The Certainty of Life's Uncertainty

The only certain thing in life is the uncertainty of life.

Anirban Chakrabarti started his PhD program in Electrical & Computer Engineering at the same time as I did in August 1999. He graduated in December 2003, a few months after me. Soon after we started the program, we became good peer PhD students frequently engaging in discussions/debates on our research, sports, and other interesting topics. That both our advisers too worked closely with each other also often brought us together for joint seminars and collaborations.

He came with a B.Tech degree from Jadavpur University (one of the top engineering programs in India) and was a bright researcher. And more than for anything else, I always remembered him for his deeply sensitive heart filled to the brim with compassion. Perhaps, his poignant personal life and the brought-up made him so.

Anirban's father passed away even when he was very small. His mother and grandfather brought him up, and he was closely attached to them. He always used to say that he would go back to India right after his PhD and will take up the job there to stay close to the family. His grandfather passed away, I think in 2002, not long before we were due to complete our doctoral program. He was concerned that his mother was now lonely back in India and so became much more eager to get back to India right after the graduation.

After I graduated and moved onto my new job, we corresponded over emails occasionally. He graduated with a solid publication record and could have landed a lucrative job in USA for his well-recognized research in Networking and Grid Computing. However, he took up a job in the Infosys Research Labs, Bangalore, and was actively involved in the research conferences in India.

Later again we exchanged emails over the news of his wedding. And then, for over two years we were not in direct contact, but I was hearing about him occasionally from other friends.

In December 2008, it was the shock of of my life when I heard that he died tragically in September 2008 as he accidentally fell from his apartment in the top floor. It was heart wrenching to hear that he then had an 8-month old son, and that he fell down right in front of the eyes of his mother and wife.

What greater tragedy can there be for anyone than that seen by Anirban's mother, who lost her husband early in life, brought up her only child with hardships to see him succeed and do well but only for a short period, then lose him right in front of her eyes and see her daughter-in-law and grandson left with a similar agony for the rest of the life.

What a game the nature played, for Anirban did what all he could to alleviate his mother's agony, which only increased many folds because of the cruel fate.

Since I heard the news, almost every day I remember the family and say to myself that we do not have any right to complain for any small misfortunes we may face in our daily lives. There is no bigger loss than that and there is no bruise deeper. Any short lived loss or agony is not to be brooded over even for a moment.

The odyssey of Anirban's family and those great untold tragedies of many others constantly remind me that there is not a moment to lose over trivial troubles; there is so much to do, but there is only a little time left in the journey.

Because, the only certain thing in life is the uncertainty of life.

Here is the tribute to Anirban by the scientific community in India.

Postscript: I began writing this while waiting for my yesterday's evening flight from Dallas to Portland. The flight was constantly delayed and eventually cancelled, forcing me to spend the entire night in the Dallas airport. On the Christmas eve, today all the flights were over booked and the airline has routed me to Phoenix and then from there to Portland. Now, as I wait for my next flight in the Phoenix airport and am due to reach Portland 33 hours after my trip began (assuming the rest of the trip will go as per scheduled), I complete the writing.

Though the thought to write Anirban's story was only incidental, it again reminded me of my fortune and helped me to stay cheerful even as I am currently stuck in the airports for long hours far away from family and friends.