Ujjwal Goel : A Eulogy

This is a eulogy for a great guy called Ujjwal Goel. I should point out, right at the outset, that this eulogy is unlike the last one I wrote. This is a eulogy for someone who is no longer a part of this world. This is a eulogy of someone I did not know as well as I’d have liked to. Consequently, this is also a eulogy I’m not the best person to be the author of. But that has never stopped me from trying.

For me, unfortunately blessed that I am with the gift of retrospect, Ujjwal remained mostly an unknown entity for most of my school life. This is not to say that I did now know he existed, but the fact that he spent most of his time at school 2 rooms away was an excuse not to get to know the fellow. Of course, now it seems like nothing less than an opportunity wasted. He was always in the periphery of my vision and the lack of initiative to reach out must be shared by both of us, though in the present circumstances, I would be justified to try and claim all of it.

The reason why I regret never bothering to get to know him earlier stems from the axiom that Ujjwal was a really nice guy, as I was soon to find out. As the fates (or to be factually accurate, the CBSE examiners and DPS Vasant Kunj teachers who prepared the class lists) would have it, Ujjwal and I were to be united in the mass union that we now call the 2011 batch of XII-C.

Once again, due to compelling circumstances and a number of commitments, I found that I was spending a shockingly little amount of time inside the classroom in 11th. But whenever I was in class, Ujjwal was part of the group I enjoyed conversing to most. There was already an established level of comfort that all the old hands who’d been at DPS VK for the past many years enjoyed. But more than that, it didn’t take long for it to become a universally accepted fact that Ujjwal really was a person with the most amiable of dispositions.

Despite being axiomatic, I feel the urge to provide an anecdote or two to complete the mental picture that I myself am attempting to build of the guy. For starters, the sunny disposition was evident in his overall demeanor. Always with a spring in his step, and a smile on his face, Ujjwal really was the perfect example of the happy-go-lucky person. Not for one moment must you believe that I am attributing the characteristics of irresponsibility and insouciance which are oft associated with the adjective. I mean to draw upon the positive interpretations – untroubled, nonchalant and light-hearted.

I guess one of the reasons why I can be so sure of the fact is because, rain or shine, come morning, the moment Ujjwal would step into the classroom, his mere presence could inject the atmosphere with an infectious joie de vivre. Sure, all of us had our personal concerns – including those related with marks, exams, coaching classes, personal life and so on – but sometimes, just talking to Ujjwal was like waving a magical veil in front of them. Certainly I would not go to the lengths of saying that Ujjwal was capable of reversing events and overturning established facts, but he could easily make people see the lighter side of things and forget their worries for the present, at the very least.

Of course, this is not to say that Ujjwal did not have concerns of his own, but they do not belong on this eulogy for 2 very good reasons: one, he may have had his fair share of troubles, but they didn’t always find their way to the surface – in short, in the unfortunately brief period I have known him, he has never really come across as whiny or of a complaining nature – hence, there is not a single reason why something that wasn’t essentially Ujjwal should form an important part of this piece.

And two, as much as I’d would like to say so, my friendship with him would pale in comparison to the kind of relationships he enjoyed with a few others, such as Sriansh, Samarth, Karthick, Harman and Zahaib. This is not to say that we didn’t get along – it’s just that we never really got to spend enough time together to get to know each other that well. Several people have tried to convince me otherwise, but my resolve is immovable and it shall continue to be a source of constant regret for me whenever I think about Ujjwal.  This should help justify the claim I made before I launched into this piece.

I feel that my writing has taken somewhat of a somber note, so I revert back to complete my repertoire of anecdotes. It would be prudent to remember that there was another 8 AM avatar of Ujjwal Goel – the exhausted fellow who would return to class a few minutes before (and sometimes after!) roll-call, brow wet with perspiration, shirt untucked and basketball in hand. Often embarrassed by the evidence of his crime, the meek “Ma’am, may I come in?” was sometimes met with rebuke, but more often than not, a stern smile – again, testament to the effect he had on the people he encountered in everyday life.

My usual spot in class was in close proximity of Ujjwal. We both preferred the row next to the windows and he was usually seated a seat or two ahead of me (when I was in class, that is!). It goes without saying that the opportunities for general banter were seemingly endless with a person like Ujjwal – with a number of his own experiences to share, and in case a topic unknown to him was raised – eager to learn and quick to form an opinion based on his principles. Yes, that is another thing I can say with a fair degree of certainty – Ujjwal had a firm set of beliefs and way to conduct himself that had a lot to do with his innately good character.

Speaking of banter, there usually wasn’t a good way to stem the flow once it started! Ujjwal was perfectly capable of going on and on, irrespective of what was being taught in class. This has put us in a tight spot once or twice, and I declare that he has had to endure the ignominy of being relocated by the subject teacher when it got out of hand a couple of times. But then, it’s all part of school life, I suppose, and we all took it in our stride.

Nevertheless, Ujjwal remained one of the most sincere students I’ve come across. Most of the time, it was certain that he was hanging onto every word the teacher was saying, taking notes with the Reynolds Trimax pens that I have now come to identify with him, in a scrupulously neat handwriting. As capable as he was of distracting you, he was equally capable of clearing your doubts in class. His ability to attain a serious attitude at the drop of a hat was indeed admirable.

As base as it may sound, this eulogy would be rendered incomplete without the mention of Ujjwal’s famed lunch box. As filled as it was with Neena aunty’s delicious food, those who partook of it should remind themselves that Ujjwal could have as easily taken his lunch into a corner and had it all by himself. That may have been true in an alternate universe, but not this one. The Ujjwal everyone knows and celebrates was one for whom sharing wasn’t a burden, it was an unquestionable way of life.

It’s regrettable that Ujjwal always placed basketball above football in his priorities and me, vice versa. This probably robbed us of some more time in 11th and 12th – though I can still vividly recall playing alongside him in the inter-section football matches. Ujjwal’s valiant efforts to make up for the shortcomings of the defenders (myself included, I should add) helped the goal difference from widening any further than it already had. He remains, one of the best goalkeepers I have played alongside, as well as a great athlete overall.

Again, I feel I could go on and on, but then I’d be missing the bigger picture. The fact of the matter is that Ujjwal is a person who was the embodiment of a number of qualities. Qualities that he effused and inadvertently induced in the people he met. It is not strange, therefore, to state that there are few, if any, negatives one would associate with him. That, in itself, should say a lot about what kind of a guy he was.

And this brings me to the conclusion of what was hopefully an accurate description of a person who was loved by all and who will be sorely missed. I am sure his family and friends will agree with me when I say that no amount of words are enough to do justice to the character like Ujjwal’s. But since they say it’s the effort that counts, I hope that this will be appreciated. Today, Ujjwal Goel would’ve turned 18 years old. His family and friends could use all the support they could get on this emotionally charged day. May his soul rest in peace.

Also, I didn’t get down to making the short film on him that I intended to due to a plethora of various reasons but mainly because I’m an insensitive idiot. However, I did whip up this little slideshow in about half an hour. It’s not much, but it’s really the least I could do:

There’s a prayer meeting now at his place, and I’ll probably be late for it. Ciao.