When we need them most, words always fail us. When we intend them to provide comfort in moments of anguish, they never seem adequate. As I try to describe the infinite personality of Raj Mehta, words fail to represent even a fraction of his presence in the lives of all his friends and family. His smile stretched between the stars; his laughter made the ground tremble; his creativity and enthusiasm were boundless. Raj’s humanity was so vibrant that, by simply being around him, you felt your own passions roar within your soul. You felt that no matter the path he chose in life, the grace and patience with which he approached any difficulty made his success inevitable. Cynicism evaporated when you were with him: if society was gifted with such caring and intelligent man, how could anyone deny a promising future for us all?
Still waters run deep, and that was exemplified in Raj whenever you were with him. He was never the loudest person in a room or prone to large exhibitions of any kind. He showed you he cared with many small, thoughtful actions over the course of knowing him; in my case, he always seemed to know when I needed a break and when I needed to be pushed forward in my academics. You hardly needed to speak for Raj to understand you, empathy was just innate to his being. If there is one thing I want people to know about Raj, it’s that he will never be truly gone from us because he was, abstractly, all of us. His personality was so vast and his compassion so deep that he had room in his heart for everyone. From his smile to his soul, Raj Mehta was infinite.
Javin Schwartzman is a Trinity sophomore.
Editor's note: The Chronicle is accepting letters to the editor remembering Grey and Raj. If you would like to share your thoughts and feelings, please submit letters to chronicleletters@duke.edu.
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