Comments

1. Neha Kulkarni says:

   July 30, 2012 at 11:57 pm

   Harsh Pande.. I had always heard about Him in college. From friends who were good friends with Harsh. But I had never met him.

   He was brilliant with a real talent for humor and storytelling, I had heard. I had even heard some of those funny stories he had told his friends and I was amused to hear them. They sounded fun but random! Like pure madness!

   I once saw him with his, umm, orthopedic disorder?.. But so much reputation preceded this person that it did not feel that out of the ordinary.

   I was in awe of Harsh even before I first met him during ZS info day. Half an hour of conversation across the lunch table was all it took to convince me that here was a guy who is downright friendly and awesome. I secretly hoped that I would be put in his team when I join ZS after finishing college.

   I joined in September, 2012 and during my entire training period, never got a chance to speak with Harsh. I passed him once or twice in the corridor, but did not know what to say. So we never spoke! By this time, I had already heard about his fast promotion in ZS and was in even more awe of him than earlier.

   Come February and I got to know that I would be put on a new project and that my immediate boss(so to say) or the team lead would be Harsh.. So finally, I was going to be working with the legendary Harsh Pande !
   Our first telephonic call was a half an hour session in which I was to bring Harsh up to speed on the technology that we would be using for that particular project as I had some prior experience on it and Harsh was new to it. I prepared a lot for that session to go well. At the end of it, I got to know one more thing about Harsh. For all his friendliness, Harsh was a 100% professional and no-nonsense guy when it comes to work. I got the drift that while working with him, I won’t be cut any slack and I would be dealing with a sharp brain.

   As we started working, that feeling was confirmed. Here was a guy who was entirely dedicated to the task in hand. He would give his best effort, would be 100% professional and would work a lot more than what he would expect of his junior teammates. And Yet, he was never intimidating. Nor did he ever assert his superiority. In fact, he was quite the opposite. He would point out the mistakes but the very next thing he would do would be to make sure that we are not feeling down because of our mistakes. He would quote examples of how he made similar mistakes when he was at our stage and would thus make sure that we are not feeling upset before ending the day.

   I don’t remember a single instance where Harsh failed to appreciate the effort put in the work by the teammates. This was the best thing about Harsh. Good or bad, he would talk about everything that goes around and would do so in the best faith possible. He guided us, mentored us on finer aspects of how to deal with things in a corporate office and gave the best advice possible. He had become my go to person whenever I would find myself stuck on anything or find myself in troublesome situation. I knew I could count on Harsh’s advice and trusted his words like anything.

   Every now and then, I used to notice what a great leader Harsh was. He motivated the team to work efficiently. He had a big hand in getting us excited about the work we were doing. And most importantly, he always led from the front. ALWAYS. It would be difficult to find a more dependable and reliable team leader. It felt almost as if things would never go wrong as long as Harsh is leading the project.

   While bonding with him as a colleague, Harsh and I also connected during non-office hours. I feel lucky that Harsh trusted me enough to be telling me about his passion for writing and his grand plans for the same. I have had some memorable conversations with him wherein he told me about the random most things that have happened to him. He really always had a lot of material to draw his stories from .

   I completely respected Harsh for the amount of hard work Harsh was putting in work as well as his passion. There were so many times where Harsh would work long hours and after coming home, he would be found making progress on his other ‘projects’, that’s the term he used to use for his writing plans. I even got to read the introduction of the book he had wanted to publish. His writing was brilliant indeed. Soon after that, he confessed about his script writing plans and I was just awed again to see just how focused and how determined he was about his future plans. I would want to be like that, in whatever I do in future, I found myself thinking.

   I have a collection of about 10 songs .. Harsh would send in one or two song files every few days with just one subject line: “Nice song, hope you like!”. This was after he had accidentally come across the music collection on my laptop and after we had shared a few words about our music choices. The fact that he remembered that and kept sending me songs that I would like really touched me.

   Harsh, apart from being a very talented person was also an inspiration, a very good friend, an awesome leader and a mentor. As a friend of mine aptly put in, He smacked of bravery. Never once did I feel that Harsh had any kind of disability. Never… He was one of the most dependable people I know of.

   And above all that, He was the Nicest person you would find around you or even further than that.

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2. Rachana says:

   July 31, 2012 at 2:53 am

   Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.
   -Illusions (Richard Bach)

   Harsh was brilliant at writing; and I am no good. Just putting together some moments… I want to keep these moments forever in my diary too.

   Endless discussions in office – we invented nicknames for practically everybody… so that office chats would be “safe” even if anyone walked by and saw them. The most creative ones would always come from him :D. He could make just about anyone laugh.

   Life moved on to Stanford for me… and we began endless conversations on skype (I often wondered what his family thought about skype calls at 2am India time). Talks of books, life, philosophy and dreams! His book… I loved the few chapters he shared with me…. always believed he would be the author of a bestseller. Hope he is! And that he can achieve all his dreams of the book, love, life and beyond!

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3. Meha says:

   August 12, 2012 at 11:48 pm

   Always a star with the ladies, wasn’t he? :)

   My memories of him are of this annoying junior at college who I couldn’t help liking nonetheless. We sat through endless magazine meetings, making jokes, bitching about people and never getting any work done… And then we’d stay up late nights before deadlines, making edits (and more jokes).

   After we graduated, he was one of the few who bothered keeping in touch – planning ways to hang out when possible, talking on chat, over the phone.

   I think he was what every good friend and a good human being is and it takes a lot to be that kind of person. Six years is a fairly long time for someone to be an unforgettable part of somebody’s life. And that’s exactly what he is.

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4. Akash Mankar says:

   August 22, 2012 at 11:26 am

   Great to see this site up.

   Below is a link to the post, I shared on my blog about my last conversation with Harsh.
   He was in a true sense a RockStar!!
   http://akashmankar.blogspot.in/2012/04/phenomenon-called-harsh.html

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5. Dr. Aditya Ghatnekar says:

   August 22, 2012 at 2:28 pm

   Well wot do i hav to say abt harshi my frnd……… since hes known as a quotemaster i start wid d quote……. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. Well harshi dis quote certainly suits u. I mean i hav to be honest dat a person wid high est level ofintelligence n kind heart suffering frm so many medical complications still succeeded in makin it big. well i vividly remember d 1st time wen i opened d times f india n sakal in my 9th standard i ws certainly on cloud nine seeing a gr8 frnds pic sayin dat hed topped d board xams. Dat time i knew dat nw no one cn stop dis chap frm makin it big. I soon gave him a call to congratulate but his humbleness left me dumbstruck he jus laughed it off n said dude ur seriously overrating me even u cn top wots d big deal wer his words f wisdom…….. N den d rest is history. der hav been many who hav topped boards n faded away but harshi has been d jubilant soul whos been consistently intelligent n his intelligent actions hav certainly proved louder dan words. Well i must say dat harshis always been anispiration n weneva i felt like ive failed i always luked upon to harshi fr inspiration n der lied my answer n strength too overcome d failure. Well kitna bhi main likhun toh bhi kam hai. Wish u gud luck dippy aunty n uncle…….. Jus wished harshi lived years longer…….

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6. Jyotsna Panr says:

   August 23, 2012 at 2:43 pm

   I do not think I can really express my feelings towards harsh in limited space and words,Yet i will try to be precise.I met harsh when he was in 2nd standard at a common friends place.The chubby boy with physical challenges which God had bestowed upon him impressed me immediately.What was it that drew me instantly to him I yet do not know !
   As time passed this small boy became a topper in academics. His wonderful smile and will power always amazed me and also inspired me.Every time I was told about his success in exam and then in job I used to feel God what a will power and positive attitude you have bestowed on him.
   I always felt he will contribute towards society and show to all those who had crab mentality that let others be what they want to be, if u can not encourage do not doubt and under mine their immense capabilities.
   His second memories with me are when he came to my daughters marriage.He was my most precious loved and special guest.
   The contribution of loving parents and elder brother can never be over looked.Wish every body had Col.and Mrs Pande like parents and Digvijay like brother.
   He is my inspiration and my HERO.
   i salute him and his family.

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7. akshay pande says:

   August 25, 2012 at 10:59 am

   “If tears could build a stairway,
   And memories a lane,
   I’d walk right up to Heaven
   And bring you home again”

   Harshi….I miss u brother….memories have flooded me today again..of all the few but precious and happy moments that we had together. memories which were vivid…flash past me as if it were just yesterday….
   I being given a bath by mom while you and dippy chuckled with delight taking peeps at me….d moments when we made Pooja di eat chillies and threatened to scream even if she uttered a single word…..
   memories flashing by when we sat at the rocks near st xaviers…naini,
   u were somebody who has never left me….cause seeing you live life was an inspiration and a lesson for me to fight life with more zeal and courage….the jokes that we shared on my visit to pune many years ago…rite now I can hear ur voice ring in my ears say , “Next Please”…..
   You always spread happiness and love wherever u were…living life kingsize and also showing others the path to follow. I look up to my Master and he smiles down at me and says, “Don’t fret about his going but feel proud because I have sent him to a place where he will continue his work for which he was sent to You All – To spread the message of unconditional love and brotherhood to all those still in need.”
   dippy..chacha n chachi….he is still there living in our hearts and in the hearts of those who he will continue to enter…Master Bless His Soul.

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8. Smita says:

   August 31, 2012 at 3:24 pm

   I remember Digvijay and Harsh playing with the building blocks, building a structure and then making the structures fall laugh like mad then build something new again and play for hours together their fun and laughter was infectious.Then again Harsh , swimming in the RSI pool enjoying with friends and family, playing cricket, sitting in the car behind Digvijay and on the tricycle urging him to go fast are moments which I shall always cherish .The way he enjoyed the trips on the slide in Nishi water park and played dashing car with digvijay at Appu Ghar can only be called madness .
   The incident when we were returning from the Nainital zoo where there is a Shiv temple Harsh fell down from the edge of the road 7 feet down where there was the level ground is funny.He said that he had seen a deer and suddenly the deer had disappeared when I saw him down I too jumped down where we kept talking till Digvijay came and rescued us, I picked him up and Digvijay put him safely on the step of the temple .He was so brave, he never cried never showed any fear ,fearless and strong at five years of age. One night before one of his so many surgeries, he was thirsty I told him that he cannot drink water because of the surgery due the next day he put his hand around me and went to sleep, so understanding and mature . He was very fond of Hrithik Roshan and when the songs of Kaho Na Pyar Hai were played he danced so gracefully for hours and bought a T shirt with Hrithiks photo on it . He always fasted on Janmashtami, Ramnavmi, Shiv ratri and took joy in doing the prayers he would ring the bell while Digvijay blew the conch.Time just flew and be graduated as an engineer . His love for Photograpy blossomed after he won a camera and a T shirt in a competition Texibit by Amazon he was good at singing and sang beautifully .whistled well too.He was fond of instrumental music and old film songs too Main Jindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya , pyar deewana hota hai , Ye sham mastani , were some of his favourites .Movies were discussed at great length and he would book tickets for us after finding out when I was free ,very systematic and practical he was full of fun .Adlabs was the chosen theatre due to close proximity to our house We went to hotels , Westin , O Calcutta and Lavasa and where all together — happily for so many years Harsh lives on and will always live in the hearts of all who love him always !

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9. Jai Arora says:

   September 7, 2012 at 3:05 am

   I remember when I stayed at konark I used to come on my cycle to konark 1 to the club house in the evenings I used to get really bored cos I dint have any friends and harsh moved in soon later and he was my only friend we played table tennis together and argued about Manchester united I still remember distinctly ..I am sorry we didn’t stay in touch but you’re one person I’ll never forget u give me great inspiration..

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10. Pawan says:

    January 7, 2013 at 5:58 am

    On his birthday we remember Harsh as a little genius with an intuitive mind, with whom there was never a dull moment – a person who would always spread laughter. When ever we met he would narrate incidents in his typical humorous way and his bag of jokes was always full !

    We will always cherish the fine moments we spent with him and look forward to reading his book ” Hiccups”.

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