Chitra Iyer mourns sister Sharada's death in Oman trekking accident: 'I'll catch up... eventually... soon, I promise'

Noted playback singer-actor Chitra Iyer recently shared a heartfelt tribute by posting on her social media handle following the demise of her sister, Sharada Iyer. The latter died in a tragic trekking accident in Oman. There was no balm in Chitra’s note to her sister, just like how the relationship was, with sharp humour and a brazen, cruel honesty peeking through. There were photos of her sister from days gone by and happier times, older pictures while travelling, and Chitra’s note seemed more like a cut-off conversation rather than a parting one highlighting a deep bond that remains unbroken.What made Chitra’s message striking was its light, banter-filled tone that gently masked profound pain. Admonishing Sharada Iyer with her tongue-in-cheek sarcasm and still smitten, she spoke of her missing the incessant chatter, the “irritating” presence, her loud and insistent intrusion into her day-to-day life. And then the pain of her sister’s death: but how do you tell the listener at your end of the phone not to hang up? Chitra assured her she would “catch up with” her sister soon.The family’s grief was mirrored by Anjali Sivaraman, Chitra’s daughter and an actress herself, who posted a tribute to her “aunt, mother, friend and guidance.” Anjali captured the sudden absence her aunt’s death has caused her, stating that there will be a plethora of plans left unfulfilled and conversations left unheard. Her post conveyed a feeling of incompleteness, typifying the sense of confusion and alterity that accompanies an abrupt farewell.Sharada Iyer, a 55-year-old Indian expatriate in Muscat, died while trekking in Oman’s Jebel Shams region earlier this month. A native of Thazhava in Kerala’s Kollam district, Sharada was an ex-manager with Oman Air, and an avid traveller. Just days before, the family had suffered another blow – the death of their father, well-known agricultural scientist Dr RD Iyer. As Sharada’s body is being flown back to Kerala for her last rites, Chitra’s heartfelt message stands as a beautiful tribute to the bond they shared as sisters.