YoursPositively early last morning lost to cancer a good author, entrepreneur and dear friend. Radhika Sachdev, 53, who had fought a winning battle against the terrible scourge for several years, even surviving a liver transplant three years ago, entered the astral plane, after the cancer staged a villainous return and attacked her other vital organs. Till the very last few days of her life, Radhika continued working for her dynamic content and editorial firm, Write Solutions (https://writesolutions.co/), directing a team of eight professionals.
Radhika had set up her firm after working in mainline newspapers, including Indian Express, The Times of India and Hindustan Times for close to two decades in senior editorial positions. In journalism and in her personal life, she was a changemaker and chose a path that few dared to tread. More than 18 years ago in an epiphanic moment, Radhika decided to adopt a child from an orphanage, though she had chosen to stay single until then.
The moment Radhika set eyes on the doe-eyed Arzoo, she felt an instant bonding of motherhood. Arzoo, who seemed withdrawn before Radhika entered the room, rushed towards her as if she were waiting for a fairy godmother to arrive. The two had never seen each other before, but there was an instant connection.
After adoption, life was not a bed of roses and the world seemed insensitive to the rights and dignity of a single, unwed mother. Many schools looked askance at the blank space in Father’s Name in admission application forms. Radhika braved it all and over the years, Arzoo, grew up into a talented young person. She is 18 today and is bearing the loss with equanimity.
In the last few days when Radhika couldn’t answer her mobile phone, Arzoo would pick it up and reply, “Mummy is resting; I’ll tell her you called.” She sounded so composed and didn’t give the impression that her mother would not live for long. Perhaps, she believed that all would be fine and her mother would be back to being referee for the loving squabbles between her and her grandfather over who is right and who deserves more attention from Radhika: the father or the daughter?
In November 2018, Fingerprint Publishing released Radhika’s debut book, Second Go, a personal memoir about her liver transplant surgery. On June 1, 2020, YoursPositively had carried an extract of the book, when she said, “Selling words is how I make a living. But Second Go was a catharsis of bottled-up deep-buried emotions and a nerve-rattling experience of a liver transplant recipient. The fight is still on, but you bet my next book won’t be called Third Go.”
Radhika, is indeed, having a third go in blissful eternity.
Read below the extract that we carried from Radhika’s book
Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has also written eight books, including The Newsroom Mafia, Chaddi Buddies, The Krishna-Christ Connexion and Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories. Oswald is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and practises Kriya Yoga.
More Stories by Oswald Pereira
May her soul be in peace. Om Shanti shanti shanti ! ??
Read the extract from her book – second go. Very touching memoir.
I lost my mother-in-law to cancer too years ago. Regular visits to cancer hospitals made me learn of the cancer patients’ anxiety, their mood tantrums, feeling of helplessness, anger and their dilemma.
When you are exposed to such life threatening disease you simply mature out of the trivial things in life .
What a wonderful write up about Radhika, I am a great admirer of her,she was through thik and thin through out her life,a brainy girl who worked hard and earned a name. May her soul rest in peace. We will miss you Radhika.