Remembering the Singh who was King

‘Singh is King’ was my main catch line when ever I used to see Prabhjyot Singh’s (Jyoti) picture in any social media, because he would out smart every one around him with his magnetic personality. Remember Mills and Boon characters – TALL FAIR AND HANDSOME. His beaming white turban, towering personality, warmth , amazing sense of humour,  elite educational background of globally prestigious The Doon School (Jaipur House) made him stand out in a crowd and endeared him to one and all.

There is a saying that when relatives become friends and friends become relatives, its the best equation one can ever have.  Our bond truly conformed to this saying. Being my brother-in-law, he transcended the barriers of being a relative and became my best buddy.

The moment the catastrophic news of the sudden demise of Jyoti broke out, his friends and well wishers started pouring in from all over the world. Since I was familiar with his network, my phone buzzed non stop, and I had to explain to umpteen callers what caused his sudden demise (Deep Vein Thrombosis). My sister Mamta from USA composed a song on him. It goes without saying that his charming wife and soulmate Rosy, was completely shattered and devastated. But she could spend last moments with him on his way to the hospital. All the important doctors of the city reached the hospital to save the life of this special child of Doon. I was amazed to see the support that came from all quarters, from high ranking officials to ordinary people of Dehradun.

Jyoti was a versatile personality. There are countless anecdotes that I can share with the world, relating to his extraordinary persona. I reserve that for some other day.

His able, handsome son Chitvan flew down from Dubai. Well groomed with huge family values he made his father proud. And his daughter Ruhani, educated and trained from a top hospitality Swiss school was the apple of his eye. The two, combined together with Rosy will form a formidable team to take forward the huge legacy left by the unforgettable Jyoti. Completely devastated, his parents have put up a strong front and appear to be coping with their loss most courageously. I pray to the Almighty to bless them with good health and peace of mind.

Jyoti’s doting relatives always provided him unconditional support. They stand today with the family like huge pillars of strength – Kavi Kohli (brother-in-law), a father figure; Neelu Didi; Ginny (Jyoti’s look alike brother); Suman (Rosy’s sister and my wife; Anil Adnani and Sonu (Samdhi) from Dubai; Sanam (Chitvan’s wife);  Suminder (Mithu) and Tanveir (Bambi). His friends were countless – Rakesh Chugh, Rakesh Nangia, Satish Sharma, Raju Virmani & Pammi, Harry Mann and Sonika, Simi Gupta, Dr Alok Ahuja & Dr Alka, Abhinav Kumar & Namrta, Sameer Dhingra & Venu, Amarjeet & Simi, Madanjeet & Vini;

Dr Sachin and Dr Shalini Samrant; Prashant Kochhar & Nidhi. Mona, Sonal, Manu and Kavya Yogi and Anju, Anup Kumar, Himmat and Rasna were dedicatedly 24/7 in the house. Bipin Bhatia, Vikas Atri flew down from Dubai. I don’t remember their names (apologies). Many Doon School friends came and attended the Akhand path in the house. I was trying to figure out and I reached the conclusion that Prabhjyot was a sensitive, inspiring human being with genuine passion to help every one around him selflessly.  His exceptional charm in social circles was always more than evident. In death it shone through.

Jyoti was equally popular with all age groups. An ideal man who made his dreams come alive through dint of hard work.

 His sudden absence has disturbed the entire social ecosystem in Doon city. It will be difficult to find such a charming, vibrant energetic persona. Divine designs are beyond human apprehension. I only pray for eternal peace to his soul and strength to his family and friends. Love you Jyoti. You will remain with us for ever!