Goodbye 'Sir'

I didn’t know him too well. Would just bump into him everyday I visited the head office. And as his junior I called him 'sir' or added a 'ji' after his name. I didn’t even have his number on my phone.
Sir passed away yesterday. He had a heart attack.

I realised I would miss seeing him around. With his trademark bag.

So to save myself from feeling bad i tried to recollect something about him, a small memory that i could associate with him. And I didn’t have to try too hard. Like a flash the incident played before my eyes.

It happened a month ago. We were sitting in a corporators office chasing the same story. Like a sly fox I waited till ‘Sir’ left the room. Then he left but he came back into the room with a close friend and told me ' you should contest the upcoming committee elections for the presidents post'. I was bewildered. I was so much junior than him, a complete novice who obviously was still finding her feet. And why did he want me to stand. I rubbished his request and laughed it off. Told him quite bluntly to ask someone else. A few days later he asked me again.

While I openly denied his request, he indirectly changed quite a bit in me. I was going through a distressful time (actually still am) and I would wake up feeling stupid, terrible and unworthy of my job. So when 'Sir' proposed my name for the elections, I was quite grateful. After all why would a man of his stature want a minnow like me to hold that post? It boosted my confidence no end and I began looking at myself a little more positively. His plain request helped me to like myself a little more. After all if he thought I was good enough, many others may have had the same feeling. Seems narcissist but I needed that feeling.

Today in wish I could have said thank you to ‘sir’ for instilling that little confidence in me. I didn’t. I don’t know why.
So when I sat recollecting about the incident I wish I had told him …
Thank you Sir.

My roommate told me another thing. He was the person who had helped her shoot my birthday video at the headquarters. He waited with her so that the high command would meet her and went around asking other colleagues to wish me. But when requested to star in it, he sweetly refused.
Thank you again ‘Sir’