Raman-tic memories: How Raman Lamba's wife remembers him

MiD DAY interviewed his wife on the 16th death anniversary of Raman Lamba who died three days after suffering a head injury while fielding for Abahani against Mohammedan in a club match at Dhaka Bangladesh in 1998In Pictures Gone too soon Cricketers who died at a young ageHere is remembering the late Indian batsmanFinal Fling Raman Lamba chats with Delhi team manager Maninder Singh Jaggi left while Bengal captain Sourav Ganguly listens during Lambarsquos last Ranji Trophy game at the Kotla in Feb 1998 PicMiD DAY ArchivesThe bitter truth is that his family and friends still cannot get over the fact that the gregarious former India batsman is not in their midst Raman was not wearing a helmet when Mohammedanrsquos Mehrab Hossainrsquos shot struck him on the temple and rebounded to wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud Raman walked off the field never to return to play his muchloved sportWedding Day Raman and Kim on Sept 7 1990 PicKim LambaHis Irish wife Kim who has now settled down in Portugal with their children Jasmyn 21 and Kamran 19 spoke to MiD DAY on her departed husbandLamba clan Kamran Jasmyn centre and Kim PicKim LambaExcerptsEach of Ramanrsquos death anniversaries must evoke sad memories How do you see the bright sideThe only way to deal with something like this is to believe that Raman had completed the duration of his magnificent and very full life and be so thankful that for 10 years I was blessed to be part of it resulting in our two wonderful children Jasmyn and KamranHave you truly got over this tragedyThat is not a possibility The scars are too deep and the vacuum is too vast1986 Raman Lamba attacks Australiarsquos Bruce Reid PicMiD DAY ArchivesHow did you get the news of his injury that day in 1998I was preparing to go to the airport to pick him up from his flight when I received a very frantic call from Bangladesh delivering news that no one would ever want to hear The living nightmare beganDo you often thinkhellip what if Raman had worn a helmetI tried my best from the beginning not to go down the road of the lsquowhat ifsrsquo After overthinking for hours on end every day in my anxious state I persuaded myself it was futile to look for answers I knew there were none Because I had to focus on our little ones mdash Jasmyn then aged five and Kamran then aged three I had to find a way to be able to function in the hell I had been catapulted into So I turned to working really hard bringing up our two children the best that I could Meditation calmed all the lsquowhat ifsrsquo in my mind and became an addictive habit of mine for yearsHow did you meet RamanCompletely by chance Our eyes met across a crowded room and he came straight over to talk to me We were together since that first meetingWas it love at first sightIt was He said he immediately knew he had met his future wifeONEDAY WONDER A delighted Raman Lamba receives the manoftheseries trophy against Australia at Rajkot in 198687 PICMiD DAY ARCHIVESSunil Gavaskar reacted to Ramanrsquos death by saying lsquosomeone who loved life so much was deprived of itrsquo Can you give me an example of Ramanrsquos zest for lifeI can vouch for that Raman lived life to the max He felt very blessed with his life and prayed every day He was so thankful to God to be able to play his cricket and to have and enjoy his family He was such a romantic and a brilliant family man He completely adored his Punjabi Tiger Kamran and his Princess Jasmyn He always smiled when he woke up and always said lsquosmile at the day and the day will smile backrsquo Even when he had worries he believed in positivity and faith He was a force He exercised everyday without fail didnrsquot smoke or drink never abused his consumption of food watched his diet He planned on having a very long full and healthy lifeDid Raman ever complain to you that he deserved to play more than four Tests and 32 oneday internationals for IndiaIn all honesty it saddened me that he did feel slighted and overlooked at times especially as he worked so hard He never complained or whined lsquopoor mersquo but he did talk about the injustices when asked Some used to say he was outspoken and this cost him dearly To that I say Raman could have said a lot more but he often refrained He always measured his words and actually some lsquogot offrsquo very lightly indeed Despite the politics that cocooned cricket he never lost faith He maintained his dignity and he just kept going always giving his cricket his 100 per cent and ever hungry for new opportunitiesWhy did you decide to stay in PortugalFour years after Ramanrsquos passing I was still not doing well My life was still so empty without Raman and I was living solely for my children and my work I started to consider a life outside of Ireland and India in the hope that I could breathe again I had the opportunity to work in a newspaper for one year in MadeiraSo we all embarked upon this new adventure with great enthusiasm Within months Jasmyn and Kamran were fluent in Portuguese and adored their new life and surroundings I also enjoyed the change of scenery and lifestyle very much during that first year so it seemed a great idea to stay We three have happily been together here ever since and visit India and Ireland periodicallyJasmyn is working with me in the family business and Kamran is studying at UniversityWhat is your professionI am the director of my business BOOKitHERE Itrsquos an adventure sports and leisure activities reservations officeWhatrsquos the one thing you have in your house which perpetuates the memory of RamanHis favourite cricket ball sleeps under the mattress of my bed and I always carry with me mdash in my purse mdash the last rupee coin he handled This has private significance to us both and these are just two little things that make me feel wellHave you preserved any of his equipmentI donated some items to some less financially fortunate young aspiring cricketers and my father keeps everything that remains private and in great orderHow should India remember Raman LambaFor everything that he was He was a unique force mdash a wonderful example and inspiration to every aspiring cricketer mdash a great ambassador and credit to the game An absolute creditto India