The Living Clockwork

“Katadzukeru” (片付ける）meaning "to put in order" or "to tidy up” is a verb in Japanese language which always reminded me of him. Somehow, since the day I learned this verb, I have always associated it with him. If discipline and systematicness are the two virtues of a successful life, he was one of the few rare examples which I have always mentioned to people in one or the other conversations. There are very few people I know, who genuinely accumulate knowledge by their own life experiences, refine it through situations and are also eager to share it. He was special, and he was one of them. In all facets of life small and big, I have learned something from him. He has given me a packet of knowledge which cannot be taught in any school of the world, but is truly life building.

I have lived in his house, as a child and as an adult for a brief period. In between innumerable conversations with him, a part of my mind has always wondered about the secret of his orderly life. I do not know its link to his past, but what I know are the stories of his hard work to reach an official position which very few people could attain. Now, when I think of this question, I understand its link to his fascination with details. He constructed a world around him which was neat, tidy, functional and orderly. There are many things, which were a standard routine in his house. A calendar full of sticky labels telling me every detail of his travel plans, his neatly kept desk with all stationary kept neatly stacked, his drawers full of CDs and cassettes with only the the cover of playing CD kept outside, his cabinet of tea-time snacks kept in nice vacuum sealed plastic containers, his bottles of homoeopathic medicines neatly labelled in his magnificent handwriting, his bed on which he used to do ‘Yoga’ every single day of his life, photo albums neatly stacked, music videos recorded at home but precisely indexed, his box of tools, nut bolts kept in neat plastic bottles arranged as per length. There has never been an instance, when I asked him for something, and he didn't give that out of some neatly indexed file, or a nicely labelled bottle.

He was a living clockwork, and a master of standardization. In those days when I used to live in his house, I was habitual of guessing the time just by his activities rather than looking at the clock. His time for breakfast, lunch and dinner, especially evening tea which he prepared himself. His proportions of tea and water, exact waiting time for tea, exact number of biscuits to be eaten. He managed to standardize everything around him with a great precision. He also had hundreds of ideas to make things more functional, easy to use and maintain. I am suddenly remembering hundreds of such techniques which I cannot forget my entire life. Unbundling and bundling the garden pipe was made easier by putting a hair band on one end, which fastened the loose end and facilitated rolling. Everything needed was kept at its place, a chair near the phone, a water tank above the washing machine. He loved happy movies, hated sad ones, was a foodie and had immense love for classic movie songs. He followed an extensive no-garbage policy, hated old and unused things and got rid of them as soon as possible. He always ensured that everything needed is right there, and not-needed is thrown out. All my memories of him are framed by his activities. I believe, that there are very few people whom you remember because of the way they do certain things. His personality was formed by his activities performed everyday from morning till evening.

He was an extremely practical and decisive person. For me, he was the only one ever practical. He had power of taking you out of your sentimental foolishness, bring you back on track of life, and be behind you for solving all the troubles. There have been moments in my life, when I seriously needed some opinions and I confided in him. Needless to say, that I always found a way out of my worries. Once he told me during a conversation regarding my late aunt’s belongings: “Keeping something in the memory of a dead person is the most nonsensical thing one could do. Things are bound to utility and not to the person himself. If you want to keep something, keep the virtues of that person alive, everything else is immaterial.” I still ponder over his statement sometimes and there is never a moment when I am not amazed about his wisdom regarding this mystery called life.

I never believe that a person builds his personality alone. We build ourselves, using pieces of other people’s personality, sometimes unknowingly drawing many things we like in them. I am sure he has inspired many, and a part of his personality is in everybody with whom he interacted and in turn enriched their lives. There is nothing else more commendable to do with one’s life.