Photo : Vicky stylin' and profiln'!
My first encounter with Vicky aka Gurpreet was outside of my house on my driveway, it was 2 days after my marriage. Just a little clarification, Vicky is the husband of my younger sister and also the Brother in law of my Cousin brother Raj. So double relation, my first impression of him was he was tall and had a very strong handshake.
As time went on I noticed him at my cousins get togethers (since he was a part of their in-laws) one thing always stuck out that he was the only turbaned guy on their side of the family. Besides hello and hi at family functions I rarely took any time to talk to him and vice versa, he was a very pleasant family oriented guy and always left a good impression on those he knew and didn’t know!
Once we all went to the amusement park together, all extended family and Vicky was also their with Raj and Keenu (Keenu is Raj’s wife). The only thing I shamefully remember is when I saw Vicky in a baseball cap, I called him ‘Topee Vala’, not sure if he remembers this but I do!! It was pretty mean thing to say but sometimes arrogance clouds your judgment, and you judge people on their looks and limited actions.
A few years later, at Gurudwara I saw a guy who looked like Vicky in the langer hall. I thought maybe he had another brother because this guy didn’t have a turban or a beard. I looked more carefully but still couldn’t see that it was him. It wasn’t until one of my cousins told me that that’s Keenu’s brother he cut his hair. At that second my heart sank, all of a sudden I remembered all the times and opportunities I had to talk to him, maybe get to know him or see how he felt about Sikhi, I had past those up, and today he was here in the langar hall with no turban and no beard.
Photo : After he cut his kesh
It's always a sad feeling I get when I see someone let go of their saroop, even if I don’t know them I sometimes feel I lost a close brother. It’s a difficult thing to swallow even though I am open minded and understand everyone has their own path, but when it happens there are some emotions which are triggered. I believe this to be the inherent connection that all Sikhs have with Guru Gobind Singh, this bond is stronger than we know and through that bond we are all connected.
Afterwards I still kept seeing Vicky in family functions and get togethers yet I always imagined him with a turban, I couldn’t take that image out of my head. It was tough at times to see him but after a few times I started handling it better inside myself and came to terms with it.
I am going to skip the part of this story where Pinki and Vicky fell in love, because that is not for me to tell, and on top of it I probably just know very little!
After Pinki and Vicky were close, he started talking to me online. It was there that I felt his strength, his love for Sikhism, it was evident even in our conversations. He shared some deep feelings he had for Sikhi, and eventually I mustered enough courage to ask him why he cut his hair. It was a tough question but after seeing how much love he had for Sikhism it was one that I selfishly asked. To this his reply was on the term of “moment of weakness” or something like that, it was a few years ago so I cant remember the exact quote.
I went to his house a few times, and there I got to know Vicky, and I saw such a beautiful person. He is a huge giant and he has a HUGE heart, and it was at that point that I had accepted him as a better Sikh then I was. He had a passion for Sikhi, for Seva and more over the way he talked he just motivated me to seek more of his sangat. We spent a few weekends together, going to Gurudwaras together, then after wards just going to his apartment for chips and salsa, while we talked. I really hold those days close to heart and as moments in which I gained so much understanding and appreciation for his genuine love towards Sikhi, that inspired me!
I remember one of those weekends we were sitting on the floor at his apartment when he told me that he has decided to keep his kesh again. I don’t have the words to explain the feelings I had at that moment, so I wont even try to express them here!
Photo : Transformation first stage.
Photo : Transformation 2
Photo : Transformation 3For someone to come full circle it means that they have seen all the sides. I believe that Vicky came full circle with his saroop, from having it and not appreciating it, to losing it, and then coming back even as a stronger Sikh. It is really special to see when a person is transforming into Sikhi saroop; you can actually see the Guru’s light coming through them. As their hair grows, and you see that part of their Sikhi blossom you can only feel blessed to be in their presence. The first day he tied a turban again we went to his house, and took pictures before heading to Gurudwara.
Photo: Comming full Circle, first day wearing Daastar right before GurudwaraWhen I look closely at what Vicky has shown, besides courage, besides the humbleness to change and besides the great and deep Sikhi which was inside him, he showed me that Sikhism is not just a state of being, it is an experience. That living even through the tough times when you're down you can actually come back stronger, better, and more dedicated.
BOLE SO NIHAL!!!
SAT SRI AKAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Photo : I like this one because he looks content, or tired ! lol!
