My Favorite Cousin VV

I fist met VV as we always called my cousin V Venkateshwara Rao, when I was in my 7th class, some 11 years old. He was my mother's first cousin Subba Rao mamaiah's second son, from his first wife. Anyway, it appears that my mother discovered him as she did many such wonderful people and kept him in her close confidants. VV was then in his early twenties, studying for his Masters in Genetics, a subject he seemed to be fascinated by, at the Andhra University, Vizag. None of the attitude of a PG student in a University mind you; he was amazingly humble addressing even youngsters like me with the utmost respect, always smiling and forever devoted to his aunt or 'attamma', my mom. All she had to do was say VV, and he would appear, such was their bond.

Ram, Me and VV - August 2019

Maybe having lost his mother early, a sensitive soul like VV might have found some solace in the attention and love my mother showered on him. His father married again, when VV was quite young, which he perhaps did not like much, though he never expressed it. Also, I felt he loved the area where he grew up, Chintapalli, in Srikakulam or Vizag a tribal area. It was a beautiful place where my uncle worked, in the dairy department and I remember visiting them once in a foggy day.

VV shared a room with me and my brother Ram and regaled us with amazing tales of his college, the strikes, the students, his friends, and in particular this one lady friend of his, Zeenat Jahan, whom he perhaps wished to marry but never had the guts to approach. But the romance was there in his twinkling eyes. He would tell us about how he volunteered to help in the cyclone relief that hit coastal Andhra in the seventies, the horrible scenes he witnessed, the bodies and I realised he must have been shaken by all that he saw even then.

We had just moved into our new house in Hyderabad and mom probably had much work she needed help with so VV was there with us for quite a while then. He'd accompany her everywhere - the grocers, butcher, supermarket, cloth store an once he figured stuff he would do things on his own. He never liked playing cricket but he would spend time with us and encourage us. I remember he came with me for my seventh class results and was quite supportive through my rather tense time before I got my result. When I was a little worried about whether I got enough, he told me its ok.

VV taught me how to ride a scooter too. He knew how to and was old enough for elders to trust him. My eldest brother-in-law had a scooter, an Allwayn Pushpak, which he maintained with great care. We were not allowed to touch it of course. But one time when VV was allowed use of the scooter for something and I was home, he made me ride it in the colony and I pretty much got the hang of riding a scooter then. I don't think my brother-in-law knows to this day what VV did and how I learned to ride. VV used to have some posh cousins in Srinagar colony too, one of whom was an engineer, and owned a Yezdi, and VV would occasionally tell me tales about his exploits too.

After his Masters in Genetics, VV was looking for jobs and finally landed a job with UCO Bank in Vizag. For many years he was posted in the Vizag Port branch and he would write an occasional missive from there. His coming home reduced drastically after that and he seemed to be upset about something or perhaps that's what I thought. But when I played Ranjii Trophy in 1985 and when my photo appeared in the Sportstar when I got four wickets against Goa, I was thrilled out of my skin when I received a simple post card from VV, with that picture of mine pasted on its back and a 'congratulations' written on it. For the first class memories of mine, this one would take the cake. A lovely memento from my favourite cousin who I thought was forgetting us.

In 1986, soon after that, he came to Hyderabad for some work and we ended up buying cassettes for me - he offered to buy me a beautiful tape - Gold Disc 86 with some wonderful songs and a message for me - from V Venkateshwara Rao and the date. I still have the tape and his signature with me.

Family pic - Bill (VV's son), VV's wife and VV

VV slowly drifted away but was never out of m mind. his gentle and respectful nature, his good, drew my thoughts to him. Sometime then, he got married and I heard about it. Don't know why we never went. I heard much later form him how he was troubled a lot with kidney stones and how he had gone to Bombay for treatment. He had two children, a girl and a boy. He got promoted and shifted out of Vizag. Meanwhile, we all completed our studies, got married. VV didn't come for the marriages - agan I wonder why. My parents passed away and funnily VV and we never met through those years. However he began to call once in a while and once mobile phones came, he would call more often. When he came to Hyderabad for some office work he would call but never came home despite my inviting him, except one time. Despite being so much more older to us, he would always call is with a suffice 'andi' - respectfully. But despite the distance and the gap, our affection never waned. You could never get upset with VV.

When my nephew Ajay got married some fifteen years ago in Vizag, VV surfaced again, thanks to my eldest sister's persistence, and he attended the wedding with his wife. He would not invite us home feeling that it was not big enough - something which we never understood because we all loved him without exception for his kind-hearted and helpful ways. When my second sister Nalini was posted there he would visit her. Once we all planned to go to Vizag on a holiday - me Shobha and Anjali - and I dropped off because my niece was heading off to the US then. VV spent much time with them then - more so Bill, his son, who really took care of Shobhs and Anjali that trip. I wish I had gone because it was a relaxed, well planned holiday and I could have really caught up with VV. A few more visits and marriages. He came for my nephews' wedding in Hyderabad after that.

Big family pic at Abhi's wedding - VV to the extreme right

Last year when an aunt passed away in Vizag, Ram and I went went to Vizag and met VV. We got a picture with him - a group pic - surprisingly we have very few pictures with him. When there was the gas leak in the beginning of the lockdown I called him and he said he was fine. We chatted and he asked after his 'attamma', now Anjali, who he always referred to as attamma. We made plans as always to meet and that I would come to Vizag and we would go and visit Araku and for the first time he said - come and stay with me. I said I would.

VV on his birthday, June 26, 2020

In July this year Bill, his son, called me and told me VV was unwell. He said he had liver cancer which they discovered in some routine check-up. It was end-stage and there was little time. I thought that maybe the Tibetan medicine would help and sent reports to Tenzin who sent them as soon as he could. But Bill said he was sinking rapidly and had only a few days more. I got Bill to get me to speak to VV, my gentle cousin, and thankfully he was on video so I could speak to him for a short while. He looked a bit worried and said he was not in pain but was concerned about his health. In less than a week, VV passed away, mostly painlessly. The medicine arrived that same day. 

There is much I remember of VV and much I owe him. I can never forget how gentle and kind he was, treading the earth carefully, without upsetting life. He had small pleasures, a lovely, warm smile, and so many stories. His respect for all things big and small, his love for the uncomplicated life, are all things I would like to imbibe. Thank you VV for the lovely times, for the memories, for sharing your goodness with us. You will always be a part of us. Rest in peace my dearest cousin.