Earlier today, 57er Budni Behramwalla had emailed me that he was out of Pune and would attend to some matters that I had addressed to him as soon as he returned. He sent me this email:
From: Behram Badhniwalla
Date: Apr 13, 2007 9:37 AM
Subject: Re: Do you know
Jacob,
I am currently out of town, I will return on 20th April!
Will check out some facts after I return!
Cheers
Budni
And then just a few minutes later he sent me this email:
From: Behram Badhniwalla
Date: Apr 13, 2007 9:44 AM
Subject: Re: Introduction from a 59er
Jacob your blog should have an automatic-hyperlink with catalumini & vice versa.
Believe me that would would really be very 'Cool'.
What a "Cat-a-blog" it would be!!
Cheers.
Budni
PS. Re the 1 lac Tatamobile - send some details for me to go & visit their Marketing Mgr. in Pune, for initial discussions.
Just a few minutes ago, when I returned to my computer to close up for the evening, this message was waiting for me from 54er Sadhana Madhusadan (née Shah)
From: Sadhana Madhusudan
Date: Apr 13, 2007 10:50 PM
Subject: Re: out of Pune
IN GRIEF!
Dear People,
This may come as a shock ...
Much as I wish it were'nt true, this might be perhaps the last mail you and I shall get from our dear Budni.
Our Doc had a massive heart attack this evening (Friday 13th April), as he and Carmie were attending a wedding reception in B'bay.
The end came within 15 minutes or so and what seemed to be an asthmatic attack was termed a heart attack by the doctor who attended on him.
Mercifully he did not suffer too much.
This is all the news that I could gather.
The Funeral will be tomorrow afternoon at the Towers of Silence.
Heart goes out to Carmie and I want her to know that I am always there for her.
Memories of the last time we were all together at the Toscana are still fresh in my mind. Although he was not too well that night, he showed so much spirit and enthusiasm to make a great success of the "Bash" as he loved to call it.
His capacity to spread cheer and bonhomie with a never ending background score of 'Jazz" was astounding.
We shall always miss him for there can never be another Budni..
I happen to be in Pune but, funnily, this evening, when he was attending the wedding in B'bay, I suddenly thought of him and even played a few bars from Satchmo's fav "When the saints go marching in" on my son's Yamaha.. saying to myself "I shall surprise Budni with this rendering of mine next time...."
Praying for his soul.
May God grant eternal rest to our wonderful friend and a great human being and wherever he rests, let there always be plenty of music.
"Om Shantihi".
Sadhana Madhusudan
Passed away 13th April 2007 in Mumbai of cardiac arrest.
In the short time that Budni and I have been corresponding, Budni was so energetic that he drove me and the Seventh Heaven blog in many different ways.
He was after me to review his idea about the Health Care Foundation for Cathedral Staff and older Alumni.
He was a man on a mission with a passion.
He took up the case of Mr. Karkaria's tragic passing away in dire circumstances. It drove him to work harder on his Cathedral School Staff and Alumni Health Foundation.
He would not take "No" for an answer.
He sent me his idea before he published it to the world. As soon as I gave it my considered opinion, he pushed it hard so that he could achieve it as the contribution of 57ers to all Cathedralites at their 50th Year Reunion, which he was instrumental in driving forward with fellow Pune classmate, Fleur Ezekiel.
Just like I mourned the passing of 59er Bala Parasuraman a short while after I discovered him on the internet, or the passing of 54er Pamela Ballantine just after she received her OBE and we established our relationship on the internet, here was the third instance of a renewed friendship horribly cut short.
I cannot but write tributes to this enormous human being.
The sorrow of his passing tells me that we must be prepared to go as soon as God calls us.
As I learnt from my relationships with so many of you, and especially Budni, let us remember that we have so little time together, that we must enjoy our company to the fullest, as I did with Budni, so long as God lets us.
Let us, tonight, pay tribute to a wonderful human being who has left us and let us send our heartfelt condolences to his family through our fellow Cathedralites who will attend his funeral tomorrow in Mumbai.
Goodbye dear friend.
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