Life Story

Late Smt. Kailashvati Rattan was born in Banga, Punjab in the late 1920s. Her father Late Sh. Gurbaksh Rai Kalia, being a headmaster was a strict disciplinarian. In that era, females were barred from education and were supposed to look after the other male family members. Her mother Late Smt. Lajwanti Kalia, a housewife was the control tower of the house hold. Her elder sister Late Smt. Prakashvati Kalia, was a very jovial and a lively person who shared many common things with her younger sister, Smt. Kailashvati. Late Smt. Darshana Kalia was another sister of Smt. Kailashvati. Her brothers were, Late Sh. Om Prakash, Late Sh. Manohar, Late Sh. Ram Rash Pal, and Late Sh. Muktesh.

Her childhood was spent entirely in Punjab, India. She was engaged to Late Sh. Chiranjeev Lal Rattan in her young age. The couple married in Punjab. They gave birth to their eldest daughter who unfortunately died within some hours of her birth itself. Smt. Kailashvati gave birth to her eldest son Sh. Rajkumar Rattan on 30 June 1951. Then she gave birth to her eldest daughter Smt. Shashi Rattan Randev on 16 January. On 27 March 1961, she gave birth to her younger daughter Smt. Punam Rattan Sharma. On 7 August 1967, she gave birth to her youngest son Sh. Mohit Rattan.

She worked as a housewife all throughout and the couple worked day and night and ensured to make their children stand on their feet. Her husband, Late C. L. Rattan would often cycle around 40 miles per day and was a wrestler doing around a thousand push ups each day. He pursued Fathers in Arts (FA Arts) from Lahore (Present day Pakistan) and was a wrestler (‘Pehalwan’). He retired as a Government Servant.

The couple shifted to Central Delhi, and there they gave birth to their youngest son Sh. Mohit Rattan at Jaipur House. Their eldest son Sh. Rajkumar pursued Civil Engineering, eldest daughter Smt. Shashi completed her education and perused a Beautician course, younger daughter Smt. Punam pursued MSC Fisheries after completing graduation in BSC Zoology, and the youngest son Sh. Mohit pursued English Hons and then majored in Marketing and Sales Management and Tourism Travel Tours and International Ticketing (Double PG).

The family went on a rent to a flat in Laxmi Nagar for a brief period of time after her husband got retired as in Jaipur House, Central Delhi it was a government accommodation and he took many extensions after his retirement.

In 1987, the family shifted to their new house in Shalimar Bagh, CC Block. Their eldest son, eldest daughter and younger daughter got married and their youngest son got married in the last. Sh. Mohit was married to Smt. Gurleen on 8 October 2000 and they gave birth to their son Souhard Rattan on 8 October 2003. Souhard was the apple of his grandparents’ eyes.

On 1 December 2007, Sh. C.L. Rattan breathed his last in Vinayak Hospital, Derawal as he suffered a massive cardiac arrest. His wife, Smt. Kailashvati was so heartbroken that she broke her bangles in grief.

Smt. Kailashvati was so heartbroken after her husband’s demise that she became wheelchair-ridden and spent the 15 years of her life without her husband in her flat in Shalimar Bagh with her youngest son Sh. Mohit, her daughter-in-law Smt. Gurleen and her grandson Souhard.

In the year 2016, she was admitted to Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh and was diagnosed with a medical illness Dimentia. She was put on a ventilator for 2 weeks but was getting cured under the supervision of Dr. Pankaj in the Surgical ICU. She was admitted for 8 weeks in the hospital but was later discharged and was brought back home.

Her left leg could not get straight due to which she couldn’t stand nor could she walk. She, being on a wheelchair had lost all her teeth as well and there was a lens placed in her left eye as well! The last 15 years of her life were terrible as she faced a traumatic time. Once she was operated in Vinayak Hospital and the doctors had to extract the stool by inserting the machines and she suffered excruciating pain. She was operated due to severe constipation there. Once she suddenly collapsed while being seated on her wheelchair but could fortunately be brought back to life due to instant resuscitation. She faced a traumatic journey from the year 2007 after the demise of her husband till the year 2022 in which she breathed her last.

On 14 June 2022, when her son and daughter-in-law reached back home with her grandson in the evening, they saw her lying lifeless on her wheelchair in the living room where she used to sit. They rushed her to Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh where she was declared clinically dead by resident Dr. Khalid. She was cremated at Punjabi Bagh Crematorium on 15 June 2022 and was put to rest. Her last rites were performed by her children and her ashes were immersed in the Holy Ganga river in Haridwar on 24 June 2022, and the rituals were performed according to Hindu tradition. There was a prayer meet organised in her loving memory on the thirteenth day after her death, 27 June 2022.

The couple finally reunited in the heavens and happily lived thereafter…