Adieu. Goodbye Rajkumar Lalwani.

To live in the hearts of someone you love is never to die.

Rajkumar Lalwani, Babloo as we fondly called him is no more.

But his gleeful smile, his gentle baritone will be alive in our hearts and memories forever.

Just the day before yesterday, he was happy that he had got 4500 Facebook followers and fans on a single day for his Bhagavad Gita Channel.

He was two years younger than me.?

My throat still hurts to think of him in the past tense.

Because he was always jovial.

So full of life.

And clear in his thinking.

We built a brand brick by brick. Pan America over two and a half decades.

From a small label to a mighty brand on simple philosophies

Today, I want to remember those philosophies that made him who he was: Special

1. BE POSITIVE?

He has a baritone voice. His glee is infectious as he would laugh and sing.

Rajkumar lived up to his name. He is a prince.

An ardent Krishna devotee, he was in the "Krishna space". Krishna was his boss.

And every time he would say: Boss dekh lega (Boss will take care)

Shrini, let's go ahead with the plans, he would say.

A business saint. We did our masthi. Drinks, Laughter jokes. He loved the good life.

The power of positivity inspired people around him.

2. WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY THEIRS?

He would often fight for his team

Handpicked. Ordinary men and women

His team was like the Lagaan cricket team.

It was his belief in his people that made them extraordinary

Years back, when his business partner died, he wanted his partner's family to be well taken care of.

I owe it to them, he would often say.

What is rightfully theirs, should be theirs.

That was his mindset.

He would like my ratatat way of speaking in English.

And he would call me Angrez.

Was that a compliment? I would wonder. And he would insist that it is.

3. DO NOT QUESTION. SURRENDER TO THE POWER

He was a good singer. In our early morning flights, in the early 2000s, he would often sing from Lagaan in his deep baritone: o Palan Harey. Pure shraddha in his voice.

Ages back, we were in a hotel, attending a Garment Show, when we got a call, his dad had passed away.

He rushed back home. And a few weeks later, it was like magic, his problems started disappearing.

And he used to say, now I am surrendering to two loves. My Krishna and my dad.

Years later when he built a lavish home near the KBR park, he named it Krishna Sharan.

Today, 8th July 2021 from Krishna Sharan his body would be taken to Swarg Vatika, the cremation grounds at Trimulgherry at 1 pm.

And his gleeful face would remain only in the recesses of our memory.

So long, gentle friend.

I feel like questioning God.

But I won't. Because you taught me not to.

4. GIVE BEFORE YOU TAKE

We were at a pub on MG Road in Bangalore. It was packed on that Saturday night.

13th Floor.

Rajkumar took out a handful of currency Notes and gave it to a waiter and he told him, attend to us and I will pay you more.

In just a couple of minutes, we were seated against a massive glass window.

I always tip first and I tip again at the end he said, It was just not about tips. It was his idea of Giving unconditionally.

I remember this day last year, he called me up. And he was tense that people around him were wilting under the threat of COVID19.

This too will pass he said.

But if they believe in Krishna, there will be magic.

He wanted to record One Bhagavad Gita Shloka a day?and send it on Whatsapp to his close friends.

We told him that we will create a YouTube Channel for him and we will do 1 Shloka a day.

Which he would explain in English and Hindi.

We put the Channel Promo on 11th July 2020 and on 16th July 2020?his first Shloka went live on YouTube.

Little did I know that on 16th July 2021, he would be with his Boss!

The channel got 1000 subscribers in the very 1st week.

His idea of giving something to people created little ripples.

And in a way, that day, his life, his direction changed.

He wanted to build a sanctuary of Krishna in the outskirts of Hyderabad. For the old and the needy.

5. BELIEVE

Passion. Belief. These were the cornerstones of his success.

We were both incredibly passionate about building an Indian global brand.

He was also a believer in the value for money concept.?

He came from the grassroots and along with his business partner he ensured that the range of fashions started at the same price point even after 2 decades.

It was his belief in ordinary men that made them supermen.

He had dreams and missions for everyone. He had plans and blueprints.

But perhaps, Krishna needed him more. Up there.?

Rajkumar Lalwani is no more

Anu Ayyar, me, and my Team Religiate wish him one last time.

My friend is no more.

My phone will not light up with his name. Ever!

I will miss his gentle baritone.

I have no one to call me: Angrez!