If you have met old friends after ten to fifteen years especially if you were bosom friends then only then you will know what a joyful experience it is. You start picking up threads about each others lives until now, rejoice in childhood memories, wonder about what your other friends are doing and then say life moves so fast that ‘there is no time to stand and stare’ to quote Davies. You get up appreciating how aptly the poet puts it.
Something of this kind happened to me while I was waiting for my wife to show up at a posh restaurant. When the head waiter led to me to my already booked table I heaved a sigh of relief. It was hidden from view from the entrance and partially shielded from the rest of the restaurant. As I made my way to the table a shout startled me. “Oi! Mick!!”. I was startled because it was a childhood nickname of me only for my most intimate friends whose number was restricted to two. Well there is a long story behind this name but to cut a long story short the Cold War was at an all time high at that time, so the newspapers were full of reports of spies. We as kids were of course fascinated of these and spend many an evening playing spies and we referred to each other by a code name. The turning point in our friendship was Father’s transfer from there to Mumbai.
Turning around I saw Bhavan ‘Dave’ Gupta striding towards me with open arms. Where was the bony kid that I left behind? Right now he looked like a wrestler with bulging biceps, massive chest and huge arms. “Long time no see??” he inquired after we had exchanged pleasantries. “Oh.... Every time I thought of contacting you something came up. So...” I replied. “ you became a big city babu and forget about your friends” he said obviously enjoying my discomfort.
By this time we reached my table. I enquired whether he would like to join me. He answered with an affirmative however adding that he had an appointment to keep so could only spare half an hour. Soon we were drinking wine while catching up with each others life. From him I gathered that he was a lawyer and was employed at a very prestigious law company. Having finished the usual quota of questions I enquired about the other member of our ‘gang’ Shushil ‘Danny’ Misra.
“Danny? Yes I met him. He is doing well and has joined the army.”
“Oh. But when did you meet him?”
“Well... it’s a long story...”
I pestered knowing fully that the story would be out fully in an minute or two. In childhood he was always ‘boring’ us by his stories. But the truth was we always loved those but were affected by a common childhood feeling of jealousy that ‘he is better than me’. I was not wrong. He gave in.
“Well it happened so, that I was a struggling lawyer trying to make a buck out in the great city. During that time I was courting a girl, very beautiful mind you. After many a rejected proposals I finally got her to agree to be my girlfriend. For about 2-3 months we were very happy. But then the trouble started. We would have fights every other day and I was convinced that she had another admirer. After a particularly painful fight I went to a bar to drown my emotions. Guess how I met there? Yes Danny. There he was drinking bottles after bottles. He was literally drowning himself in them. I went up to him and asked what the matter was. From him I gathered that he was in exactly the same dilemma as I was. After drinking more than enough bottles we devised a plan to confront Danny’s Devil. We decided that he was to ask his girlfriends to make the other man in her life to come at a particular restaurant. This restaurant suited our purpose well as it as open air and had easy access point. And we also decided that Danny was pound the hell out of him.
When I met my girlfriend the next day she informed me that my suspicions were well founded and she indeed had another man in her life. The same had asked me to meet at the same restaurant coincidently the same which Danny and I had agreed upon. The next day with my chest overflowing with anger I went up to the restaurant and sat on the pre decided table. He (the Devil) was to come in a black shirt and blue jeans. Anything that remotely suggested this combination was coming up the drive. As he neared I could see his face and I tell you I was completely aghast. It was no other than Danny. As he neared the table I saw that he was also completely taken aback.
‘What are you doing here?’ he asked bluntly eying my .
‘What are YOU doing here’ I replied.
‘Are you... Geeta?’ he asked.
‘Eh... yes you too?’
He nodded.
Suddenly wind picked up. A newspaper came flying and landed on my face. Something caught my eye and when I read it I became rooted to the spot. It read ‘We wish to announce the happy union of Raju C. and Geeta Raina. Please come and shower your blessing on the couple. The wedding is going to take place....’ I could read no more. I handed the news paper to Danny. He handled the news better than I had expected. After this event we became best friends and kept contact with each other. But before breaking up for the day we both decided to punch this Raja’s face if we ever came face to face with him.”
Now I must allude to the sitting arrangement at our table. I was sitting facing the aisle leading to our table while Bhavan sat with his backside towards it. As I looked at it my heart sank. Coming up the aisle was my wife. Before I could do anything she was at the table and was on the verge of saying “Sorry I’m late” she saw my companion and turned deathly pale. He in turn seemed to be gasping for breath opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish.
I decided to do the inevitable “I dare say you have met each other. Anyhow Bhavan this is my wife Geeta.............”
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