Piyush Pandey | Sometimes greatness sports a Rajput moustache

In Mumbai, usually the 25th of October is blistery and sunny. Not that day. Perhaps, it was the emotions of the multitude who had travel to wage their past respects to a fable that made the entity crook gloomy and tearful.

To beryllium honest, I ne'er deliberation of him arsenic a legend. He is conscionable Piyush. (As agelong arsenic I am, helium won’t beryllium ‘was’.) He is simply a antheral to ascent the mountains with. For you knew helium would propulsion you onwards erstwhile you were acceptable to springiness up. Pull you up, if you were successful information of falling. Then burst distant with that trademark booming laugh, arsenic if what helium did for you was nothing. He was similar that with the folks (creatives, planners, servicing) who were fortunate capable to beryllium his flock. Even his clients. So galore brands and radical reached large heights due to the fact that of his — planted successful the affluent ungraded of beingness — creativity. Effortless leadership. Relentless humanity. Now he’s up there, doing the aforesaid happening with the angels.

We person been awash successful tributes to his unthinkable work. His transformational imprint connected Indian advertising. Even his glorious moustache. So, I volition refrain from adding my ‘do boond’ to that peculiar Ganges of fulsome praise. Instead, I volition speech astir the antheral I love, who I judge loves maine back. Though neither of america person said truthful to each other. Not successful truthful galore words. At least, not portion we were sober capable to remember. That is the calamity of being calved and raised arsenic a ‘Man’. We are taught that the soundlessness of a choky hug says much than the wagging of the tongue. But sometimes the ears request to perceive what the bosom already knows.

A antheral with an endearing side

I volition accidental this, Piyush doesn’t person a comic bony successful his body. His skeleton is infused with humour. But helium doesn’t ever person the top assurance successful his jokes. Maybe that is wherefore helium laughed the infinitesimal helium was done telling one. Laughed earlier we could, arsenic a punctual to our ain hilarity. I thought it was truthful endearing that a antheral who is truthful assured successful everything could beryllium a tad insecure astir specified a small thing. It made maine comfy with my ain insecurities. And gave maine the spot to flooded them.

I learned that, and truthful overmuch much from him. Learned to showcase my ideas from the hard people of him inviting radical into his country by telling them, ‘Bobby whitethorn person a bully idea. Watch however helium murders it.’ Their chuckles made maine tougher. Watching however helium presented, got radical into the satellite of the communicative helium was telling, made maine better. I besides learned the worth of insights erstwhile helium started charging maine ₹50 for each thought I came up with that was conscionable clever. After I had imbibed the dictum ‘when you determination the heart, the caput volition follow’, helium gave maine the bounty helium had collected. Of course, my workfellow Anil Bathwal and I promptly spent it connected sampling the delights of Rasna Pub.

For a abbreviated time, Bathwal and I were partners astatine Ogilvy India and Ogilvy New York. It didn’t instrumentality america agelong to go brothers. But Piyush bound america person still, erstwhile helium took to calling america Bobby Bathwal portion summoning, praising, and berating us. It got truthful atrocious that erstwhile we started winning awards, radical from different agencies thought it was immoderate dude called Bobby Bathwal who did the work. Thanks for fusing our individuality, Piyush. And bossman, conscionable successful lawsuit you don’t get it, I americium being sarcastic.

Raising a solid of Teachers

I americium virtually smiling done my tears arsenic I constitute this. Smiling astatine the representation of Piyush exasperatedly pounding connected my keyboard to halt the video crippled that Bathwal and I were playing against each different connected our computers. Smiling astir the clip we emotionally blackmailed him into switching from (IMFL) Royal Challenge to Teachers conscionable due to the fact that I wanted to portion scotch and couldn’t spend it. And I americium crying due to the fact that Piyush volition ne'er again archer me, ‘Robert, mere liye ek portion banaa.’

After the ceremonial was over, immoderate of america did the astir Piyush happening we could. We deed the nearest barroom to rise a toast to the man. I had a ample whiskey, with 2 cubes of crystal and soda. It took time, but Piyush had yet returned the favour. He had emotionally blackmailed maine into giving up my present accustomed azygous malt for a changeable of Teachers.

The writer is the erstwhile president and main originative serviceman astatine Havas Group.