It wouldn’t be a stretch to call 95-year-old Dr Bankey Lal Sharma my most enthusiastic protagonist of all time. On the designated interview day, his rising matches the sun’s.

Sharma proceeds to do pranayama (breathing exercises), then washes his clothes, irons his kurta (its crispness a nod to the perfectionist he is), has a hearty breakfast, rinses his dishes and settles on the sofa of his Gujarat home. When the phone rings at 9 am, he couldn’t be more prepared.

His ‘hello’ explodes with enthusiasm. He counters my ‘Kaise ho aap, sir? (How are you, sir?)’ with ‘Pehle aap batao kaise ho (First you tell me how you are)’.

We are just 40 seconds into the call, but I am fascinated by Sharma. He is a trope in himself, his demeanour self-assured, his zest for life evident, his personality magnetic, and his words rhythmically punctuated with an infectious laugh that makes you want to join in.

But under all the candour, he admits, the spotlight makes him shy. “Jab meri naatin ne mujhse kaha ki nanaji aaj apka interview hai, mein toh ghabra gaya (When my granddaughter told me that I have an interview today, I got scared.” “You are doing great,” I assure him.

We journalists are urged to go into interviews with a set of questions handy. But I flouted the norm for this one because I didn’t have a series of questions, just the one — What is the secret to your longevity? Sharma laughs, and then proceeds to share it.

‘Never skipped a day of meditation’

Calling all millennials to reflect on their New Year’s resolutions over the years. How often have you resolved to meditate, only to falter sometime mid-year? Well, if you have plans to live until and beyond 95, you might want to reconsider your procrastination.

As far back as his memory allows him to go, Sharma has remained committed to his morning meditation. “It isn’t that tough. You just have to sit and breathe.” But what about the nagging thoughts — What is for lunch? Did I unplug the iron? Am I meditating right?

“When you decide to meditate, you must........

© The Better India