Warm and Intimate Nagabhusan..

   Rajkumari and baby Sangeeta with Rita Mohanty and friends, 1977

I met Nagabhusan the very first day I landed in Boston from India. I went straight to Raju and Nagabhusan’s studio apartment in Cambridge on that late summer day. I was hungry, tired, and scared. Going to a stranger’s house directly from the airport didn’t help. Little that I knew, those strangers would be some of my dearest friends. I remember clearly how welcome they made me feel. Raju had a beautiful Sari for me which she hand embroidered herself (I still have that Sari with me). While Chandrasekhar and Prasanna (yes, he was there too) were making loud conversation among themselves, Nagabhusan was trying very hard to bring me into conversation in his own quiet way. I made an instant connection to him that day. The most striking memory I have of him is that he made me feel safe. It may sound strange, but every time I was around Nagabhusan, I felt like I was with my real-life older sister. He was kind, considerate and had a sense of humor that many might not have noticed.

I saw Nagabhusan and Raju almost every weekend that Summer and Fall. We went out on sightseeing, picnicking, shopping etc. and ended up at their house at the end of the day. They were always the perfect host. Raju fed us with her fabulous cooking while Nagabhusan entertained us with many of his board games. I loved that. Actually, I learned how to play the game of Scrabble from Nagabhusan. Over the years I came to consider them as part of my family. Throughout my college years, Nagabhusana gave me many advice; asked many questions about my course work and also teased me for being a chemical engineer.  He told me once all the mechanical engineering students at IIT used to say “the only thing chemical engineers do is mix oil and water”.  Even today, I can clearly see the smile on his face when he said that. He thought that was really funny and so did I. To this date, I use that tag line with many of my friends.

I was very sad when they moved to Columbus. Sangita was only an infant at the time. I thought we would see each other often as we did before. It didn’t happen that way. We all got busy with our family and professional life. I lost touch with Raju and Nagabhusan soon after they moved to Columbus. I only saw them few times over last thirty years. But every time I saw them it felt like nothing had changed. Nagabhusan was still the most loving, considerate friend I have ever known. It has been almost a year since he left us all. I think of him often now and treasure the memories I have of him. He was a beautiful human being. I hope Raju and the children take comfort in knowing that he is missed by everyone who had the good fortune of knowing him. 

Rita Mohanty, East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Dr Rita Mohanty came to Boston as a young bride married to Mr Chandrasekhar Mohanty.  She found a home with Nagabhusan and Rajkumari immediately and fondly remembers her years. Nagabhusan influenced her for higher studies.  Rita did a PhD in Chemical Engineering and serves as a professional engineer.