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 .