By Savita Bhave Translation Nandu Dange

Pundi Parameswaran built a house in 1989 and Menon once went to see it.Standing on a landing in the stairs, he pointed out what nobody had noticed:there was variation in the tread heights of the stairs. He made the contractorcorrect the mistake. At the housewarming ceremony, he presented the familya large dining table. Rohit says with emotion that it was a daily reminder ofMenon.S. N. Mani calls Menon ‘an institution'. He had a talent for attracting people.Starting a business in an unfamiliar place like Kolhapur was quite a bold step.People from Kerala regularly visited him for employment. Initially Menon rarelywent to Kerala, but he made several trips later in life. Mani too had cancer andwas surprised that he survived Menon. “When I first met Menon, some of himembedded itself deep in my psyche, and our wavelengths matched. Each timeI met him thereafter; I got a lot of affection and strength. His death is like theloss of a part of my soul,” says Mani with deep emotion. “It is true that peoplewith a heart of gold don't stay around for long.”Jayant Herwadkar, too, was overcome with emotion when he spoke ofMenon. He says Menon was like the full moon (Chandra), giving refreshinglight. He faced untold difficulties in business, but did not let them shake him.he said. Patience, courage and the ability to jump at opportunity were thesecret of his success. Similarly, his nature of bonding with people andlavishing his love was the secret of his popularity.•