“OK, so we’ll start for Mumbai at 2 tomorrow but let me go now as it’s 2 in the morning”, said Ajit looking at his watch with a yawn. “Baith na be, kaa karoge abhi jaake”, protested Chunnu in his perfect Bihari accent. “Haan yaar, kitne saalon ke baad toh humari mehfil jami hai”, I said agreeing with Chunnu. Then Ajit said, “ Saalo, I’m married now, not like earlier when I could stay at your flat anytime of the day”, looking at me. After Ajit’s reply, the looks on our faces confirmed our sudden realization of the “changes” which have taken places in our lives.
This reunion took place last week when I, finally, went to Pune. During my return journey of 12 hours, I was thinking about how the time has changed since I first met these two idiots.
It was July 2004 when we three met in Bangalore, where we all were working for Career Forum, and then formed the famous “Bangalore gang”. We all had only one reason for being there in CF: MBA. We started with usual discussions over complex Math problems and then gradually moved on to almost every topic of the world. We clicked from the moment we met each other. I think that’s what happens in friendships. More so in great ones.
Chunnu. The six-feet-two-inches tall proud Bihari. Self-proclaimed youth-icon. Our first meeting was on a funny note when he called me at half an hour past midnight asking the address of CF guesthouse in Bangalore. ”. I was very annoyed by this “newcomer” to the Bangalore team because he disturbed only me, out of 6-7 people in the guesthouse, in the middle of my sleep. The funny part was that he was searching “49, 12th cross” from almost an hour when the real address was “94, 12th cross. Well, he still accuses our then CF boss for intentionally giving him the wrong address. Though he was not the first Bihari I met but he was the first one with whom I became friend. After seeing him, I said to the God: “Isko 2 inch kam karke mujhe 5’ 8” kar dete toh third world war nahi ho jaata”. Hehe. Since then, he has been at the receiving end of my pranks (You know, I’m not exactly sorry for round of the millennium. You deserved that, as that was the revenge of you know what). He is the most sensitive person of us three and the most street smart. You ought to take him along while going for either shopping or apartment search or anything where you need to get a better deal. Because of him only I’ve seen many crap movies for which actually I ended up paying most of the times (And now he asks for the bills for reimbursement!). His advices may or may not be correct but he’ll have a justification for his every point (though I may not believe and follow all those). I started cracking Bihari jokes on him from the initial days only and followed them up with MNS onesJ. He has also never left any chance of teasing me. He actually believes that my ancestors’ wrong doings are responsible for today’s quota, on the basis of caste, problem! And he teases me of being a fan of Aamir and Sachin because I’ve something in common with them-My height! But then I like Big B as well bro. This guy has, at every moment, taunted me with anti-brahmin and Ajit with anti-marathi comments. But the best part is that now he’s going to marry a “Marathi-brahmin” girl. Ironic! Isn’t it?
Ajit. Or Budhdha, as we call him lovingly. Don’t confuse with “Buddha” of Lord Buddha. He is “Budhdha” or “Buzurg-vaar” or an old man.Amcha “Marathi-manoos”.A man with always a smile on his face. Our friendship also started on a funny note when I tried to flirt with the only student he liked in Bangalore. And that too after my declaration that “dosti ke beech ladki nahi aani chahiye”. But that’s the shameless me for you;) And since then, he has told everyone about that incident with his own exaggerated version which ended making people believe that I’m the only guy who has ever flirted with a girl your friend had a “crush” on! Anyway, We started calling him Budhdha because of his grey hair. But later on, that tag suited him the best, as he is the wisest amongst three of us. A man of wisdom. A man whom I’ll call if I’ve to decide on something as I’ve done so many times earlier as well.Not to say that I possess wisdom as well but we both agree on almost every thing (and the perfect example of that was our agreement recently on the way I have handled the only issue of my life over last few years). Our discussions usually lasts 4-5 hours. We literally have talked whole nights many times. I still can’t forget our lengthy discussion on the deck when we, along with Chunnu in pure DCH style, went to Goa. He’s the official “late-lateef” of the lot. Never count on him if you’ve to catch a flight. People can actually testify for his habit of making people wait. I once almost lost my job as I lied for him when he woke up at 8:15 for an 8 ‘o clock lecture that day in Bangalore! But that was not the only time he did that. He has a knack for Hollywood entry:) And there are no chances of any improvement in him now as he has got a very caring wife who makes sure that he is not in trouble!
These two and few more, people because of whom I had to raise the bar of great friendship. Or I understood it in a better way. These are those people who have been there during thick and thin. But that’s what friends are for. Aren’t they?
Now, Chunnu is going to States for higher studies (the reason for which I went to Pune in the first place) for a year and I doubt he’ll come back just after one year. Ajit is happily married and well settled in Mumbai. We had our usual “mehfil” at Chunnu’s place last week and we all got sentimental, as we don’t know when is that going to happen again. But Chunnu came up with a fabulous idea of going to Goa againwhen we’ll not be only 3 but 6. Ahem.. Ahem..
I know we all are just a call away from each other but then too our lives have changed. Earlier, we used to have our “discussions” at least two times a week but now the average is once in two years. This whole thing reminds me of a famous DCH scene when Akshay replies to Aamir’s suggestion of coming every year to Goa for a week: “Our lives are like that sailing ship. In few years we all will sail away from each other in search of our own destinies. We are friends and will remain so, but ever thought what if it’s difficult to meet even once in ten years, forget coming to Goa every year”.
I left Pune with a heavy heart filled with satisfaction of seeing the best buddies and a silent prayer to see them again. Soon. Amen.
