In Loving Memory of Sushma Lal
Godmother. Blessing. The steady hand that stood beside Nizi through every season of life. This page is for her — and for the legacy of love that her kindness set in motion.
Who she was
The aunty who never let go
Some people walk into your life and quietly become its foundation. For Nizi Bhandari, that person was Sushma Lal — his godmother, and one of the greatest blessings he has ever known.
Whenever life grew heavy, whenever he needed someone to lean on, she was there. Not with conditions, not with judgement — just with grace, warmth, and an unshakable belief in him. She stood by him as and when he needed her, again and again, the way only family chosen by the heart can. Aunty Sushma wasn't just support; she was a guiding light.
When she left this world and returned to the Lord, she left behind something that doesn't fade: a way of giving, of showing up for others, of leading with love. Nizi carries that with him every single day.
Her legacy, in the foundation's words
"She gave with grace, a guiding light — now I give back to keep her bright."— The Iva and Shiv Foundation, in memory of Sushma Lal
Keeping her bright
A big event held in her memory
When Aunty Sushma passed, Nizi didn't want her memory marked by grief alone — he wanted it marked by giving, exactly as she would have. So he held a large event in her honour, turning his loss into light for others, and dedicating the work of the Iva and Shiv Foundation to her name.
Today, the foundation's banner carries a line that says it all: "Continuing the legacy of love, learning, and light… Every act of giving continues her legacy." Every school bag handed to a child, every smile on a giving day, every elder cared for — a small part of it belongs to Sushma Lal.
She gave to him. Now he gives to the world. That is how the brightest people are never truly gone.