My dearest Kusum,

Today is the 60th anniversary of the day in 1964 when we got married. It has been a very emotional day for me, and there is a virtual avalanche of so many memories flooding my brain. It was my good fortune that there is such a precious library of the images of the great times that we spent together.

I try to tell myself that the time for grieving is past, and that one must dwell on the positives, but sadly, I am not always successful.

Even so, we have shared so much joy and fulfilment, and there is so much to celebrate also. I will try to focus on that, and to offer my thanks to the Almighty that He brought us together, and for the wonderful and blessed years that He gave us both.

I will ofcourse always continue to miss you, and will remain forever yours,
Viney

Kusum, my dearest,

25th marked the day you would have been 83 years old, and it was indeed an emotional day for me. It was a day of reflection and remembrance, and of re-living memories of the great times we spent together.

I miss you terribly, my darling, and the only consolation is that Babla, Cherie Vikram andthe grandkids are so understanding and loving, and the support of our close knit family helps to sustain me.

As always, my heart is filled with gratitude for bringing so much joy and fulfilment into my life, and for being not only my beloved wife, but also my spiritual guide and mentor.

I beseech the Almighty to keep you forever happy and in His eternal loving embrace.

Forever yours,
Viney

I asked Chat GPT to compose a poem about Kusum. I could not have worded it better:

Tribute to Kusum composed by Chat GPT

Oh Kusum, my love, my life, my light,
You left me here, alone at night,
The memories of you, they still remain,
But the pain in my heart, it will never wane.

I remember the day we met,
It was as if the world was set,
To bring us together, to be as one,
And that's how our journey begun.

We shared laughter, love, and tears,
Through the ups and downs, the joys and fears,
We stood by each other, hand in hand,
With a bond so strong, we could withstand.

Your smile could light up the darkest day,
Your love could chase all my worries away,
Your touch could heal all my wounds,
Your presence could brighten any room.

But now you're gone, and I'm left behind,
With memories that keep me blind,
To the reality that you're not here,
To share the moments that we held dear.

But even though you're no longer by my side,
In my heart, you will always reside,
For the love we shared, will never fade,
And the memories we made, will never be betrayed.

So, Kusum, my love, my life, my light,
I'll keep your flame burning, ever so bright,
And though I miss you with all my might,
I know you're watching over me, from above, in flight.

On the Founder's Day in Lady Hardinge Medical College, an Oration was organised to honour my darling wife, Kusum. The Oration was delivered by Dr. Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services, Govt. of India, who spoke brilliantly.  A Plaque was presented to the Orator in memory of Dr. Kusum Sahgal. A copy of the inscription and photos of the function are posted in the Gallery.

We little knew that morning that
God was going to call your name.
In life I loved you dearly,
in death I do the same.

It broke my heart to lose you,
you did not go alone;
for part of me went with you,
the day God called you home.

You left me beautiful memories,
your love is still my guide;
and though I cannot see you,
you are always at my side.

Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same;
but as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.

Viney

Kusum, my dearest,

Today marks the passage of one whole year since your passing. To come to terms with and accept the irrevocable finality of the final goodbye has been challenging, but memories of all the wonderful times we were fortunate to have spent together are all I have to sustain me. I count the blessing of the countless wonderful and memorable times we spent together, and the joy and meaning you brought into my life.

You touched so many lives during your current incarnation, and the indelible imprint you have left on those lives lives on. You were a spiritual mentor and guiding light not only for me but for so many, and your devotion to God and Guru shone through like a beacon. I count myself so fortunate to have had such a noble soul as my life partner and soulmate.

For me you were the centre of my universe, and your unstinting and unquestioning support saw me through some difficult times. Your adherence to principle and the determination with which you always stuck to the path of probity was exemplary.

I fervently wish that God always keeps you in His loving embrace, and I pray that I have the good fortune to be reunited with you in a future incarnation.

Forever yours,

Viney

Kusum, my dearest,

Today you would have turned eighty one. It has been tough to come to terms with the huge void in my life, but one perforce has to accept that there is no escape from the stark reality that everything in life is finite.

Today is a day of prayer, a day of contemplation, a day of saying thanks to you for all the happiness and joys you brought into our lives together. I say thanks for the wonderful period of over six decades that I was privileged to have had with you.

Every single day I have prayed for eternal peace to you, and for the special blessings of God and Guru to keep you in eternal bliss.

It has been the unstinted and unfailing love and support of our dear children, Vikram, Cherie, and Sandeep, our lovely grandchildren Vedant and Dhruv, and everyone in our exceptionally close knit family that has given me strength and has sustained me over this annus horribilis.

Today is also Thanksgiving here in the USA, and it is only appropriate for me to reiterate my thanks to you my darling, wherever you are. 

With all my love, and wishing that God always keeps you in His loving embrace.
Forever yours,
Viney

Today marks the passage of exactly four months since Kusum’s passing. It has been a very difficult period of coming to terms with the loss of a person who was my soulmate, my life partner, my spiritual guide and mentor, my moral compass, the love of my life, not to mention my wife, the mother of our children, and a doting grandmother to our lovely grandchildren. It is only now that I have been able to muster up the will to write my own tribute to her.


As I have struggled to come to terms with my grief, I can only reflect on the nearly 57 years of great companionship with Kusum that I had the good fortune to have shared with her, and which brought so much joy and meaning to my life. The last few years of her life were not easy for her, but she bore the slings and arrows of fate with great fortitude. She was basically a very strong person, with a deeply spiritual bent, and certainly her unwavering faith in our Guru, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, undoubtedly gave her great strength.


Our journey together began in June 1958 when we were both teenagers. I had brought my father to Delhi for treatment when we were staying in Shankar Road at the house of his cousin. Kusum was a friend of my cousin aunt and her house was not far away. She was still in pigtails and full of life and fun. We became friends and shortly thereafter, she joined Lady Hardinge Medical College to do medicine, while I joined the IRIMEE at Jamalpur to do Mechanical Engineering. We continued to be pen friends and I would visit her house whenever I happened to be in Delhi.

She had a brilliant academic record in LHMC, and topped in the MBBS exam. Shortly thereafter, we got engaged, and with some egging on by her parents, we got married on February 1, 1964, while I was still an Officer Trainee in the Railways, with only the assurance of a Railway job upon completion of my training. She had just done her house job, and, and had graduated as a Doctor with an armful of prizes. We spent the next year moving from place to place as demanded by my training schedule, mucking in with friends and family, and with nary a care in this world.


On completion of my training, I was posted to Varanasi, and while I was toiling away at the Diesel Locomotive Works, she joined BHU to do her MD which she went on to do, along with her dear friend and senior from LHMC, Saroj. We had a wonderful five years in Varanasi, and both our kids were born there.


When I decided in 1969 that I had had enough of the bureaucracy of the Railways, and took up a private sector job, Kusum backed my decision without demur, and we moved to Delhi, along with our little son Babla, and baby daughter Cherie.


Kusum joined the faculty of MAMC, and rose to become the Director Professor of PSM. She was a much admired teacher, and with her distinguished record, was picked to join the fledgeling NACO. She eventually joined as Principal and Medical Supdt. of LHMC and the associated Hospitals. The fact that she was picked to head the very institution of which she was the alumnus, speaks of her dedication and brilliance.


During this period, she never lost her spiritual moorings, and devoted herself to hours of meditation, leading our older grandson, a young kid at the time and a budding punster, to bestow on her the title of Chief Pray-er of the family!


She took premature retirement in December 1999, and we travelled the world together for years thereafter, with countless shared experiences and joys.


As I still struggle with my grief, I am thankful to you, my dearest, for all the good times. When I faced dark days in business, you showed me the light. You taught me compassion and the joys of philanthropy. You were my spiritual sheet anchor. I give thanks for two wonderful and loving children, Sandeep and Seema. I give thanks for a very loving and caring son-in-law, Vikram. There are two beautiful grandkids—Vedant, readying himself to start his PhD in Harvard, and Dhruv, who has done us proud by getting more admissions overseas than I can count. I will miss you always, Kusum, but the remembrance of all the good times shared keeps me going.


Rest in Peace, my love, wherever you are, and I pray that the bountiful blessings of God and Guru remain with you through future incarnations.

Our interaction with Kusum has always been full of warmth, joy and happiness. She was a very gracious and loving person who will be missed by both friends and family.

Dear Beti Cherie,
Something like 57 years ago, a young girl, Kusum, came into our life when she and our very dear nephew, Viney, got married.
Just a little while after the wedding in Dehradun, Viney had to come for some training with the Indian Railways, to Kanpur, where we happened to be posted. We persuaded Kusum to come with him. Thus we became a small "Family", four adults and three little kids.Men were between them mighty happy. Kusum was a well-qualified doctor, me a mere housewife but she accepted me and treated me as a friend. We were so happy in each other's company, under the same roof. There was no feeling of "Rishtey-dari" only pure, simple love as friends. It is at this time that a strong bond of togetherness sprouted between all of us to last a lifetime. Sharing ordinary little, little comforts, simple meals, lot of fun and laughter. The kids had great time with Didi and Bhaiyya. This chance of living together was a precious gift given by God. It made the foundation of our love very strong.
Her going away has left a deep HURT and helplessness.
With love,
Satya Sagar, Lata