Yesterday was the tervi of Anuj Tyagi, my friend and colleague from our MBA days in New Delhi.
I first met Anuj at our hostel in Punjabi Bagh. From the very first day, everyone around him was impressed by his personality. He was a college topper from Bhopal and had inspired a couple of his friends to follow him to Delhi for their MBA. Throughout our course, he remained outstanding academically, but what truly set him apart was his ability to connect with people. He built relationships effortlessly and made everyone feel comfortable around him.
Among our close circle were Gulrez, Sahu, Patidar, and me. Gulrez and Sahu had followed him from Bhopal. I still do not know how Patidar became part of the group, and honestly, I was probably the odd man out who happened to cross paths with them. Yet somehow, the five of us came together. What began with conversations about academics gradually extended into discussions about our personal lives, ambitions, struggles, and dreams. Before we knew it, a strong bond had formed, and those days became some of the most treasured memories of our lives.
During the two-year PGDBM program, the first year disappeared in studies, projects, and competitions. By the second year, everyone was busy arranging summer internships. Anuj, however, was remarkably clear about what he wanted. He had chosen advertising as his career path and was determined to pursue it. The rest of us were more followers than leaders, and naturally, we followed his lead.
Through his connections, we secured internships with Dainik Bhaskar in Bhopal. I still remember the scorching summer and those two hot months we spent there. While Anuj pursued advertising with conviction, many of us were simply going through the motions. I, for example, spent much of my time reviewing newspaper content and suggesting edits, more as a pastime than a serious career pursuit. I was primarily there to complete the internship and earn a certificate.
When I expressed my dissatisfaction, Anuj was the one who advised me to explore other possibilities and make the best of whatever opportunities were available. Looking back, I think he could see that advertising was not really my calling. He encouraged me to take chances and find my own path.
After graduation in 2004, we entered the job market during a difficult economic period. Opportunities were scarce, and many of us struggled to find our footing. I took up a few odd jobs before Anuj recommended me for a marketing role with Divya Himachal. Once again, I found myself following a path he had already chosen.
The same was true for Gulrez, Sahu, and Patidar. We all followed him into advertising and media sales at various organizations. But over time, we realized that we were chasing his dream, not necessarily our own. As we discovered our individual strengths and passions, each of us moved in different directions and found success in completely different fields.
Looking back, this speaks volumes about Anuj's magnetic personality. He was the force that bound us together. We trusted his judgment, admired his confidence, and willingly followed where he led.
As the years passed, our professional journeys diverged. Sahu returned to his family business. Patidar did the same. Gulrez struggled initially but eventually built a successful career in real estate. I transitioned from marketing into human resources. As our careers evolved, we naturally drifted apart.
Yet we remained connected through the milestones of life.
I remember when Anuj fell in love with Richa. Their journey was not easy. There were family objections, domestic struggles, and many challenges along the way. Through it all, we stood by him. In fact, I was one of the two witnesses at their registered marriage. We celebrated his happiness because it felt like the victory of a dear friend.
Then life happened.
Careers demanded our attention. Families grew. Responsibilities increased. The years slipped by without us realizing how quickly time was passing. We were all optimistic back then, taking chances with limited opportunities and building lives that eventually became much larger than we could have imagined. In one way or another, each of us carried lessons learned from Anuj's confidence, determination, and personality.
Today, when he is gone, all of us are left asking the same questions: why and how did it come to this?
Over the years, we learned that things were not well in his personal life. Even after his family expanded from two people to three and later four, the happiness we had hoped for never truly settled in. The difficulties surrounding his marriage, combined with the lack of support from both families, seemed to take a heavy toll on him.
We were told that he developed a dependency on alcohol and was hospitalized frequently. Later, he was diagnosed with liver fibrosis. After a prolonged hospitalization, he was finally due to be discharged. Tragically, he suffered a brain stroke, leading to multiple organ failure and ultimately his death.
But if I am honest, I feel he had begun losing himself much earlier.
For years, he cut himself off from the people who cared about him. He stopped answering calls. He ignored messages. He disappeared from social media and withdrew from friendships that had once been such an important part of his life.
To me, it seems that a part of him broke when he lost Richa. Perhaps he never truly recovered from that loss. Having gone against his family's wishes to marry her, he had already strained relationships with those closest to him. When that relationship fell apart, he may have found himself isolated from everyone who could have helped him heal.
His bond with his children also appeared to suffer, leaving him even more alone. What saddens me most is that he still had friends who would have stood by him, just as we always had. But by then, the channels of communication had closed. The calls went unanswered. The messages remained unread. The bridges had quietly disappeared.
As I think back on the young man I met in that hostel in Punjabi Bagh, I do not remember the illness, the struggles, or the solitude of his final years. I remember the confident leader who inspired people, the friend who offered guidance when others were lost, the person whose energy drew everyone together.
For many of us, Anuj Tyagi was not just a friend. He was a chapter of our lives.
And while that chapter has ended far too soon, the memories remain.
Rest in peace, my friend. You are gone, but a part of you lives on in each of us who had the privilege of sharing that journey with you. You will be missed.
