ForeverMissed
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November 9, 2021
Mr. Anirudh Hi,

I am Srinivas from Delhi India. A good friend of Smt. Ramani in undergrad. This is really shocking news for me when I came across this site today.

My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. 

K Srinivas
M: +91 8800221221.

Sye Raa

November 15, 2019
Dear Srinivas...Was thinking of you while watching your favorite star Chiranjivi's latest telugu movie (Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy), I know you would have relished it. We miss you dear Sir !
July 30, 2019
One of my earliest memories in life was sitting with Adji in the temple room. He was showing me how to offer prasadam, food, to God. He told me to close my eyes, thank Krishna for feeding me today, and to offer the rotis to God. When I opened my eyes, I was amazed to see that one of the rotis was half eaten. I remember being very excited, thinking that God had come into our home and accepted my offering. It took me a long time to realize that my Dad had eaten the roti while my eyes were closed, wanting to fill me with wonder and give me faith that God would listen when I prayed. It was only after he passed away that I realized that God really had eaten that roti, because Adji was God to me. He brought me into this world, protected me, made sure I never had to wonder where my next meal was coming from, sheltered me, inspired me to try to become the best version of myself, sacrificed so much so that I could have a better life than him, and loved me, Amma, and Ananya more than anything else in the world. He was the best father I could have ever asked for. I will never be able to communicate, express or even thank him for everything he has done for me. When I pray now, I think about Krishna, Hanuman, and Shiva like I always do, but now his face shows up. And I pray and ask for him to give me the infinite strength he always seemed to have.

Imagine uprooting everything and moving to live in a foreign country thousands of miles away from everyone and everything that you’ve ever known. That’s what my dad did when he moved to the U.S. This is the story of America, immigrants leaving everything behind in search of a better life. The thing is, my dad never wanted to leave India. His dad, my grandpa, was the one who wanted him to study in the U.S, so that he could earn a higher income and find success. My dad was very reluctant, but finally listened to my grandpa and scheduled a visa interview at the US consulate. The day of my dad’s interview, my grandpa had a car accident and was injured. My dad rushed to the hospital, but when he got there, my grandpa said “What are you doing here? You should be at the consulate! Srinivas, you need to go to the US. Please do it for me.” So my dad left for the consulate, and during the interview, the immigration officer insinuated that my dad was going to violate the terms of his visa and not return to India. My dad blew up at him. “Why would I stay in your country? India has everything that I could ever want! I’m only applying for a visa because this is what my father asked me to do.” He was soon granted the visa, and came to study at ASU. So my dad came to the U.S for his father, but he only stayed because of us. While he had a successful job, a happy life, and was proud of being an American, his heart was always in India. For years now, he’d been telling us that he wanted to move back to India and take care of his elderly parents. We never took him seriously, but this year was different. He kept asking me the dates of all my graduations, so that he could see all of them and only then leave the country. He finally quit his job, and was on a flight to India within a week. Maybe some part of him knew what was going to happen. He had told many different people that if he had to die, he didn’t want it to happen in the U.S. He wanted to die in India.

As some of you know, for my honors college thesis I wrote a book which contained a collection of short stories based on Hindu mythology. Just three months ago, I wrote about the story of Shravan Kumar, the poor farmer who dedicates his life to taking care of his parents, and is killed while he is dutifully fetching water for them. I then wrote about how Dasharatha, the father of Rama, would cremate him, immerse his ashes in the holy river Ganga, and perform his last rites. Little did I know that in a few short months, my own dad, just like Shravan Kumar, would pass away while lovingly taking care of his parents. Little did I know that I, just like Dasharatha, would have to cremate him, immerse his ashes in the Ganga, and perform his last rites.

My dad was one of the most loving and caring people that I’ve ever met. He cared about Ananya, Amma, and me more than he cared about himself. There were times where he would come home after being at work all day and go straight into the garage, intent on spending hours to fix the water heater so that the rest of us could be comfortable. Once, when he dropped me at ASU for the week, I realized that I had left my backpack at home. Even though it was already about 11 at night, he drove all the way back just to drop it off. He was ready to spend all of his savings so that I could afford to go to the graduate school of my dreams. It wasn’t just his family, my dad simply loved people. When he was young, he used to bring all of the poor kids at his school to his home and had them fed. My dad spoke to everyone, no matter how little he knew them. He genuinely wanted to get to know them and ask how they were doing. He was so personable and social that he made good friends everywhere he went. My dad’s love and care extended to all living things. He’d never even harm a spider that came into our house-he would painstakingly catch it and try to release it outside. He always went out to water the plants in my mom’s garden, no matter how hot it was outside, because he was concerned how thirsty they might be. My dad saw the God in every person, plant, and animal.

I miss him so much. You don’t realize how much a person means to you until they’re gone. I never imagined that I would have to deal with his loss so soon. I am sad that I will never get another call from him asking me how I’m doing. I am sad that I will never get to take another family trip with him. I am sad that I will never hear his life advice or lectures ever again. I am sad that I will never sit with him at the weekly puja ever again. I am sad that I will never hear his voice again. I am sad that I never sat down to have a drink with him. I am sad that my kids will never know their grandfather. I am sad that I never got to take care of him, like he took care of me. He was always there for me, ready to catch me if I fell. I took that for granted. I’m so sorry Adji.

The last thing that he would have wanted was for us to be sad. He only ever wanted to see people happy. He would have said, as Krishna tells Arjuna in the Gita, never to mourn the dead. We grieve because we are attached to his body, which is the only thing that is gone. He is not his body. His self, his soul, his atma, is imperishable and immortal. Fire cannot burn it. Water cannot wet it. Wind cannot shift it. Time cannot age it. It is unaffected by something as trivial as death. His soul was the God that resided within him. It is the same God that resides within all of us. There is no difference between his soul, or my soul, any of your souls, or God. We are all God. There was never a time when he did not exist, nor will there be a time that he does not exist. When I look within myself, and search for the infinite source of peace and love that is the God that resides within me, I will find him there.

I mentioned before that maybe some part of him sensed what was going to happen when he left for India. One of my other earliest memories was also sitting in the puja room. My dad was telling my mom that before everyone is born, they have a conversation with God about everything they want to accomplish in this life. We all choose the karmas we want to exhaust, the duties we want to fulfil, the relationships we want to have, the achievements we want to earn, the religion we want to follow, and the different experiences we want to have. My dad had a short life. But I think it was short because he experienced everything he wanted to in this life. He had two parents who loved him, younger siblings who looked up to him, a wife who he loved and was married to for 28 years, had two children he never stopped saying he was proud of, and was so well-respected in his profession. He was very religious, and did puja every Sunday no matter who joined him, and every single day, wrote a verse of the Vishnu Sahasranamam. He did all of his duties as an act of service toward God, as he raised his children to set them up for success, cared for and loved his wife, and when he left for India to take care of his parents. He passed away in his own mother’s arms, in the house that he grew up in, in the land that he loved so much. Only someone great could have gotten a death like that.

Adji, I didn’t tell you this as much as I should have when you were alive, but I love you. I will never forget the sacrifices that you made for me, or how you loved us more than anything in the world.If Ican become even half the man that you were, I will consider my life to have been a success. I will always find strength in you, and I hope to keep making you proud. Rest in peace.

Dear Srinivas

July 27, 2019
You always wore a beautiful smile. Always had something nice to say about someone or recount a small favor that anyone did for you and reminiscence them. 
It is so shocking and I am yet to come to grips with what fate has bestowed. My prayers are with your family as they grieve this tragic loss and strength to accept it.
We will miss you dearly...!

July 8, 2019


We will always miss Srinivas Garu. His sudden departure hit so hard not only to his family but also to the friends.. He was warm, personable, friendly and ready to help kind of attitude .. we will always remember you in our hearts. Farewell good friend.May god bless their family ..

June 18, 2019

My daughter and I have known the Koka Family for 10 years. Ananya and Alegra attended CTA Independence together. Mr. Koka always waived as he drove by our home or greeted us as he went on his frequent walks through the neighborhood. His beautiful smile and warm eyes always made us feel at peace.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Susan & Alegra Aguayo 

Srinivasji

June 18, 2019

I wake up everyday hoping that this is a dream! You have been a great support to not only your family but also to the family and friends near you. As a supporter of our Dance school, you were full of enthusiasm and wonderful comments which only makes one strive one step better. You have always  shared a smile a kind hello with everyone which definitely makes ones day better. You are dearly missed Srinivasji!!!! 


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