Happy birthday , My friend !!

Yet another weekend…. a welcome relief :)
The week had been hectic as well as one that brought about a lot of tension and uncertainty at office. The week started off by a visiting delegate from our principal company dropping in to do a market –visit. I have made so many excel sheets and analysis reports that I could see only excels sheets and formulas in my sleep.

As in every Friday morning, the body alarm clock woke me up around 7.30am in spite of going to bed at 3.30am .Had gone to watch “3 Idiots” –TAKE 2 last night :) and came home late.

Made the customary calls to Amma and relatives. As usual, engaged myself in the cleaning of my bachelor den which I lavishly do only on weekends. Morning is always occupied in the above and then the normal facebook updates, a few customary mails, birthday wishes to be sent out etc That reminds me that I still have a Bday call to make to a friend of mine from school. Thanks to social networking sites, we got in touch after nearly 9 yrs thru Facebook .

Friendships have always been a passion to me and my friends a blessing in my life. Very few friends I have in this world – but each of them unique and indispensable in their own ways. Each of them has touched my life in a distinctive manner etching their marks on my individuality, leaving me as a better person than before meeting them :) .
Yes, we don’t keep touch on a daily basis, we are scattered around the world but then they live within me …. :)

I met Priyanka in Sept 1993 – ISK Salmiya- 11th std. Commerce batch. We were classmates and she used to sit in the bench just in front of me. I was never an outgoing person or a noticeable person who kinda stands out in the class for doing something exceptional. Was always content being in a corner of the classroom and dutifully learning the academics….we never fell in each other’s league at all…. I used to admire her sense of friendship with another of my classmate—they were always together J inseparable, more like Siamese twins :) -- Olga was a sweet person as well. They were so different but used to complement each other so beautifully.
I was always a loner and deep down me always yearned for a good friendship--- me as a person had a lot of issues at that time and it kept me drawing into myself even more. Wished for someone to share things or someone who would talk to me—but I would never take the first step :) . most of the friends I have today are the ones who took the first step :) (yup, they must be repenting now for that – ha ha ha)

So also did Priyanka – somewhere along the classes, she would turn back to talk and smile .She had a zest for life and I used to admire that in her. The first thing I remember about Priyanka is her smile, how she would turn back to chit chat between classes and get into trouble. Priyanka looked very different from the other girls in class – kinda rugged J ( I hope she doesn’t see this ). She used to wear big rimmed glasses, braces for the teeth, you would always see her in a long sleeve school shirt( even in summers), her tie would always be halfway down the neck, wear a sweater that would fit two of her and had a wonderful step cut short hair that was always falling to her eyes. She was unlike other girls who cared for their looks or how they dressed and but definitely she was good looking as well, in fact more than the others :)
She was interested in philosophy, psychology, palmistry, literature, cricket and of course economics. She was the Economics teacher’s favorite… I could never understand why the GDP, marginal diminishing utility and elasticity were so fascinating for her :) coz that drew a yawn from me in every class. And sitting right behind the economics expert made me quite visible to the teacher as well since she was always in the limelight for the Economics class.

In those days, in school, it’s so amazing how small things make a big difference to people. Once Priyanka had to go for an emergency l for 10 days or so, coz her grandma was not keeping well. Olga ( Priyanka’s best Siamese friend) was all lonely and down etc (looking back, makes us feel so kiddish and silly rite ?) These gals would talk for hours after school as well- Thank God, local calls were free - I always used to wonder how much can people talk and tat also someone we meet daily in school) . I was never a telephone lover – the only time I call up classmates were to either check about some homework or discuss something academically ( gosh how boring could I be ?:)) Looking at Olga’s loneliness, I took it upon myself to play a replacement for 10 days- I would call her and speak to her and honestly I found it quite enjoyable as well. Surprisingly Amma was happy since she could see I was taking the effort for a friendship (much unlike me in those days). And I’m a stickler for my words J, the day Priyanka came back to school, that evening I did not call up Olga J ( after all Priyanka was back – I was so adjusting in those day ;) apostles would have been ashamed of my benevolence). That evening I get 2 calls – one from Olga nearly after an hour of the normal time I call up- yelling at me where the hell I was :) and soon after that from Priyanka asking me how come you did not make your customary calls and from today onwards add me to the list as well…

We shared a beautiful friendship- they taught me how to talk, reach out to people, and listen to people, share thoughts. Priyanka used to boost my self confidence and they gave me that reassurance in friendships and left me as a better person. When we left school after 2 yrs, we all vowed to write to each other and keep in touch--- all of us maintained that for nearly 5 yrs or so… and then in this rat race moved on our own paths… I was still in touch with Olga those days and Priyanka had kinda disappeared , we used to search the Net, college alumni groups, social networking sites etc etc….and jus around a year back met her on Facebook. She hasn’t changed much—we do still talk on philosophy, psychology, human behaviour etc etc though now the physical distance does play a small barrier. She is based in Delhi and me in Dubai.

Funnily I used to search the orkut or facebook for a pic of Priyanka resembling the 12th Std imageJ but voila!!
Today she looks amazingly different- long hair, no glasses, thin, petite , pretty, trendy clothing--- he he – she calls it the ugly duckling to swan transformation --- to me my friend was always a Swan ;)
Today on her birthday, I celebrate the wonderful person she is and remembering the way she touched my life. I wish her all the best in this world – success & prosperity in all the field of life- career, personal life, health, good friends etc etc and I dedicate this blog posting to her…