They honored Abhishek Taiwade, and they hoped he found peace.
As his friends and family gathered in the Baughman Center to reflect on the UF student’s life Friday, they didn’t focus on the details — they focused on the person.
The dates didn’t matter: Feb. 6, 1997, when Taiwade was born in St. Petersburg, and Oct. 14, 2015, when he took his life in North Hall.
It didn’t matter because Friday wasn’t about the 18-year-old’s past, but about his life in the future.
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Throughout the memorial, there were allusions to the Hindu faith.
It was there in the traditional attire his mother wore. It was there in the songs students sang. And it was there as professors celebrated Taiwade’s passing onto the next life.
At the beginning of the memorial, Krupa Shah stood in front of about 50 of Taiwade’s friends and family members and sang.
The 19-year-old chose a Hindi song, "Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi," to honor the loss of Taiwade’s life, despite not knowing him personally.
"The essence of the song is that without you in life I have no complaints, but without you my life is also incomplete," the UF finance sophomore said. With a friend who suffered through a similar experience, she wanted to be there for support.
Manash Ramanathan, a 20-year-old UF biology junior, stood next to Shah with closed eyes. She opened them once to look toward the sky, and once more to start her own tribute to Taiwade: a song in Marathi, the language of Taiwade’s family.
She remembers being a senior at Hillsborough High School and seeing Taiwade, a fellow student, play tennis.
"I remember one match, he cheered my sister and me on," she said of the single encounter, choked with emotion after she finished her song.
In front of the singers and speakers, there stood a collage of photos on a board. In one photo, a young Taiwade lay on his back with a smile stretched across his face. In the adjacent corner, an image preserved Taiwade standing in a collared shirt and tie and smiling as a young man.
When Rao Mylavarapu, a UF professor of soil and nutrient management, stepped in front of the lectern, he urged listeners not to grieve over the promise of death.
"One should not lament for this inevitable situation," he said. "Abhishek’s soul had a purpose in this world — much deeper than we all can understand."
He then recited verses in Sanskrit, a prominent language of Hinduism.
Vasudha Narayanan, a distinguished professor in the Department of Religion, also emphasized this message and said Taiwade lives in many ways.
"When a reflection of the sun in a small pool of water vanishes, it doesn’t mean the sun has disappeared," Narayanan said.
She said Taiwade’s soul is departed, but the community can honor his memory by doing something simple and kind every day.
Narayanan said Taiwade’s first name, Abhishek, means "the anointed one," and reflects the way he showered people with love.
She closed her speech by repeating the word "shanti," meaning peace, three times.
Other university faculty expressed their sympathy on behalf of the Gator community, including Associate Provost Angela Lindner.
Lindner thanked Taiwade’s family for being open about the way he died, bringing attention to a problem in our society.
"I suspect Abhishek’s choice of major — microbiology — was an indication of how drawn to life he was," Lindner said.
As the community grieves, Lindner said, it should also honor the deep connection Taiwade created in what she called the puzzled hearts of his loved ones.
"Abhishek will remain here in our classrooms and throughout our campus grounds," she said. "He remains in us."
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Toward the end, his loved ones spoke.
His parents chose not to speak during the ceremony. Their only message was a statement in an email to parents and students: "He prematurely ended his life due to a struggle from inside."
But his friends chose to speak.
Sabrina Brijbassi said she met Taiwade in high school and remembered his infectious humor, empathy, honesty and intelligence.
After graduation, Brijbassi crossed paths with Taiwade on UF’s campus in a shared class.
"It was so nice to have his familiar face by my side, even if for a little while because in just two months, that face was gone," she said.
Brian Spivak, who first met Taiwade in kindergarten, said he last spoke about him during a graduation party months earlier.
"AB was deserving of every kind word said about him," Spivak said.
He said Taiwade supported all his friends, and touched their lives with his humor and genuine heart.
"Even those who appear to be some of the happiest people on the outside may be truly struggling on the inside," he said.
But even with the mention of Taiwade’s struggle, the lasting resonance was three words of peace.
Shanti.
Shanti.
Shanti.
Contact Giuseppe Sabella at gsabella@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Gsabella
Abhishek Taiwade, an 18-year-old UF microbiology freshman, died on Oct. 14, 2015. He was memorialized Oct. 23, 2015, in the Baughman Center.
