Mooli was my classmate at DSE, during the two year MA Econ program there, 1976/77 to 1977/78. We became good friends in our second year when we jointly spearheaded a mission aimed at changing parts of the syllabi there, traipsing all the way to JNU, for a meeting with Amit Bhaduri that Mooli had set up. It was fun doing this together and our Profs did sit up and listen to us.
I remember, very clearly, the summer/autumn of that year when the Nandini- Mooli love story bloomed. It began, if I recall correctly, at a Railway ticket reservation counter. Mooli, being ahead in the queue, got his done and then spotted Nans down the line. He then stood with her, helping, till she got hers done. Nandini recounted this to Nisha and me the next day, all starry eyed and clearly smitten. Mooli, being Mooli never uttered a word to me about this. A month or so after, though, he dropped in to see me, along with Nandini. That was his way of declaring his feelings. And it was so sweet, seeing them together.
Since then I’ve met them both at least once every decade, if not more. The last time was, strangely enough, in Paris in 2014, where we dined together in their beautifully appointed home there. After a delightful few hours of warmth, good food and chatter, Mooli, looking out for the young daughter of a friend who was staying with them and going to be in Paris for just a day or so, bundled us all out so she, and we, could go see the lights on the Eiffel tower at night. And off we went. It was pretty awesome and I remember thinking then how amazing this was. Who’d have thought way back then that we would, a quarter of a century later, be standing together on a cold Paris night, watching the lights on the Eiffel tower!! I recount these episodes because they capture Mooli’s nature so well. He kept a lot of himself to himself, particularly as far as feelings go. But all one had to do was observe his actions with and towards those whom he cared for, to know the depths that lay within. That was and is my lasting memory of Mooli. Be at peace, my friend, be at peace.