How I let my first friend slip away...

"NS" was my first friend. I don't mean the "was" to mean that he isn't my friend now, but because I have lost track of him. My parents say he became your friend from when I was just months old. They said he used to come to our home as a kid to watch TV (the only one of the two in that locality then) but kept watching me play as an infant. It amazes me but doesn't surprise me at all as ever since I gained control of my senses, there was NS, his home right in our street.

Almost everything about him was curious. He is a Jain and remains the only Jain I know in first person till date. I have gone to temples with him and remember seeing him wear the "vibuthi". He had a red coloured bible at home that he got from his Christian school due to which I knew of the existence of bible. For a long time, I have seen a picture of a Jain Tirtankara on top of a tall pedestal with with all sorts of animals sitting on a spiral ramp that leads up to the pedestal. And for years, I had thought that it was Buddha. :)

He was creative! He once showed me a picture of Mickey Mouse dressed in a red wizard's robe. That was the first time I believed that every day people that I meet can draw something beyond match-stick figures with just pencil, crayons and papers. A couple of years or so later, I myself had a small collection of Mickey, Donald and Goofy, and then veered off to mythological characters like Hanuman, Rama, Shiva and Krishna. The best I did was a picture of Sita garlanding Rama during Swayamvaram, that I reproduced from "RamaKrishna Vijayam" a spiritual magazine that my parents had subscribed to then!

His creativity didn't stop with just drawing. He was a bit of a science geek too! In his early teens (or may be a bit earlier) he had amused me by making a car chassis using a couple of batteries , motor, a few wheels pulled out from god-knows-whose-toys!

But he was not all geeky all the time. We had a lot of fun flying kites, catching fish from streams flowing on the road after monsoon, playing games involving good guys, bad guys and fights involving all the Tamil movies that we saw.

After close to 20 years, I only increasingly miss those days. I was jogging this morning when for no reason all these memories came up and I felt a sudden rush of stupidity at how I have let such a friend who has influenced so much of my first memorable experiences slip away. Facebook has come to the rescue in making up for the mistake. I have found him in seconds on search and have sent a friend request. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Yesteryear hits remind me of my past!

When I listen to yester-year hits, I inevitably remember all the incidents around when I was listening to them when the where still latest-hits.

I listen to Rang De Basanti, I still remember myself sleeping early in the only dark room of the apartment in Begumpet when I just joined my first job, when Aish played the song before going off for his CAT classes. I listen to Jeans, I remember the Engineering Drawing assignment during my first year of Engineering Bachelors' degree, and the graphite ridden chart that was supposed to have a need diagram of a cylinder!

Those good old days! Does that happen to you, or is it just me?

"Happy Buuuthuday tooooo youuuuu"

"Badhreeee....hey....Badhreeee", I could hear my dad whispering. I grimaced in slight discomfort. But I knew it was time to get up for I could see the faint blue sky through the window and hear the birds vigourously chirping from the guava tree and the mango trees in our garden. I made a vain attempt to drift back to sleep and continue with my dream that I couldn't remember anymore. Suddenly, my dad sang in my ears "Happy Buuuuthuday toooooooooo youuuuuuuu"! The song was a comical parody of the well known "Happy Birthday" tune. He gave me a tight, yet relieving embrace and kissed my cheek. My sleep disappeared in an instant and my spirits soared. "Heyyyyyy! Its my Birthday! I am 10!". Memories of the previous night filtered in quickly. I could remember the excitement with which I went to sleep the previous night, smiling in darkness to myself! Excited that when I wake up the next morning, I will be one year older! Lots of wishes, a day wearing "colour dress" at the school. A public announcement at the school assembly, chocolates to distribute, and no admonishments for not completing home-works! But the best part is, I was almost always the first person to celebrate birthday for the academic year. First to wear "colour dress" to school! Pity those who are born in April or May.

My mom said, "Happy Birthdayyyyyyy. Innikki enna sweet venum" (What sweet do you want me to make for you today?) and kissed me. "Get up, get up", my dad nudged, as I realized that there is going to be so much fun ahead. I quickly grabbed my Colgate toothpaste (to which we recently switched from Colgate tooth powder) and brushed. I didn't care too much to rinse my mouth. I was dying to get ready for school. Besides, I liked Colgate's taste. When I got done with it, my dad placed my tumbler of Bournvita on the floor of our living room right by the TV.

My sister, realizing the specialty of the day, woke up, walked to the hall and waited to wish me after I got done with brushing. But unable to cope up with the delay, she slipped back to sleep sitting on the sofa. When I finally came out, she shook her sleep off and briskly extended her hand with a big smile, but sleepy eyes "Happy Birthday!". "Thanks di"!

Paati (grandma) was already up and brisk. She got done with her morning ablutions already. She always gets up early along with my dad Dad offered her coffee said, "Ammaa. Innikki Badhri porantha naal" (Today is Badhri's birthday!).

"Apdiya! Romba sandosham Nalla padiya iru". (Is it? Very glad. Keep well!) she earnestly replied in a composed tone and gulped some coffee.

My brother was still sleeping in the bedroom, but got up as soon as I got done with brushing. His hair still messy, he came over to me and painlessly tapped with his knuckles on my head. "Enna da Koravaa! Happy birthday!". (Koravaa was nick name of-sorts at home. Has enough content for a separate post).

Soon after the morning coffee session, my mom took bath and made delicious Kesari along with her regular cooking. Dad took bath next, removed my newly stitched birthday dress, (a pair of trousers and a shirt) from our wardrobe, set it in the pooja area and started with his routine pooja. My brother and sister were still brushing watching the early morning DD programs like "Dus kadam" and "Hindi news". I couldn't wait to try my new dress. So, I hurried through the bath, wore the "namam"(the straight red line across my forehead) and a quick recitation of slokams I knew. I found my mom's Kesari along with my dress in the pooja area, but I knew that I can't have it yet since my dad hasn't offered it to God!

Shortly thereafter I wore my dress and took the time to savour every moment of it! My mom got done with cooking and my dad with the pooja. Both walked out of the kitchen with my mom holding a box of "Akshadai" (rice coated with turmeric). My dad called my paatti and the three of them stood together in a straight line. I fell on their feet seeking their blessings as they showered the "akshadai" on me.

"Study well, get good marks in exam and stay healthy! Grow up quickly and be prosperous". , said my mom.

"At least from now on be a smart boy!", joked my dad.

"Sowkyama iru". (Be prosporous). That was my grandma.

I had food, kept pack of chocolates in my bag and briskly started for school looking forward to the day's excitement!

Missing those days when all my family was in a single address, and when paatti was still alive and well..