I, Life, Old Friends .. In Sync Again

13th Jan 2010, A reminder popped up on my mobile screen I set a few months ago in 2009. The reminder read, “Goldie’s B’day in few hours!”. A nostalgic smile crossed my face, a picture came up in my mind, the face of school days’ old bugger. I called him up, I was thrilled when I heard the ring tone at the other end of the call, a voice very familiar was due to say hello in just a few seconds. We both were out of contact for straight 10 years, a decade, very long time. Goldie(Avneesh) received the call and we had a brief but great chit-chat and he invited me over to his place in Pune, where he lives happily married now with another of my school mate Malvika. I instantly agreed on the idea of visiting him and it was a real great feeling after I disconnected the call and thought about how I must plan and make the visit memorable. The next day I purchased some gifts for both my friends because of a number of occasions called for that, they were married, it was his b’day and I was going to see them after a decade.

I planned and left for Pune on Friday evening and reached there by 9p.m. Goldie and Malvika came to receive me where the bus dropped me and what a surge of excitement I felt when I saw two faces connected with my past coming towards me. We went home, a sweet home both of them have set in, a real little home sweet home, beautiful indeed. Noticing tranquillity of the home I was dead sure it is all because of the sweet girl in the house, Mrs. Malvika Singh because out of old days’ memoir I was certain that maintaining that kind of atmosphere was not Goldie’s cup of tea … he he he he … A couple of Goldie’s college time friends visited, Krishan and Avik, and both were really cool and chill out kind of people, I liked both of these guys by talking to them and observing. I can say, over last few years I have developed a sense to judge and predict about people as a person by observing them and by talking to them for sometime. So, both these guys were good fellas to keep touch with. 

Then, characteristic Goldie maharaj ji’s dynamic brain lit up a bulb and he decided we are not having already prepared and ready dinner and rather going out for it at some place to have litti chokha, a traditional preparation in our part of India. We, all 5 people got into his Car and went to the place at around 11 in the night and had the dinner. It was great and made me remember my college days when I used to walk out with friends to eat something coupled with tea at a near by highway dhabba, at wee hours. So, after that we returned back and the two new friends left and we three sat down with our own versions of story starting from 2000 till date. We continued with chatting, cracking jokes, leg pulling till 4:30 in the morning and owing to the fact that tomorrow was also going to be a busy day we trudged towards the beds and call it a night before the night gets over … he he he …

The next day, I was asleep and Goldie maharaj ji woke me up at 10, the idea was, “hum jag gaye hain to tu kaise so sakta hai(When we are awake how you can sleep)”. It was again great feeling after so long a friend making me get out of the bed, and what more to ask for when the guy being my school days’ best friend. We got up, had wonderful tea Malvika prepared. And Krsihan and Avik came over with somethings Avneesh asked them to bring along. Then again we decided to go out and spend the day in the city and around 12 p.m. we went out. First we went to crossword where we brought some books, Avneesh and Malvika are avid readers themselves since school days and I developed the good habbit when I joined college so we passed good time discussing books and buying some of them. The we went to Pizza hut, had lunch. Goldie parked the car at a nearby parking and we strolled the roads talking and waiting for some people Avneesh had to meet.

Avneesh had some official work with these people and he wrapped it up by 6:30 and we three retuned to home and then was the bad moment. I had to leave by evening the same day as I had some business to take care of in Mumbai on the Sunday morning and it couldn’t be delayed anyhow because of a prior commitment made by me to some other people in Mumbai. There was a little party at their place, Avneesh b’day(14th Jan) was the party’s call, both Avneesh and Malvika insisted me to stay and leave the next day’s morning but, sadly I had to leave. We three agreed to stay in touch from now on and then Avneesh dropped me to the place where I can catch a bus for Mumbai and it was end of a great rendezvous. Old friends re-entered each other’s lives once again.