LOST AND FOUND.......

I am not sure of marriages but I believe that friendships are made in heaven. This thought came into my mind when I was watching the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film 'Guzaarish'. It means 'request'. Its about a quadriplegic who is fighting to die. He is asking for Euthanasia, mercy killing. His cause is taken up by his friend and lawyer but fails in the attempt to get a sanction from court. It's a tearjerker all the way but it got tears out of me at a point when he tells his friend that she is the world's worst lawyer but the world's best friend. Those words triggered my memory of a friend who was very dear to me. 

I vividly recollect seeing him the first time in the college canteen  strutting about wearing the traditional black mundu and shirt worn by Swamis under oath. I mistook him to be the owner and ordered a dosa. He looked at me amusingly and soon placed the order in front of me and said “Will that be all ma’m or would you like anything else?” That’s when the bell rang inside me and I muttered a sorry. He laughed and introduced himself as Madhu.

It takes ages for me to make friends with anyone but with him it was instant and soon we became thick pals.

We discovered that we had been to the same school and class during our formative years in Chennai but couldn't recollect each other!! We had a lot of common interests, but fought on many accounts too! But the underlying fact was that there was a deep understanding between us that was surprising. Anyway college was a breeze and we did well in our studies.

When the final days of life in college approached, a fear of parting came over and a crazy idea of getting married raised its head. Instead of toying with it we presented the matter to our parents. It was met with frowns, furors and tut tuts. The situation simmered for two weeks. There was a lot of objections from both sides and so we decided to drop it. It did affect us a bit but may be we knew  that it was not to be.  

Soon we walked our different ways but always kept in touch. At the end of that year a few of us friends had an opportunity to come together for a marriage. I was excited to meet Madhu after a long gap. After the wedding all of us got together at a friend’s place. We spent time there recollecting our college days. There was so much of laughter and fun. Madhu kept us in splits with his mimics and jokes. The hours flew by and finally it was time to go back home. As he walked me to the bus stop he said he was so proud of our friendship. “It’s going to be fun to grow old together.” He added. I laughed at the comment.


"Madhu, So what were you trying to hide behind that laughing mask that you have got on ?" I asked.
He smacked his head with his hand and stood there staring at me. "Really Samyu, how did you
know?" 
"Who else would know, Madhu? I have been watching you all day and I know you are hiding something from me. So better spill the beans." Saying this I turned around to face him.
A solemn look came over his face and he simply said " Samyu, I miss you a lot. "
"I miss you too." I mumbled. 
"So, what are we going to do about it?" He asked a little mischeveously. 
" We will have to think about it, yet again." I laughed . 
" You should and lets talk about it later." He said.
Saying this he saw me off. All the way back I kept recalling our conversation and I was feeling pretty bouyant.

A few hours after reaching home I got a phone call . 
“Samyu, Madhu is no more. He is gone!!!”

I stood there numbed. "What are you talking about, Chandu? Weren't we with him a few hours back? He saw me off at the bus stop too. I know he is standing beside you and giggling. Just tell him that he is taking things too far."

“No No. Cardiac arrest, Samyu. I am sorry. He is gone" And he began to cry.

Cardiac arrest at 25?! No, I couldn't believe it! 

Suddenly reality struck in. I crumbled to the ground and began to weep uncontrollably...........

There are many things in life that may seem within your reach. But they slip away even before you realize it is gone. That’s how Madhu was to me. He was there for me, to change me, to teach me, to make me realize what love and friendship is, to mould me into the person that I am now. He touched a lot of lives besides mine. There was something about him that made people sit up and take notice. He was special and I took it for granted that he would be there always. But he went away without any formal good byes. 

The pain I felt on that day and the days ahead is probably indescribable. But time is the greatest healer and so are lives on going events. They tend to make our past hurts seem small. Ways of God and nature are beyond our comprehension. Plausible scientific explanations are limited. Beyond that there is a cosmic conspiracy and we are bound by it.

But the same universe conspired, many years later and presented me with another good friend. Well, but that’s another story!!

THE PAINTING

This happened years ago. My colleague’s housewarming was coming up. All my co-workers decided to pool in money to get him a gift. But I thought otherwise. I wanted to give him something more personal because he happened to be my best buddy.

            Those days I used to dabble myself in a little bit of painting and sketching. Hey!!What better gift than an art piece of my own!! Powered with a great idea I set about working on it. I spent about a week on the painting and finally I was happy with the result. It was an abstract painting. I got it framed and ready to be gifted.

            My friend invited us to his new home on a Sunday. I decided to give him my artwork a little earlier so that he will have the time to hang it up in an appropriate place.I handed it over to him all neatly wrapped and tied up with ribbons. He accepted it and immediately set upon opening it. As I watched him, he uncovered the gift wrap and stared at it with his mouth agape and said "Mmm…nice, Samyu, I liked it . It will find the pride of place in my home.” As an afterthought he added, “ I can hang it in any manner I want.”  He was holding it aloft and rotating it. Men!!!

            Finally on Sunday all of us from office trooped to his place for the party. It was a very beautiful house, very aesthetically done and the interiors well furnished. I eagerly looked out for my painting. I didn’t notice it in the living room or the dining hall. OK! It must be in one of the bedrooms then, I gathered. My colleagues and I moved around exploring the house but to my disappointment,the painting wasn’t anywhere!!

That was when I stepped into one of the bathrooms. I was shocked and aghast to find my framed effort dangling a little away from the toilet!!!

            I stood there fuming imagining doing things to my pal that he would never expect from his best friend. How could he do this to me?? Was it so rotten that he had to put it up in a bathroom? He could have returned it !! No wonder he remained silent about it!! I was struggling hard to hold back my tears and then immediately I shifted gear and began to think about the positive aspects of it hanging there.

            Well, for one, when I looked around , the bathroom looked more like a glamour room with mirrors, lightings and all modern amenities in place. Yes, may be it was justified in being there, I mused. Moreover there was another funny angle to it, or so I thought with a smirk. Any body sitting there and doing the job would either do it quick, finding the painting repulsive or take ones time staring at the abstractness. 

Oh! What  positives!!! I couldn’t help smiling to myself in spite of the anger.

           Thus consoling myself, I stepped out of the bathroom to come face to face with my pal /foe?! He had a quizzical look on his face noticing my sullen expression. I quickly gave him a weak smile and whizzed past him to the next room.

            All of a sudden he came behind me and said “Samyu, I am sorry! I didn’t know about your painting hanging there until now. I handed over all the trinkets to my interior designer and he finished the job only this morning. I didn’t have the time to look around and unknowingly he must have hung it there. Hey! Please don’t feel bad. I will get it removed immediately!”

            As he turned to leave I caught hold of his hand and said "Leave it there , Ravi. You know, if it is going to solve some gastronomical problems, I think you should hang it there". He stared at me for a few seconds and then we both burst out laughing, enjoying the joke and the moment of togetherness.

            16 years down the lane we are friends more than ever.  But I have to tell you it was moved to his bedroom the very next day of the party. It has become worn out now but still finds a place above the bed.

I know it because I live there .