I am writing this now. Am I a good writer? You can decide at the end my dear. Till then, let the rustic from Sarsi speak away and you sit back and listen.
Pune in those times was still the Pune we know today. Remember the old statues, shining in broad daylight like the remnant of an old phoenix shot down from the sky? I always had a knack of studying sights and sounds around, the colours that we see, the threads of thoughts that we build; I learn from them all. I am a Catholic but more than that I am spiritual. My friends, Mandar, Anurag will vouch for the same. They vouched for the same even back then, as they patted me, like we pat our best horse before betting a large sum of our fortune on our fortune. See what I did there? Fortune means wealth and luck.. Ahh I have ruined the effect now. Let me try something more grand now. At the behest of my closest connivances, I tread, ever so meticulously on the soft green grass at Vishrantwadi. The green grass is no more today, but the memories still stand there, where I stood six years ago. Six years ago, when a small bet, well not so small since I didn’t get a lot of pocket-money back then as a student, was going to change the course of my life. I wonder why Reverend Smith didn’t mention anything about this. I thought Reverends knew everything. So naïve I was then to believe Reverend could see the future, to believe my friends that the perfect girl would be waiting for me. I was naïve because the girl was more than perfect. Friends said I would find me, or someone like me. But you weren’t me; you were nothing like me. From the station of Sarsi, our houses are almost equidistantly situated on either side of it. That was the extent of commonality between us. A single thread of connect that might have been the only thing that brought you there that day, looking around with doubt and curiosity. Do you remember? And in return for the moon that your friends, Shilpa and Sujata I think, had promised, you only got someone who had a camouflage for the surroundings deep in his personality. Pune had always been my second home and I never needed the maps. Guilty as charged dear! Buying maps was the only excuse I had in those days to come visit Vishrantwadi ; apparently they had the best map-store in Pune which you never thought how you could never find. It was a figment of Anurag’s imagination you see, he always shirks work with the best of excuses. He lost Bhiku recently, poor chap. Oh I digress! Poor me. Work must be getting to me. So as I was boasting about my at-home-ness with Pune and how I merged with the background when you crossed the street right across me. Hahaha! We still have a laugh at that. Anurag mentions the story in every arc of his drinking drama. It’s only after you crossed, looked back after what you saw the “wow, amazing” guy in the maroon shirt. The disappointment in your face was huge like our Sarsi’s samosas. Bad allusion? Nobody remembers Sarsi these days dear. I avail the opportunity at every juncture to refer to our native place in good light. So face sniffing of disappointment, you started crossing again and stopped near me with visible effort, preventing inertia to take you ahead. You weren’t mean! I swear! I was just too… me. Or too lost in the show to make any effort in being discovered. Anurag and I had a bet that I couldn’t produce the story as it happened. He believes post what happened, my memory has been failing me. Foolish fatty. See I remember everything right. So what if you have left home for a while to visit? You anyways needed a break from those horrid guys at your workplace. Momo is doing ok. She still keeps crawling into the purse you forgot to take. And it feels heavy when the maid tries to place it somewhere while cleaning. She shrieks like Momo followed my Momo shrieking back! It’s hilarious. Just come back soon to view this new ruckus. It’s worth it. We all miss you here. It is as if you never went away. It is strange that time comes to an end so soon. They are nearly here. I hope it is fine, me leaving like this. But wait! Not before I give you the gift I brought. Our garden bore a fresh tulip today. See what I did there again? You worked for Tulip Systems.. this is a tulip.. ahh I have spoilt it again. Anyways, let me know whether you liked it. I am done reading for now. I place the tulip ever so gently upon the earth. It will be no more soon. But you will always be. Rest in peace dear,
Love,
LJ.
Pune in those times was still the Pune we know today. Remember the old statues, shining in broad daylight like the remnant of an old phoenix shot down from the sky? I always had a knack of studying sights and sounds around, the colours that we see, the threads of thoughts that we build; I learn from them all. I am a Catholic but more than that I am spiritual. My friends, Mandar, Anurag will vouch for the same. They vouched for the same even back then, as they patted me, like we pat our best horse before betting a large sum of our fortune on our fortune. See what I did there? Fortune means wealth and luck.. Ahh I have ruined the effect now. Let me try something more grand now. At the behest of my closest connivances, I tread, ever so meticulously on the soft green grass at Vishrantwadi. The green grass is no more today, but the memories still stand there, where I stood six years ago. Six years ago, when a small bet, well not so small since I didn’t get a lot of pocket-money back then as a student, was going to change the course of my life. I wonder why Reverend Smith didn’t mention anything about this. I thought Reverends knew everything. So naïve I was then to believe Reverend could see the future, to believe my friends that the perfect girl would be waiting for me. I was naïve because the girl was more than perfect. Friends said I would find me, or someone like me. But you weren’t me; you were nothing like me. From the station of Sarsi, our houses are almost equidistantly situated on either side of it. That was the extent of commonality between us. A single thread of connect that might have been the only thing that brought you there that day, looking around with doubt and curiosity. Do you remember? And in return for the moon that your friends, Shilpa and Sujata I think, had promised, you only got someone who had a camouflage for the surroundings deep in his personality. Pune had always been my second home and I never needed the maps. Guilty as charged dear! Buying maps was the only excuse I had in those days to come visit Vishrantwadi ; apparently they had the best map-store in Pune which you never thought how you could never find. It was a figment of Anurag’s imagination you see, he always shirks work with the best of excuses. He lost Bhiku recently, poor chap. Oh I digress! Poor me. Work must be getting to me. So as I was boasting about my at-home-ness with Pune and how I merged with the background when you crossed the street right across me. Hahaha! We still have a laugh at that. Anurag mentions the story in every arc of his drinking drama. It’s only after you crossed, looked back after what you saw the “wow, amazing” guy in the maroon shirt. The disappointment in your face was huge like our Sarsi’s samosas. Bad allusion? Nobody remembers Sarsi these days dear. I avail the opportunity at every juncture to refer to our native place in good light. So face sniffing of disappointment, you started crossing again and stopped near me with visible effort, preventing inertia to take you ahead. You weren’t mean! I swear! I was just too… me. Or too lost in the show to make any effort in being discovered. Anurag and I had a bet that I couldn’t produce the story as it happened. He believes post what happened, my memory has been failing me. Foolish fatty. See I remember everything right. So what if you have left home for a while to visit? You anyways needed a break from those horrid guys at your workplace. Momo is doing ok. She still keeps crawling into the purse you forgot to take. And it feels heavy when the maid tries to place it somewhere while cleaning. She shrieks like Momo followed my Momo shrieking back! It’s hilarious. Just come back soon to view this new ruckus. It’s worth it. We all miss you here. It is as if you never went away. It is strange that time comes to an end so soon. They are nearly here. I hope it is fine, me leaving like this. But wait! Not before I give you the gift I brought. Our garden bore a fresh tulip today. See what I did there again? You worked for Tulip Systems.. this is a tulip.. ahh I have spoilt it again. Anyways, let me know whether you liked it. I am done reading for now. I place the tulip ever so gently upon the earth. It will be no more soon. But you will always be. Rest in peace dear,
Love,
LJ.
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