I knew Obaid through stories that my university teachers used to tell, about how science has been disseminated in India by this visionary persona, after joining NCBS I got to see him in person and the first thing striked me was he took stairs from -1st to 2nd floor at this age while his students always took the lift (same story I heared about Rodger Hardie in Cambridge). It was him who brought the opportunity of first conversation, in one of the fly retreat when a student from late Veronica's lab was talking about habituation and the attraction centre in fly brain I was intruiged to know if the attraction centre also acts as repulsion centre and Obaid caught this after the talk and spent 3 long hours standing in the aphitheatre talking about it until I was about to miss dinner in the canteen. Recently I had to use one instrument that was lying in his lab from prehistoric time and it was only Obaid who could give information about it. When I asked him if I could use it he became very excited and told me to teach that to all his students as well, he also mentioned that he was planning to expand his lab where that instrument would have bigger table. Now what else to say, while most of the Indian brains float away to work for first world countries and earning their own fame, person like Obaid stands out; one who does quality science being in India and also creates opportunities for future generations. I think NCBS has made itself a model institute that will provoke many other institutes in India to flourish. When I was visiting Cambridge University for one part of my PhD project from Gaiti's lab, I was really impressed by the way people recognised NCBS for its science and people. A very big thank to NCBS faculties for making NCBS a great place to do science. It feels great to be a part of such institution. Long live Obaid and NCBS. Wish you a very happy birthday.