Meet Your Neighbor
Ranju Elahi
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
The ways fate affects people's lives, how people come to meet one another and how they become a part of Nantucket's community is fascinating and boundless. For Ranju Elahi, his path began in Bangladesh, took him to Europe and then to this island where he and his wife, School Committee member Christine Elahi, had a daughter and settled down.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent

Elahi was born in Bangladesh, which once was part of East Pakistan but became independent in 1971. He was raised in the town of Bogra, and after high school he attended Dhaka College in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and bookkeeping. Following his graduation in 1977, Elahi traveled to Germany. It was at a time when his country was experiencing great political unrest and many killings occurred between rival political factions. Because his father was a political leader in Bangladesh, the Elahi family faced extra safety issues during this period.

Elahi spent about four years in Germany, living with friends in Mainz near Frankfurt and working at the front desk at a Hilton Hotel. As it turned out, his future wife, Christine, who was born in Germany, was working in housekeeping at the same hotel and they met and fell in love. Christine had been to Nantucket a couple of times while she was in college because her sister was married to Lindsey Perry Sr. The Perrys were partners in the Tristram's Landing Group and offered the Elahis a place to live and employment at Tristram's Landing. The couple came to the United States together in 1982 to accept the invitation.

The day they arrived on Nantucket happened to be a warm day during the festive Christmas Stroll, Elahi recalled.

"I thought it was a wonderful place," he said. "The next day everybody was gone and it was like a ghost town. I didn't like it very much. It was very tough for me, but Christine kept telling me to stay and see the summer. Of course, I did like it and eventually fell in love with Nantucket."

Elahi remained with Tristram's for about eight years. The couple's daughter, Anita, was born here in 1990. Now a senior at Nantucket High School, she writes for the school paper Veritas. After leaving the Tristram's Group, Elahi worked for a couple of years at the former Bay Point Appliances before taking employment at Old South Liquors where he is store manager. He has gravitated toward all his positions because he enjoys being with and meeting new people.

"I've always been working with people," he said.

Elahi said when he is not working he is absorbed in politics and is interested in seeing how the Iowa caucuses turn out next month. He also enjoys sports, gardening and cooking. Though he and his wife might want to travel more in the future for vacations, they already visit family in Bangladesh every two to three years and last year traveled to see Christine's family in Germany. Otherwise, the Elahis, including cats Russia and Cairo, are happy where they are and with what they are doing, and feel no desire to move from the community they

treasure. I

Date of birth: June 15, 1957

Hobbies: Politics, sports, gardening, cooking.

Likes best about Nantucket: The close community

Likes least about Nantucket: The long winter - January to April.

Favorite TV show: CNN,Discovery Channel and food shows.