On April 2, 2014, Anupam Sharma—a dear friend and colleague of Seven Sisters Home—was taken from us. He was with Don and local advocate Ravi Sagar, traveling to a court appearance on behalf of one of our girls when—walking at a stop near Goalpara—he was struck by a fast moving train. He was thirty-two years old. He died at the scene.
Anupam was a very special man. He was kind, gentle, and always eager to serve. No matter what time of day we called him, Anupam would come cheerfully on his motorcycle to do any task needed to keep Seven Sisters running smoothly. He never objected to any request and was gracious to help anyone who came to him. He was our “go to” man for everything—did our shopping and paid our bills, managed our vendors, craftsmen, inventory, and finances. As our only experienced driver,
Anupam regularly drove our staff and girls around town for meetings, appointments, and outings. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was always making us laugh. Our only male staff member, Anupam engaged in a lot of good-natured banter with his female colleagues, but was also greatly respected by them for his caring attitude and hard work.
He was a kind dada–or “older brother”–to our girls who trusted him as a uniquely safe and respectful man in their lives.
Anupam was a deeply spiritual man who would occasionally lead our devotionals, always with profound insight and understanding. He had a clear sense of his priorities and passed up “greater” career opportunities to serve the children at Seven Sisters, which he considered to be a better calling. On his application, he wrote the following:
Many people believe that God’s blessing is upon an individual if he or she receives earthly blessings such as good job, marriage, etc. but they tend to forget the heavenly blessing which is for me the most important one. Earthly blessings will perish but heavenly blessing is eternal. Many of my relatives and friends say that I have not received any blessing of God because I have not been good in my studies and also not able to get a good government job. If that would have been the case, all the individuals who have settled down with a good job are blessed, yes they are, but that does not deprive me from the love of Christ. Our almighty Lord will show his love and care to the most undeserving one also. We should strive for the heavenly blessings.
Anupam’s death has deeply wounded everyone who knew him—especially his parents, siblings, and fiancée—yet he leaves behind a profound legacy of faith, love, and service. We are grateful for his life and his time with us at Seven Sisters, blessed to have seen how God can use a faithful servant to advance His kingdom, and looking on to a reunion with our dear friend in eternity.