Rukma Vasudev
– a tribute
Rukma, meaning gold, true to her name, turned a golden girl when she topped MA in Mass Communication and Journalism, bagging six gold medals. This was just the base for building her pyramid of success and achievements. For a span of 4-5 years she took up a challenging stint as a technical writer, bagging the in-house achievement award, alongside forming warm friendships along the way. Soon the lure of an academic career beckoned her and she hopped happily to the pristine environment of Manipal to explore her potential in the art of teaching along with coordinating extra curricular activities. She excelled in both. She had the opportunity to showcase her skills at a few foreign universities that enlarged her perspective. Soon the wedding bells came ringing and she happily tied the knot with Prasad, one with extraordinary credentials. Soon after this divine intervention she spent a few years in Belgium leading a blissful married life. During the same period she also presented papers at a few universities/conferences, gave guest lectures at a few colleges here and there, and also enrolled for her PhD back home. Her determined efforts and strong backing by Prasad led her to present her thesis with aplomb. This was no mean achievement as she had to split time between India and Belgium. Once the couple settled on home turf, she re-entered the portals of academics and started her stint at Jain University, Bangalore. During this stint, apart from other extra curricular activities, she got the privilege to address the media and appeared on TV. Some time later she decided to explore newer pastures and did a great stint at Deshpande Educational Trust, Hubli, as Trainer of Trainers. As additional responsibilities came hounding her she rejoined Jain University with a part-time option. In between she copy edited a book or two for IISc Press and Manipal University Press. Additionally, she handled a translation work of a book, and also a transcription. An unique opportunity at a software MNC lured her away from the academic portals to the corporate world. She was hired as Technical Editor at CLS Q2. Alongside she handled projects like recording videos of English grammar classes for Akka channel of Akka Mahadevi University, conducting online soft skill sessions, addressing a webinar hosted by KUD, attending numerous webinars actively, partaking of ISKCON webinars, apart from pursuing art from Chitrakala Parishad, growing a small potted home garden, pursuing spiritual engagements, and so on. Like Prasad she was an avid traveler and got to visit 23 countries in this short tenure. These include rare places like Bethlehem in Israel, The Vatican City, Wales, and so on. The list was to grow with each passing year. But her departure through the final portal came along and she did that with aplomb too, working on her job and projects right till the time the portal almost closed down on her.
Never a frown nor a tear!
What a way to lead a life!!
It’s not about how long you live, but how best you live!
Anekashaastram bahu veditavyam I
Alpashcha kaalo bahavashcha vignaaha II
Yathsaarabhootham tadupaasitavyam I
Hanso yatha ksheeramivaambu madhyé II
There are various fields of knowledge to pursue;
Time is short, lots of hurdles;
So that whichever is meaningful you pursue;
Like the swan which draws out only the milk from the milk-water mixture!
Rukma seems to have lived her life accordingly! Hats off, dearest Rukma, we, your family will ever remain proud of you!
Scroll all the way down to pen your thoughts!
If you want to share pictures in the blog, please send them to psandrv@gmail.com.
We would be grateful for your memories of Rukma shared with us, and we thank you in advance for each one of your individual gesture.
Rukma Vasudev 
So shocked to hear this sad news! 😦
Rukma was one of sweetest people I met. Very soft spoken, knowledgeable and very helpful always.
May her soul get mukti.
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Extremely sad and shocking news. A lovely soul gone too soon. May it rest in peace and bliss.
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Extremely saddened by the news. Still remember her smile to this day. May her soul rest in peace.
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This is awful news. I am so very saddened to hear it.
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Oh no! She was always cool, composed, and ever smiling… praying for her soul’s rapid progress to the end of its journey.
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Excellent persons have a short life. Very sad. It’s true that how one lived is important than how long one lived. God bless her.
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Thank you sir, for reaching out to us. Our loss is immense and unbearable. We are trying to cope as best as we can.
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To Rukma
It was back in the year 2008 or so – I don’t remember precisely – that I met Prasad when he joined the University of Rennes (France) for PhD. He was so nice, gentle and good-natured that we immediately became friends. We used to meet often at the cafeteria during break and he used to pay a visit to our house in the subarban town of L’Hermitage whenever he was free.
Later in 2011, he presented Rukma, his newly wedded wife, to us. They both appreciated our house with its garden where my wife Christine had planted a variety of flowers and kept it neat and tidy. Rukma liked nature and respected it ; she loved animals too, particularly birds and cats. No wonder she loved our cat Ganesha with whom she enjoyed playing.
We liked the simplicity, liveliness and candour of Rukma. She was dynamic and communicative. We enjoyed the company of both Prasad and Rukma when they stayed with us a few days and , reciprocally, they appreciated our home food which they found to be balanced and organic. We remember how we enjoyed a trip to Mont Saint-Michel together ; they were part of our family, so affectionate end respectful ! Rukma was so caring toward us like a daughter. We miss her communicative good humour and smiling face !
Rukma was such a courageous and hard working girl and adventurous too. Recently, she took interest in the fine arts and undertook a course in an art school in Bangalore. I wonder if she got inspired by my own hobby of drawing and painting. She had in fact seen some of my humble paintings in our house and I could feel her interest in art as another medium of expression. I was feeling flattered when she would show me each and every work she produced at the art school seeking my comments !
When we visited India in November 2019, I had brought her from France a few little things needed for painting and I was extremely moved to see how that made her happy as if it were a precious gift. Later, she was proud enough to show me the art work she had produced using that material.
When the Covid pandemic struck the world and everybody was desperate, Rukma stayed optimistic about the future , never losing hope.
We miss you Rukma, we miss your smiling lively face, your courage and optimism and your joie de vivre. You will always be there smiling cheerfully, in our hearts. We will keep thinking and talking about you. That is how you will be for ever among us !
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Dear Basu, thank you for your lovely sentiments about Rukma. I remember the time in 2012 when you had visited our house in Hubli along with your son and brother, Rukma was equally happy, then residing in Leuven. Yes her memories are ever fresh and we are as yet finding it hard to accept whatever has happened.
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Even after a few months, it is difficult to believe, Rukma, that you are not here. Even after so many deaths around, your disappearence is not particularly convincing, as it was also so sudden and premature, also because it was not due to the prevailing wide-spread reason. As a colleague, you treated me as an elder brother and I always thought that you are a limit for human goodness. Not an iota of rancour, not an ounce of malice, not an inch of ill-will; you stood for all what ‘humanness’ could stand for. Perhaps, you accepted death also with the same smile – without ill-will. But it is so unbelievable. You must be somewhere. Perhaps, you would be there for K K Hebbar’s 110th birth anniversary whose biography you have translated (along with your mother). It could even be your ‘virtual presence’ as the world itself has become ‘virtual’ and ‘the virtual is more real’ today.
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Thanks for your sweet remembrances of Rukma. You brought back Manipal memories for us. Just the other day her classmate recollected an incident from their IV std days wherein she had found Rukmai to be of such good nature unwilling to hurt the feelings of others and unwilling to gossip about others.Yes it is indeed unbelievable she is not here as she used to be. We believe she is an evolved soul now back with Lord Krishna.
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Rukma as the name itself suggest that she is a RISING SUN true to her name as she was a rising sun to many many people.
Me & Rukma were schoolmates right frm grade 1 to 10 & I had fond memories with her. After my SSLC had met her in Bangalore on November 25, 2019 along with her soulmate Mr. Prasad ; my elder sister Dr.Manjula(her Senior). It was Monday &inspite of her hectic Schedule she made it a point to meet us, it was approximately after 1.5 decades &yet there were no changes in her. Spoke a lot many things…abt her life journey & her achievements. She was in all praise of my profession which always I had considered to be a low one. Took a lot of inspiration from her. She was also in praise of drawing (she was attending an art class at Chitrakala Parishat)
Mr.Prasad and Dr. Rukma’s hospitality will be ever &ever cherished.
Exactly aftr a yr came to know the Rising Sun had rest in peace, hard to believe but yet feel that she was most pleased to God.
Still her smile, simplicity & honesty lingers in mind.
Have to learn a lot many things frm her &her life. She is an epitome of Simplicity & Charity.
With pain had to pen down this🙏
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Dear Madhavi, we family feel so touched when friends like you pen down such loving sentiments about dearest Rukma.I remember she had shared details of her meeting with you and your sister, along with her dear husband. As you have written, yes, the rising sun set early, but let us believe that it has risen again elsewhere on the elevated plane of God. She is indeed blessed to have a friend like you. Thank you.
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Hope our gud frnd rukma is well being in the arms of Lord in heaven… Rukma ws a pure gud soul, nt only she wud pour love on us bt she evn used to love animals too.. Once we both wre in chat in wats app nd as I mentioned abt my pet cats to her.. She ws vry excited to see them n askd to post the pics of my pets. She ws vry happy to see them.
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Dear Bindu, thank you for having such warm recollections about dearest Rukma. It means a lot to us family when friends pen down their thoughts sparing their valuable time. Thank you.
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Dearest sis Rukma, it is one year already and everything is still very surreal. It does seem like yesterday that I talked to you sharing our everyday anecdotes.What happened has been too sudden to comprehend and the mind will continue to seek answers….
We think of you every single day and remember all of your thoughtful words and actions. You are a beautiful soul and have taught us that life here is all about time well spent.
I miss you a lot my dearest sister, my best friend. You are now a blessed angel in the divine realm, we know you are always with us.
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Rukma is present around me I feel,each and everyone I guess …like an aroma of flower that surrounds the plant , like a Cologne that surrounds a person , like a candle that lights the entire room …her absence is mere physical , what she left with us is a lot more than I can express here…I thought would exhibit my paintings with her in the chitrakalaparishat at bangalore ..for which am trying to continue this project giving time for it to be accomplished from my busy schedule ..I hope i can present good art in the name of rukma …
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Dear Greeshma, what loving sentiments you have expressed about your lovely friend! It means a lot to us family to know that dearest Rukmai is being remembered so warmly by her friend. She is blessed indeed! Thank you.
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Truly selfless, humble n always with a smile..that’s Rukma for me..hope u r always smiling n guiding us from ur special place..
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Thanks Asma for remembering your pal with such kind words.
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26th is a date I’ve always been fearful of. Now I’m terrified of it, it took you away from us, our darling Ruk. A year hasn’t dwindled the pain nor allowed us to face the stark reality. But as always, you have found a way to calm and console. When specially anguished emotions besiege me, you have come up with a way to reassure. You make my eyes turn to our analog clock and show me a straight line. Whether it is in broad daylight, deep in the night or the wee hours of morning, this never fails to happen. That’s you, Ruk, always, always, comforting and caring. You tell us you may not be physically around, but you are now a part of each one of us, residing in our hearts and embracing our souls. Love you so much, baby sis. It is a matter of time till we are all together again.
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Yes, dear Kanchan, only a mater of time.Till then she must help us move along, donning her attitude towards life.
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It’s been a year today and it’s still unbelievable that your physical presence is not with us.But we keep consoling ourselves dear Rukmai that you are present with us by our side as our guiding light and many a times felt that too. We keep telling ourselves that you will always be with us until we join you in the other world. We love you dear sweet golden Rukmai. We miss you so much!!
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Yes dear Keerthi, missing her will never cease. Life is most unexpected at least expected of times.
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Rukma, dear sweet Rukma. Even now your presence is being felt in so many unexplainable ways. It is a weird phenomenon that I cannot explain. I talk to you in my mind and I feel you talk back. I share a problem and lo and behold it seems to be resolved. Your sweet smile and face is forever etched in our minds. I am sure you are speading your warmth and positivity in a wider scope now. You are thought about every singe day and your sweet smiling face adorns my table in the living room giving it a special glow. Love you Rukma and hope you are smiling and happy in your abode amongst Angels.
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It has been a year since the loss of my dear friend, Rukma that has left me and many others shattered. Words fail me as I sit down to pen my emotions. I want to think this never happened. My dear friend, Rukma has been, and will be a friend for life. Joyful memories of our childhood, like laughing over silly songs, sharing lunch with friends during the break, and chatting while walking after school to catch the bus, will stay with me for life. Even when Rukma had to move to a different city, there were periods when we lost touch for a while. But eventually we always connected to each other.
It seems so unfair that a such a wonderful person is not with us anymore. I often find myself telling tales of her strength, generosity, kindness, and compassion towards people and animals to my children. Although her journey has been short, what she has achieved during this time is remarkable. Having spent most of my school days with her, I have seen how even as a child she was so thoughtful and caring. One such incident was when a friend made a beautiful drawing but did not believe it to be good enough. Rukma secretly sent a drawing to a news paper. The painting went on to be published at the newspaper’s young readers page. She then made an announcement at the school assembly the following morning, giving a wonderful surprise to the friend. Such kindness and thoughtfulness made her a favorite among students and teachers alike.
One of the many characteristics of Rukma was her affection towards young children. On many occasions I would wonder how she interacted with everyone so easily. She found it so easy to connect with people of any age. She would be a child among children and I would see little ones drawn towards her. In reality, I felt all of us being drawn towards her. She was special and I have been a witness of this throughout my school days. I can never forget the warmth of her sweet smile, her caring nature and her love towards all including animals. She may not be with us today in the physical form, but she lives on in spirit. Fortunate are the parents to have had such a wonderful child. And blessed are the friends who had the chance to experience her love and friendship.
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Thanks dear. We feel blessed that Rukmai has a loving pal like you. Yes, her loss is unbelievable and will forever remain so.
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Its difficult to accept your absence my dear , i always remember your cute smile with dimple on your face, our chat and many more memories. While I know nothing can alleviate your loss, I do want you to know we are remembering you always. You’re my inspiration………Simple living and courageous lady, miss you very much.
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So glad to know that she is being your inspiration, dear Kanya. True, she was a brave girl indeed!
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After so many attempts to contact you for a year, I stumbled upon this piece only to know the person who was instrumental in making me what I am today is no more? This is so gutting. Rukma ma’am’s last message with me was a meet-up plan in Bangalore once the covid restrictions are lifted. 2021 not only took my father away but also my mentor.
Ma’am, I hope, wherever you are, you have found peace. My condolences to the entire family.
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So sorry to be replying this late, dear Sridevi, thank you for your recollections about dear Rukmai. It means a lot to hear from people who knew her. We believe Rukma ma’am has found her peace. Amen!
I am sorry to read about your loss too. Hope you are doing good nowadays.
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