"haan Bolo..."
"hey BhagWaan!!"
"kya kar rahi ho?"
"hah!!"
"arreY! Chup na!!"
"dhut!!"
"you know what.."
"hmmm.." (= haan:)
"hey"
"accha! suno na..."
"Plzzz.."
"accha ab main rakhti hu.. theek hai?"
Words... that I have heard so many times a day that I have hopelessly gotten used to them.
Words...that tell a story but are a story unto themselves.
Words...that even when they are so predictable are fondly awaited.
Words...that seem very ordinary but speak of something very special.
As I log on to my laptop for the first time in the year 2009, I see this seemingly innocuous mail waiting to be picked up in my mailbox. I open this mail and I see the above words – words that lit up not only my new year but also my entire life to come.
This mail comes from a friend of mine, a very special friend who has been with me through the thick and thin of my life for the past few months, a person whom I could confide anything and everything and trust to come out with solutions even for invincible problems. But most importantly, she taught me some of the most beautiful things about life:
1. She taught me to hug. Don’t think I am kidding; I have hardly hugged my dearest mom!! She blackmailed me into hugging her quite a number of times, and by now, I am proud to admit that I have mastered this gesture too.
2. She showed me a Touch-me-not plant. (Readers might start thinking that I am hopeless at this point, but believe me, although I knew the name of this plant since I was a kid, I had never seen it in real life). That day as I stood with her in the garden, playing with that shy plant, I was secretly thanking God that he had chosen such an opportune moment to show me one of his most wonderful creations with somebody so close to my life and heart.
3. She ‘taught’ me how to hold my fort under all circumstances. Forgive me for using the word ‘taught’ because though I admire (and at the same time envy) her for this trait, I refuse to imbibe this myself. I think I need to be much bigger hearted and wiser to be like her. One person in this entire world on whom I can take the liberty of screaming and scolding, hanging up the call abruptly and still not hesitating to call at all odd hours just to cry my heart out - that’s her!!! She would always be there, on the other line of the phone, with her mellifluous voice resonating in my ears – ‘Kya hua, ….’
4. And yes, this is the biggest takeaway for me. She brought a whole new meaning of the word ‘relationship’ in my life. I have always prided myself on maintaining good relations with those I value a lot. But after she entered my life, suddenly the word had assumed a meaning of monumental proportions. If earlier I respected my relations, today I value and relish them.
I dedicate this blog to you, my friend. I pray for you from the bottom of my heart and somewhere in my prayers I beg God to bless me with your companionship for many more years to come. While I move on with my life and my troubles, I always have this comfort in my heart that somewhere my friend is always with me, sharing my happiness and joy, bearing my tears and pain. A Jewish saying goes like this - Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure. I am one of those fortunate ones who have dug out this treasure for themselves…
