AADIJAY DEV

5TH OF FEBRUARY, 2023

Excitement and ecstasy with apprehension and tonnes of sleepless nights… Finally stepping into parenthood thrilled to welcome our little miracle, our sweet bundle of joy, our brighest ray of sunshine, our next generation into the world, in the form of our son Aadijay, feels nothing short of hypnagogic! A buoyant shout-out to the new grandparents on their elevation, and ardent thanks for the tireless hours put in during the nine months, to bring this to a successful fruition, along with the rest of our friends and kin for the wishes and blessings pouring in from far and wide. It seems to be divine governance that despite a non-sedentary lifestyle, this birth is incidentally our dynasty's fourth iteration in the very same city of Guwahati, starting from my maternal grandpa, followed by my mother and me, and now assuredly my son too!

If a family can be represented as pieces on a chess board, then it is important for a new dad to figure out who the most valuable piece is… It is not him, but the newborn who is the king! Continued protection must be ensured for the wee munchkin as he quickly learns and grows under our vigilance, at the same time not forgetting to harbor this rapidly passing phase. There is a saying that “Hard times create tough men, tough men create soft times, soft times create weak men, weak men create hard times!” Hence, irrespective of one’s financial standing and place in the social strata, one must raise warriors, so that efforts of one’s past generations can be used as a spring-board and built upon, rather than stagnancy or regression resulting from smugness.

The name ‘Aadijay’ meaning ‘the first victory’, struck a chord with me the moment we came across it, as it is symbolic in so many ways… While it is true that the parents’ longings may differ from their child’s ambitions, probably one of the only regrets I have had in my own life till date, is that although I have been a step or two ahead of our recent foregoers, I wouldn’t call it a quantum leap. I wasn’t able to professionally pursue the career of my first choice, which was to be at the forefront of our existential quest as an astrophysicist or a scientist in general, nor have I been able to set up a laissez faire milieu for us. So, if our son can actually follow his most preferred path albeit without sacrificing practical necessities, it would surely be the first true victory, not only for him but may be for mankind at large! Who knows?

The shift in priorities has been stark… While on the work front I have always tried to do my best all around, it is best remembered that plant shut-downs come and go, and you try for little achievements between your daily punch-in and punch-out, but our career’s end normally isn’t too different than foretold by our trajectories, which in itself usually varies only marginally with any added push. On the personal front too, although my wife and I have already well-utilized the five years of ‘we-time’ we’ve had, ensuring soundness of our way of life and roving places, there are still quite a handful of domestic and international destinations on our radar, which I wish we are able to visit sooner than later, even more so now with the newest and cutest member of our family.

Last but not the least, Son… If you happen to read this article some time later in the near future, remember that all said and done, it is ultimately you who defines your name and not the other way round… You have for sure inherited some capable genes for the most part, and having brought you into being of our own velleity, nothing is more important for us than to provide you with the finest upbringing possible at our level, from the best nutrition to painless inoculations to class tutelage and a lot else wrapped in an unconditionally altruistic cloak... But I believe that at the end of the day, nothing truly surpasses one's own resolve and effort. 

While it may be lonely at the top, it must be imbibed that an attempt to get to that echelon can thereby often become a lonesome march too. Strength in numbers is after all the fancied go-to measure only endorsed by the feeble and the incapable, borne out of necessity rather than one's disposition. No wonder jillions of influential personages these days prefer low-key conjugal rites and such, realizing the paramountcy of quality over quantity! 

Aadi, you are the embodiment of your parents’ will and we have the utmost love and faith in you. There is nothing that we hold dearer in this universe or the next...

BE THE FORCE!!!

Not even one, but trotting across the Indian peninsula from the vibrance of Goa to the lore of Kolkata...!