An obituary I never wanted to write: Rest in style thesneakermonk

When people in our industry pass away, we get busy almost instantly. After a fleeting minute of processing the shock, especially if it’s an untimely loss, the machinery kicks in. We call industry leaders for quotes, we assign writers, we coordinate with social media teams. It’s basically just a very busy, high-pressure day at work. It’s not that we are heartless; it's just that obituaries are sensitive, so we hide behind being extra careful and professional.

But today hits entirely different.

I have never written an obituary before. It always felt too personal to write publicly about a source or an industry senior. But today, the rules don't apply. I am on the last legs of my maternity leave, and just this morning, I was brainstorming my big comeback article. I was weighing topics, media trends, layoffs, the usual industry shifts.

Atul, I didn’t want my comeback text to be about you. No. I refuse to believe this. I was literally watching your Instagram story last night. You said you were "sneaking in some shopping." What is this? How did this happen? It’s just not fair.

I have been a journalist for over 15 years now and in this decade and half I’ve made hundreds of sources. Some sources are nice, some are highly resourceful, some only get back to you when they need a favour, and then... there are people like Atul.

He was the kind of person who would reply to random Instagram DMs and talk about things completely unrelated to deadlines.

Honestly, I think I interacted with his @thesneakermonk avatar more than Atul from Yapp. It’s funny, I bought my first pair of Sambas, and then Stan Smiths, only because he suggested them in his videos.

I even remember proudly showing off my Samba to him when we met at an event in Goa. He looked at them and said, "You’ve chosen a classic that has suddenly made a comeback."

But no! No Atul. I am not ready to write about you in the past tense.

It is difficult to process this.

I like to imagine you’ve already found the non-stylish souls up there in heaven and are staging a massive intervention. They desperately need a catch-up on the latest trends, and I know you're already teaching them a thing or two about luxury brands, Hypebeast culture, and how to style a proper pair of kicks. Heaven’s sneaker game is about to get a serious upgrade.

Beneath the style, Atul was truly one of the most humble leaders I have ever met. So many times before getting on a panel with him, I’d admit I was nervous, and he’d just smile and say, "Relax, it’s just me." Leaders like that aren't just rare, they are practically nonexistent.

He knew how to connect on a human level. In fact, he was one of the very few industry sources who genuinely checked in on me during my maternity leave to tell me, "Cherish this time."

Atul, I am cherishing it. But I really had a million work things saved up to discuss with you once I got back later this month.

You promised me that when you saw we had started doing great videos, you’d let me shoot a walk-in feature with you to showcase your legendary sneaker cabinet. You broke your promise, Atul. And I really, really don't feel good about that.

Rest well, Sir. You will be missed.