The first time I saw Mr. R was in 89' in a small narrow gully playing cricket with the local boys. The ray ban glasses, woodland shoes, and Levi jeans he was all dressed up for the cricket. I saw him from the corner of my eyes and was instantly charmed by his mannerism. The first thought that came to my mind was ... he looks so comfortable yet out of place..playing gully cricket with these dirty kids from the roadside. Next day when I went to school there he was the same guy dressed in dark blue trousers, light blue shirt and a dark blue tie with golden stripes on it (that being the school uniform), black shoes well polished and that grin how can I ever forget that grin which said "I know the effect I am having on you and I kind of like it"
He was in 12th standard and I was a standard 8th student. If I looked across the veranda I would get the clear view of his class room, every now and then I would take a look in the hope catching a glimpse of that tall profile.
The school bell rang and it was interval as I was coming down the staircase he comes up to me and says “hi”, like a typical school girl who had never ever been greeted by some one so good looking I stared back at him, and he says “hello I am R” and waits for a while, I make a feeble effort to introduce myself... he smiles and says “I know who you are sandy”.
Every day I would get all decked up for my school and anxious to meet my friend Mister R. Days turned into months and months into years, 11 years to be precise since I saw him playing cricket. My first ever best friend, my pal, my yes man(he would spoil me silly by saying yes to anything I said irrespective of its complete lack of logic and relevance), we would tell my father that I am going to get his smokes and would ride on his bike to Lucknow (90kms) from where I use to live, would come back home after a 2 hours ride with the smokes, a beer in my tummy and smell of wind in my hair. Once he finished his college he moved out and started some business of his own, I too was destined to travel for education, work and more. We would talk on the phone every now and then, we had become different people with individualistic values over a period of time. He would call me and would try to keep in touch, I would not return the calls thinking its not the same Mr. R, our differences would stop me from connecting to him, life had changed him, made him bitter and cynical, he was holding on to the past and I was too busy with the my future; my friend was calling me and I just turned a deaf ear.
Then one evening as I was doing dishes after a hearty meal with my friends, the phone rang...“hello sandy you remember Mister R.?" I replied "yea what about him?" " he is dead”…. I mumbled "Our Mister R.?” “Yes ours”…. that was November 13th 2000, he had met with an accident on 12th November... My childhood friend was gone the only man who would call me "chotu" and I would not mind was gone forever so many thoughts crossed my mind, I would trade anything to go back to those days of bike rides , teasing girls and boys, would love to have some one as good looking and trust worthy as him tailing my rickshaw, someone who knew me from my frock days till date, it would have been wonderful to have you here with me today Mister R. would have been fun sharing my adulthood experiences with you.
I Miss you and hope that when we meet again we can pick up from where we left… until then you are remembered everyday…!!!
He was in 12th standard and I was a standard 8th student. If I looked across the veranda I would get the clear view of his class room, every now and then I would take a look in the hope catching a glimpse of that tall profile.
The school bell rang and it was interval as I was coming down the staircase he comes up to me and says “hi”, like a typical school girl who had never ever been greeted by some one so good looking I stared back at him, and he says “hello I am R” and waits for a while, I make a feeble effort to introduce myself... he smiles and says “I know who you are sandy”.
Every day I would get all decked up for my school and anxious to meet my friend Mister R. Days turned into months and months into years, 11 years to be precise since I saw him playing cricket. My first ever best friend, my pal, my yes man(he would spoil me silly by saying yes to anything I said irrespective of its complete lack of logic and relevance), we would tell my father that I am going to get his smokes and would ride on his bike to Lucknow (90kms) from where I use to live, would come back home after a 2 hours ride with the smokes, a beer in my tummy and smell of wind in my hair. Once he finished his college he moved out and started some business of his own, I too was destined to travel for education, work and more. We would talk on the phone every now and then, we had become different people with individualistic values over a period of time. He would call me and would try to keep in touch, I would not return the calls thinking its not the same Mr. R, our differences would stop me from connecting to him, life had changed him, made him bitter and cynical, he was holding on to the past and I was too busy with the my future; my friend was calling me and I just turned a deaf ear.
Then one evening as I was doing dishes after a hearty meal with my friends, the phone rang...“hello sandy you remember Mister R.?" I replied "yea what about him?" " he is dead”…. I mumbled "Our Mister R.?” “Yes ours”…. that was November 13th 2000, he had met with an accident on 12th November... My childhood friend was gone the only man who would call me "chotu" and I would not mind was gone forever so many thoughts crossed my mind, I would trade anything to go back to those days of bike rides , teasing girls and boys, would love to have some one as good looking and trust worthy as him tailing my rickshaw, someone who knew me from my frock days till date, it would have been wonderful to have you here with me today Mister R. would have been fun sharing my adulthood experiences with you.
I Miss you and hope that when we meet again we can pick up from where we left… until then you are remembered everyday…!!!
1 comment:
I AM MOVED SANDY. BEAUTIFUL FEELINGS.
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