My name is Kanta and I have been married to Sobhag’s Cousin Brother Mansukh (Babu).
I was married to Mansukh on 6th May 1966. After my marriage I stayed in Karartina for about a month. and then in June I came to Meru to join Babu. Babu was working with Raichand Mama and also living with Mama. Meru was new to me as I had never seen Meru before. I met all the family members for the first time. Mota Mami, Muriben was the eldest in the family. Other family members were Raichand Mama, Navin Bhai and Surbhiben. Sobhagbhai and Benaben were in Nairobi Boarding and Hostel. On the other side were Mansukh’s Masi and family members.
I met Sobhagbhai and Benaben when they came to Meru on School Holidays in August. This is the first time I met Sobhagbhai and he was he was telling me all the life in Boarding and it was interesting. Our residence was on 1st Floor and the shop was downstairs. He would go to the shop every now and then to help and rest of the time he used to spend with friends and at, home. Life in those days was quite different than now. I stayed in Meru up to March 1968, but all the people were very friendly and mixing. I really enjoyed my life in Meru.
Sobhagbhai used to love food very much and at the same he knew how to cook and was very particular about the taste. I was really surprised that being so young he had so much ability to do everything by himself and his taste was unique and was very much interested in learning new things. His memory was very sharp and used to remember everything. He was a very mixing type person and used to treat all like his family and also very good-hearted person. He used to treat my side of the family as his own and used to respect them. He always invited them on all the occasions and never forgot them.
In London he has done lots of Projects like Family Tree and Gandhi Exhibition which takes a lot of effort, research and time. He organised Gandhi Exhibition in London, India and Kenya and all the people appreciated the exhibition.
When he came to London he decided to buy Nursing Homes which was completely new venture for him and had no experience to run Nursing Homes, but he ventured to do all the research by himself and started three nursing homes and established the business very well for which I congratulate him. He has done so many other businesses before like shop in Nairobi, setting up Plastic Factory in Nairobi, Restaurant in London. Also, when he and his brother in Law started shop in London he did all the decorations and fittings by himself in a weeks’ time.
He had a very kind heart. He treated Manisha like his daughter and took good care of her. He also acted like a father to Khyati and Chandni. They were living with him and he looked after their University education and attended their wedding in Dar-es-salaam. He is very caring person.
He has got so much energy to do more in his life and I pray to god to give him strength in his future ventures.
Kanta Mansukhlal Shah