From the moment I knew him he was this cool big brother of mine who was always aware of what I was fond of..like I still remember I must be around 9 years old and shekhar bhaiya was visiting our home in Korba. At that time of the year Godzilla (1998) was released and I was very fascinated by it because it was the first of it’s kind. So bhaiya had this cool t-shirt of godzilla which had a button on it and when pressed made this awesome sound of godzilla screaming and I got fascinated with it.

So I asked my mum and dad to buy such a t-shirt for me too but it was an exclusive godzilla merchandise, so unavailable in India. I was sad with this news but somehow shekhar bhaiya came to know about this and he offered me his t shirt. Not only that he also gave me a Spiderman T shirt. I was not only the most happy kid at that time but I also came to realize for the fact that I was the most privileged to have such a kind cool, awesome and caring elder brother. Because of his unexpected selfless gesture, I had this new found love and respect for him and that was my first impression for him which just kept on growing growing. I had those T shirts for years.

I feel privileged to be a part of an incredible life journey of an angel that walked the earth and blessed us with his presence, love, care and happiness leaving us with wonderful memories.

When friends I knew, new friends, people that I had begun to love and cherish would hear me speak about Kavi, they’d usually quite quickly realize this is someone whom they’d learn a great much about before ever meeting him. “You don’t have to preface the story with “my friend, Kavi…. we know who he is. We practically know him from all the things you’ve told us” they’d proclaim. It’s true. I’d gush about him. I’d gush and I’d gush. But those moments when I got to watch people meet Kavi for the first time were some of the most delightful. Because no matter how much I hyped the man, he always blew people away. The way Kavi made others feel when around him is a feat unto itself. I recall dearly Kavi and Kevin Niemela meeting for the first time and upon seeing their friendship blossom I was filled with such adoration. Kavi spread love and joy so readily.

My girlfriends through the years have been seriously worried and insecure because of the level of love I spoke about Kavi Pandey. They were afraid, they said, that I would never love them like I loved him. I was without words of comfort in these moments, moments that often led to divisions and eventual breakups. The truth is they have always been right. He is a love supreme.

Well, I’m crying now. Love you all.