Courage After loss -"She Fed Every Soul Before She Left"..
By– Dr. Varsha Thakur
In life, some moments stand still. Moments that turn time into a blurred memory. When a family loses the light of their home, the grief doesn’t knock on the door; it storms in, uninvited, swallowing joy in seconds.
That’s how it felt on the day we lost Ms. Sangeeta Kaushal.
A woman full of life, laughter, love, and generosity – she was the heartbeat of her home. To describe her as just a wife and mother would be to limit her to titles. She was the warmth in the winter mornings, the calm in household storms, and the gentle but steady hand that held the family through every joy and every trial.
She left this world in a moment. No warning. No time for goodbyes. A perfectly healthy, vibrant woman – gone in seconds.
The family was left in shock. The silence was not peaceful; it was screaming. The rooms of their home echoed her absence, her laughter now a memory, her touch only felt in the soft folds of bedsheets and the aroma of the last meal she had prepared.
Gp Capt Vijay Kaushal, her devoted husband, couldn’t find words. His heart shattered, yet his shoulders had to stay strong for their children – Naman and Aditi. They say a soldier never shows his pain. But that day, even the strongest man wept.
And yet, amidst this unbearable grief, something sacred happened.
The Kaushal family, holding back oceans within, decided to honour her in a way she would have wanted.
On the last Monday of Shravan – the holy month so dear to her – they walked into the premises of Sankara Eye Hospital, not with tears in their eyes, but food in their hands. Over 130 underprivileged senior citizens, many abandoned and ailing, were served fresh, lovingly prepared meals.
They did it in her memory.
Because she never let anyone go hungry from her door.
As the food was distributed and the patients smiled with gratitude, something miraculous happened. For the first time since her passing, the Kaushal family smiled too. Eyes still moist, but hearts a little lighter. That one act of service became the bridge between grief and grace.
Mr. Vijay Kaushal, standing among the elderly, broke into tears. But this time, they were not only tears of sorrow. They were tears of remembrance. Of love. Of awe at the woman who had been his companion, his guide, his everything. He shared how she never allowed even a stranger to leave without food, how she fasted every Monday in Shravan for his long life, and how she used to say, "I wish to go before you."
And that wish was heard.
The Divine, in its unfathomable compassion, answered her.
She left before him, peacefully, on the first Monday of Shravan – a sacred month for Sanatanis, when prayers are stronger, and the presence of the Divine is closer.
And on the last Monday, her spirit smiled from beyond as her family fulfilled her final unspoken desire – to serve, to love, to give.
Her ashes were immersed in the holy Ganga at Haridwar, on Ekadashi, another sacred day in the Hindu calendar. It felt as though the cosmos had gently held her hand and walked her through a divinely planned farewell.
There is beauty in pain when it transforms.
At Vigyan Saroj Care Foundation, we understand this pain. This is not just a charity organisation; it is a soul-born movement. It was born out of grief – when our own hearts broke and we wanted to keep our parents alive through service.
We believe in converting sorrow into seva.
We don’t just feed the underprivileged or organise events; we train hearts to find purpose in pain. We walk with families in grief, showing them that tears can either drown us or water something beautiful. That when you feel your soul breaking, go find someone whose life is already shattered, and help them. And you will find healing.
The Kaushal family embodied this spirit.
They could have mourned in silence, in isolation. But they chose the harder path – the braver one. They chose to wipe their own tears by wiping the tears of others.
Vijay Kaushal Sir, a decorated officer, stood humbled that day – not by duty, not by medals, but by the overwhelming love and respect his wife had earned. Naman and Aditi, young but grounded, chose to honour their mother not through rituals alone, but by living her values.
It was a moment of divine synchrony. A woman who served in life, served even in her passing. A family who mourned, became a family who gave. A goodbye that became a blessing.
At Vigyan Saroj Care Foundation, we hold space for such stories. We respect the Sanatani roots that guide rituals not just through tradition, but through meaning. We help families celebrate life and commemorate death in ways that are emotionally, spiritually, and socially fulfilling.
We do not believe in blind spending. We believe in meaningful giving.
Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or the final rites of a loved one – we help transform every event into an opportunity to uplift someone else’s life. Charity, in our eyes, is not a transaction. It is an emotion. A vibration.
And you don’t need lakhs to start.
We honour every rupee, every plate of food, every hour of time given in the service of others. Because true charity is not about wealth. It’s about will.
We were humbled to shoulder this journey with the Kaushal family. To stand beside them not just in their grief, but in their strength. And to witness how love, when expressed as service, becomes eternal.
Ms. Sangeeta Kaushal didn’t just live a good life. She left a legacy.
One that feeds. One that smiles. One that gives.
In a world where many leave behind property, she left behind principles.
In a world where many seek fame, she quietly became a flame.
A flame that still warms, even in her physical absence.
To the Kaushal family – we bow to your strength. To your choice of turning pain into purpose. And to the memory of the divine woman you called wife, mother, and guide.
Let us all, in our own way, learn from her journey. Let us wipe our own tears, not with tissues, but with the acts of wiping someone else’s.
And maybe, just maybe, we’ll feel the healing that comes from a departed soul whispering,
"I’m proud of you."
With warmth and strength,
- Dr. Varsha Thakur,
Author | Psychologist | Life Coach | Entrepreneur, Founder – DVAR Consultancy Pvt Ltd & Vigyan Saroj Care Foundation
Philanthropist | Social Worker | Devotee | Seeker
