Preeti Pillai is Nileshs' first cousin sister in the family. Preeti - loved, cared and adored by all, found immense support from Nilesh when her brother Mahesh and Prashant were out of Pune for their studies/job. Preeti shares her love for Nilesh here...

I found you, bro!

Two days back, my brother Nilesh was cremated. But I’d say, and hope many of you would agree with me, that it was only his body that was cremated. His soul is still out there somewhere, at a place from where he could keep an eye on each one of us. He is out there, reading our thoughts and memories about him with a smile on his face, and praying for us when we cry for him. He is out there, in a place we’ve only heard of in stories and fables, a place where he has everything he’d ever really wanted, a place where there’s no struggle, only peace, a place which is his reward for the priceless 25 years he spent on this Earth, as a dear son and grandson, a caring brother, a precious friend, and a loving human being…and that place could be anywhere; people say it’s up above, beyond the skies, but I’d like to believe, that that place is inside each one of us, in our hearts…

Nilesh, whom I fondly call Sonuetan, has always been a very special brother. And it is a greater joy to know that my brother was a brother to many others, and was special to hundreds like he was to me. That was his purpose of life, I guess. He was born to be engraved in the lives of many, to teach them about goodness, sincerity and warmth, to make them feel loved. That was what God sent him on earth for. He was His Angel, and he had to go back home some day.

How else can you trace the reason behind the end of a bright life in its prime years? How else could you answer as to why did he get untimely death in return of his struggle and newly found victory? How else could you justify that feeling you have, that he’ll walk right in through that door once again, or that you’ll hear from him soon? How else would you label a life so pure and deplete of scars?

He must be smiling, now that he sees that we realize he was indeed an angel. Now we know.

Now we know that our friend, our brother, our dear one, was different from all of us, that he came from another place, and the serenity in his smiling eyes is now explained. We now know that he chose us. He chose to touch OUR lives. We are the lucky ones. We are in his heart. He was our Santa Claus, he came from up there with bags full of love and lessons of life, and gifted us with all of it. He knows us, and now he’s reporting about us to his senior. Don’t believe me? Then just keep track of the beautiful little things that happen in your lives henceforth. Then, you’ll know, how well of you he’s told his senior, and how blessed your life has become!

And you know what? Through his journey with us, he’s gotten so in love with us, and now that he can see how much we miss him, he’ll come back. He’ll come back in another form, as another being. His name may not be Nilesh, he may not be your friend; he may not have the same smile or voice. You may not recognize him in an instant. But someday, you will find him again. We all will. He may not come to me as my brother; he may come as a friend, as a teacher, as anybody. But I know, he’ll come back to me, to his mom, to his dad, to his people, to you.

All you have to do is believe, and reach out for him. And you’ll find, that there’s a part of that Nilesh in you, and in everybody you know. Look out for him around you, and whenever you’re tired of the quest, peep into your heart with your eyes closed, and there you’ll find him, wearing that same playful smile, saying, “You found me!!”

Yes, I found you, brother!