A smile that can never be forgotten

He was a real patriot and a true noble soul ever witnessed by modern India. He had no external possessions like TV, A., car, jewellery or bungalow. Yet he was the richest man in the world with more than 1.8 billion homes to his name. Yes, the Missile Man of India had these many homes for himself all over the world. He had no home to call it his own, but he made home eternally in the heart of every single Indian. He is a Missile Man, but a lover of peace and Universal brotherhood. He was a friend for everyone and a foe for none. He believed that every one of us is born with a divine fire with in us. Our effort should be to give wings to this fire. He was convinced that one could exercise enormous influence over the events of one's own life. He always advocated that strong conviction and faith in yourself can change your destiny. His life was a proof of his strong belief.

He remains an inspiration and a role model for many people across all age groups, a rare distinction for a man of that stature, in the world. He left an indelible mark on every individual who happened to meet him in his or her lifetime. I am one of those who is blessed and honoured to have met this celebrity, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, a rare boon for an ordinary mortal like me.

I first met him at Rashtrapati Bhavan along with other ladies connected to DRDO. He always had a special place for DRDO in his heart. It was once in a lifetime opportunity for me, though I was lucky to have met him twice later at different occasions. I have some handwritten notes, the prized possession, of what he said and how he hosted the ladies at breakfast. He was a little late, he apologized to the ladies. He walked into the group alone, keeping the security at bay.

He was just himself like any other individual friend who hosts people. He was not polished or preened, he was just himself, down to earth, impressive with his long white hair curling at his neck and forehead. He looked more a friend and a warm host than the President of India, when he went around offering delicious vada with an infectious smile, the smile that can never be forgotten. He patiently listened to all ladies though many were talking with excitement. He stood there with a smile as if he was our buddy, not the President.

He interacted with everyone and spoke about the role of women in the nation building. He said that the greatest quality a woman possesses is taking responsibility for failures and giving credit to the entire family for success: The women are true leaders. He stressed on the importance of women and young girls being courageous and accountable and should shoulder responsibility in the society. Women he said, should be innovative and should identify new opportunities to develop themselves in different ways at any stage of life. Upon one of the ladies asking for his message he said that women are the pillars for the nation as their thoughts, their way of working and value system would lead to fast development of a good family, a good society and ultimately a good nation.

A woman inherently is compassionate, patient, honest, perseverant and sensitive to social issues. She tackles problems with a constructive approach and hard work. He immediately asked about anyone in the group was interested in joining politics. A Woman, he said when empowered through the democratic process, can collectively produce spectacular results. A woman's innate humanness should be used for reformative approach rather than retributive one.

He administered an oath to all the ladies assembled there exclusively in 'Kalam style', and commit to do our best to bring about a change in the lives of people around us especially women- in all fields like education, employment or health care- in which ever small way we can. Let us pledge: "I will work in my life to change the lives of at least 20 women by empowering them through education and awareness in different spheres of life starting from today", and added that small steps lead to big changes while big steps keep us stuck. A nation will be empowered only when its women population got empowered.

To achieve the goal, he advised women to work with a sense of purpose and knowledge righteousness at heart and imbibe strength from the lives of indomitable human beings from different walks of life. What a profound statement! From then on, I became a staunch, ardent and diehard follower of Dr. Kalam. In his autobiography," My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions", Dr. Kalam's love and regard for the women in his life was evident. In a special chapter dedicated to his mother and sister, Dr. Kalam described how two of them together symbolized for him the 'resilience and resourcefulness of the ordinary Indian Woman'.

Kalam was a quintessential Gandhi in a scientist's robe and the greatest President we had ever had. Infact it would not be an over statement if said that The President of India post got even more respectable after he became The President. In a world where people look for the next avenue to rob, he was sitting there building bridges with common people, doing research, writing books and talking science. Our nation was gifted to have him. Dr. Kalam had different faces, as a spiritual person, as a scientist, as a poet, as a classical veena player. But the most common attitude he expressed in all these faces was love and kindness.

He worked till his last breath for he wanted to do his part and inspire his countrymen on the mission he had chosen. Let there be a problem or let whatever be the situation think what 'I can give', was his attitude. He believed, by giving more we gather more. That's why probably he wished to be remembered as a teacher, the one who always gives and attains happiness when the students succeed. He was a teacher, who empowers curiosity and goal-oriented learning in the society.

Destiny chooses us. Destiny always chooses the one who is searching for it. Out of several billion people in the world, very few people would get such a Destiny to die peacefully, doing your favourite work, among your favourite people, the students. Dr Kalam breathed his last while teaching, leaving behind a priceless Legacy. He was an icon of humility and brilliance. He interacted with one and all irrespective of their social position. Be an inspiration to others and be supportive of their good thoughts and actions, dream big and support other's dreams as far as possible, was his motto. Dr. Kalam was a saint, a Karma Yogi, a Yug Purush and a true Indian who never wore his religion on his sleeves. He left indelible footprints on the sands of time.