Let me start with when I first met Neerja. 4th January 2010, the day I started work in IIS University, Jaipur as Lecturer for Women’s in Staff room. Suveen, I was corresponding from start and had met at the time of interview in November 2009. Suveen, Neerja, Sharad and I have kept our friendship even beyond leaving the job area. Sharad is youngest amongst us and still in the University.
There were others on the table but Neerja somehow took charge of me from day one. This was my first experience of working in a formal set up. I had worked in SNDT Women’s University but it was a non-teaching outreach programme Centre for Rural Development where students from different departments of different colleges of the university came for graded internship other than the ongoing projects in Udwada, South Gujarat.
Dr. Neerja Mehta was incharge of Hindi Department. She has doctorate in Hindi also a diploma in mass media. Other than taking all the Hindi classes she organised the days related to Hindi, provided whatever Hindi matter was required during all University programmes. Neerja taught me how to maintain the attendance register in her meticulous manner along with the various requirements of administrative work which University faculty is supposed to do. She also guided me about formal dress in campus, she was just there to keep me in line, her benevolent presence was always a comfort for me. We not only had tea together we also relished our joint lunch. Neerja is an awesome cook ready to share recipes. I once ventured to make mango pickle under her tutelage of course with success. Neerja sings beautifully and I had the privilege to witness her poem writing. She was a confident scooter driver and gave me rides a few times. November is her birthday month. Neerja, Suveen and I enjoyed our birthdays, going out together, saw films, definitely meeting when outing was not possible.
In course of time Suveen took voluntary retirement and Neerja retired after that in January 2013 but continued till May 2013. Even after retirement she remained active. It seemed she did not get scope to be inactive taking care of herself and VM, her husband who was bed written all through lockdown. Neerja always has her chin up with a smile. She shifted to Delhi in 2019. Ani, her younger son, came to Jaipur stayed for a few months and took his parents. VM seemed to wait to her settled with her son to leave this world.
I went to visit her in September 2023, she made hot parathas and we enjoyed each other’s company. Her elder son had shifted to Delhi too.
Today November 17 is her birthday and I am trying to complete and upload a blog for her.
In January she shared that she had done Reiki courses and sounded very happy. This sharing is regarding that.
Feedback of Reki experience
I started getting eye pain again on 25th January 2024 evening. The severity of these eye pains is such that I become nonfunctional. I got operated for glaucoma in 1991 but started experiencing these pains two years before that. Even after getting operated these severe pains made their presence felt whenever there was any malfunctioning in the body. For all these years I presumed that these were extension of glaucoma symptoms and there is no cure for this other than remaining bed ridden for a couple of days when automatically these would subside leaving a feeling of being through a road roller.
26th morning while still being in a zombie state I was being pushed to write to Neerja to send Reki. Just a few days back I had learnt from her that she had done course and acquired certificates for the same which means she was eligible to give treatment. Twice it occurred to me but I was not able to get up. It was 1.35 when I eventually managed to write to her. She had told me that I have to be specific. With the severity of pain I barely managed but instead of right eye I wrote pain in left eye. Within minutes the pain reduced and I could write to her and eat food. I wrote to her about the right eye by 2.17 and I could sleep by 2.30 without pain for two hours. The pain started next afternoon but I wrote to her immediately to send Reki so I could sleep without pain. The pain did not return.
I am 67 now. 33 years I have been living with extreme pain trying without success to find out ways to not get it in the first place as I would not be functional to go to any doctor while in pain. The relief therefore cannot be measured in words. I am extremely thankful to Neerja and Reki for not just the immediate relief but for the hope that the pain will not recur.
I can continue about Neerja but for the time being a very happy birthday to a dear inspiring evergreen friend.
