Cherished Encounters in the Twilight Years

As I journey through the twilight years of my life, I find myself pausing often to reflect on the mosaic of experiences that have shaped my journey.  Life, after all, is not merely about destinations reached, but about the countless moments — fleeting or enduring — that leave their imprint on the soul. 

Among these memories, a few stand apart with rare brilliance: encounters with individuals whose names are etched into the annals of history, whose presence carried the aura of leadership, achievement, or cultural significance. For someone like me, an ordinary citizen navigating the vast currents of time, it has been an extraordinary privilege to share, however briefly, the same picture frame with such celebrated personalities.

These were not planned or orchestrated meetings, nor the result of influence or design. They were gifts of destiny — moments when time and circumstance aligned to bring me face to face with figures admired across nations. Each encounter, whether political, royal, or scientific, became a cherished vignette, a reminder that life occasionally allows the ordinary to brush against the extra-ordinary. 

In the reflections that follow, I wish to share a few of these treasured memories. They are not just stories of proximity to greatness, but reminders that even ordinary lives can be touched by the extraordinary, leaving behind photographs that remain forever etched in the  gallery of my heart. 

A Bouquet of Memories 

Of all the rare encounters destiny granted me, one stands above the rest — my meeting with the late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India and the youngest ever to hold that office. For an ordinary individual like me, just one among a population of 850 million Indians (as in 1991), the thought of standing face to face with the nation’s supreme leader seemed unimaginable. Yet life, with its mysterious choreography, placed me in that moment.

The setting was not India, but Sharjah, UAE, in February 1991. Rajiv Gandhi was no longer in power; his party, the Indian National Congress, had been defeated in the November 1989 general elections, paving the way for V.P. Singh to assume the prime ministership. Yet, even out of office, Gandhi’s charisma remained undiminished. His presence carried the quiet authority of a leader who had once guided a nation through triumphs and trials.

Former Prime Minister of India Shri Rajiv Gandhi

On that day, I stood before him in my capacity as President of Akshara Kalavedi, a literary society in Sharjah, entrusted with the honor of presenting a bouquet of flowers during a welcome arranged by Indian community organizations. The exchange was brief — a smile, a gesture, a few words — but it was enough to etch the moment into the gallery of my heart.

The occasion was more than a ceremonial act; it was a reminder that destiny occasionally allows ordinary lives to brush against greatness. That bouquet, offered with reverence, became a symbol of gratitude — not just for the leader he was, but for the rare privilege of sharing a fleeting instant in his orbit. Sadly, this memorable event unfolded a mere three months before destiny claimed Rajiv Gandhi on that sorrowful night of May 21, 1991.

A Royal Encounter

Another extraordinary moment in my life journey came in the 1990s, when I found myself sharing the same frame with His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah. Known for his erudition, cultural vision, and deep commitment to education, His Highness has long been admired as a leader who blends tradition with progress. 

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi

During a mapping and technology trade exhibition, His Highness was introduced by the Directors of Maps Geosystems—my workplace—to the company’s innovative aerial mapping projects. The atmosphere was one of quiet dignity and intellectual exchange, as the technical intricacies of mapping and geospatial science were explained to a ruler known for his deep interest in knowledge, culture, and progress.

For me, standing in that moment was humbling beyond words. To be in the presence of royalty, witnessing his keen engagement with scientific innovation, was not merely an honor but a reminder of how destiny sometimes places ordinary individuals in extraordinary contexts. The photograph from that day is more than just an image — it is a symbol of how life occasionally grants us proximity to greatness, even if only for a fleeting instant. 

That photograph, capturing His Highness alongside the Directors Gabriel Khoury, Jean Louis Hissette, and me, remains a treasured keepsake. It is not just an image of people together, but a symbol of how life occasionally grants us the privilege of proximity to greatness, even if only for a brief instant.

Destiny Among the Stars

Another treasured memory from my life’s journey comes from the early 1980s, when I had the rare privilege of meeting Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma, who made history as the first Indian to travel into space. The year was 1983, and anticipation was building across the nation as he prepared for his historic mission aboard Soyuz T‑11. On 3rd April 1984, as part of the Interkosmos programme, he flew aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11.

At the Space Applications Center (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad, where I was working on satellite image processing software, his visit was nothing short of electrifying. Here stood a man who was about to carry the dreams of an entire country beyond Earth’s atmosphere — a living symbol of India’s aspirations in science and exploration.

Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma and Wg Cdr. Ravish Malhotra

The atmosphere that day was charged with awe and pride. Scientists, engineers, and ordinary staff alike gathered to see him, to hear his words, and to feel the quiet confidence of someone destined to make history. For me, being in his presence was profoundly moving. It was as if destiny had placed me, an ordinary individual, in the orbit of someone extraordinary — a man who would soon look down upon our homeland from the vastness of space.

Though the moment was brief, it remains etched in my memory as one of life’s rare gifts. To have stood alongside Rakesh Sharma just before his journey into the cosmos was to witness history in the making — a reminder that sometimes, even ordinary lives are touched by the extraordinary.

On 20 September 1982, he was selected for space travel as part of a joint programme between the IAF and the Soviet Interkosmos space agency. Prior to his training as a cosmonaut at Yuri Gagarin Centre in the USSR, he had visited ISRO's Space Applications Center, Ahmedabad.  

In the picture you can see him along with Wg Cdr. Ravish Malhotra, who was also selected for the space flight. I was briefing them about the image processing techniques applied on the satellite imagery. On the extreme right is the then Director of SAC, Prof E.V. Chitnis.

In Conclusion

These encounters were never about seeking fame or influence; they were quiet gifts of serendipity that enriched the tapestry of my life. Looking back, I realize that these snapshots—each a preserved moment of time—serve as more than just physical mementos. They are anchors to my past, reminding me that the true beauty of life often lies in the intersections: where the ordinary path of an individual meets the extraordinary trajectory of history.

As I continue to journey through these twilight years, I hold these memories close, grateful for the grace of destiny that allowed me to briefly walk alongside greatness, and for the photographs that ensure these fleeting moments of connection endure forever.