the letter his father wrote asking him to give up smoking and drinking with a stern warning son if you drink and smoke any more you will be dead soon sam joked doctor had i listened to my father and stopped drinking and smoking as i did initially while i was in the hospital i would have died long time back he would never let his illness come in the way of humouring all those who looked after him both advancing age and weak lungs by now began to progressively decline his health he wished to spend last part of his life in his favorite house stavka in connoor he was relatively at ease in his own surroundings amidst gorkha orderlies pets garden and local people final days with his doctor the last time i saw him was on an emergency visit from delhi at military hospital wellington nilgiris following sudden deterioration of his condition on june 22 2008 this time i found a pale self of the ageing field marshal he was gasping for breath and was bedridden and was barely able to open his eye lids my long experience of dealing such cases who have chronic lung disease complicated by a deadly bronchopneumonia which the frail and 94years old field marshal was suffering from made me sound alarm bells and alert all concerned expecting an inevitable in next few hours recalls gen prasad given his condition dr prasad feared that their most illustrious patient would not possibly survive the next 24 hours killer pneumonia was getting the better of the gritty warrior grandson jehan and soninlaw dhun daruwala had lost hopes and were praying at his bedside for a miracle his daughters sherry and maja were on their way from chennai and delhi all were fervently praying and hoping he held on till their arrival defying odds as he did in the past the wily field marshal held his own against the deadly infection for the next few days till his affectionate daughters were at his side before end came when his daughters came he recognized them and spoke to them for the last time he timed his death like his famous military operations at his will and emerged triumphant in both his life and in death moments before the end those present around him would witness an amazing happening sam manekshaws younger daughter maja daruwala while trying to control her emotions spoke about the life and times of her illustrious father to her near comatose father acknowledging her love for him the moment she mentioned the name of her mother silloo he responded despite his state the monitor which showed his oxygen saturation precipitously low and falling suddenly shot up briefly while his breathing and pulse remained stable he passed away during wee hours peacefully on june 27 2008 while his daughters held his hand and prayed he perhaps had the premonition of his death he told an attending doctor few days before his