seen someone get so many Mothers’ Day cards every year. Our birthdays were close together and often celebrated together. However, being 40 years apart didn’t seem to matter, you were the younger one at heart and danced and sang the most at every party. Cancer took your life away says the certificate, but all it managed was to stop your heartbeat , your spirit stayed strong till the very end. Yours, Youngest son-in-law, and son Naveen