Friendship: St Anthony’s gang! The evolution of a Personalized Art

This blog is dedicated to fond memories of our dear friend Late Narayan Rao!

What comes between ‘Standing’ and ‘Outstanding’….perhaps it is something only a good friend can appreciate. 'Outstanding' is for ‘exceptional and good’ qualities and 'standing' can be linked to status! EVEN the status of being busy. We continue to be busy, Narayan Rao too would be busy in the world above all of us.

Where’s friendship in between?

A short story is generally given out as a personalized art – like a poetry; so what’s a blog piece! A personal journalism – facts concocted with drama, laced with emotions?

The evolution of that individuated art is bedeviled by the influence a personal touch that can leave someone stunned even in this century – when man seems to be getting busier than his shadow!! There’s no time man! – even the shadow won’t follow you literally. Who said, Albert Einstein at that age had predicted that machines will make man and also including woman its slave? The social networking often shows caricatures – man talking to man miles away for hours – and man leaving his next-arm partner isolated and dejected as he gets busy with the business of Whatsapp, Facebook etc etc.

Sanjay Sabherwal showed his OUTSTANDING quality for me – well in advance. He reached the destination well before scheduled time – after all the excitement of meeting after 30 years kept him move fast. More than surprising that was flattering – because he showed the extra-pace in meeting up a ‘poor journo’. 

The Kanpur man – and someone minting money from interior decoration business - has not been able to withdraw himself completely from the school-guy sentiments. I had thought of reaching before him and take him in my embrace. 

But a near perfectionist from the school days (1982-84) in Scotland of East – Shillong – St Anthony’s – Sanjay (read Sabherwal seth) stood in a corner and I helplessly found myself walking into his arms.

And, if you all 'respected and humbled stupid husbands' like me thought ‘wifely’ embrace is the best thing in the world – both Sanjay and me will differ. Don't we?

But why it was such an exciting hug – can be critically examined by outpouring of a bachelor!

Yes; on the wrong side of 40 – Samik Bhattacharya – diagnosed – with ‘wifely’ guys there can be often ‘suffering’ – the desi version makes it easier to understand – chir-chira-pan….Well this was stated by a yet-confirmed-bachelor Samik – who seems to enjoy his Single status pretty well!!

Oh boy! Samik surprised two of us because there was no prior word earlier about his making it to the meeting – during office hours !

Samik flanked by two idiots

Mind you, Samik made it to the meeting spot Dilli-Haat – fyi a brainchild of cricketer Ajay Jadeja’s mom-in-law Jaya Jaitley (yes, also an acquaintance of neta George Fernandes), keeping his office bosses and foreign ministry officials licking their fingers.

Instead he hosted Sikkim Momo starters for us and made us lick the last part of the chilly-chutney! Punjab da puttar – Sanjay said aptly, “abbey yeh toh lag gayi…” !!

Now don’t ask the “location”, Sanjay would feel that next morning! Me too…Mirchi sabko lagti hae bhai !!

But that’s FRIENDSHIP all about. Sanjay is here for a marriage, Samik had a busy work schedule and me – Bloody Journalism ….

For his part, for Sanjay “managing time” from a family affair like Punjabi marriage is tough game. ‘TODA YEH, TODA WOH……etc etc. But he managed. 

And as he said – something implemented in letter and spirit (don’t get ideas – we had harmful fruit beer) by Samik – NO MANAGEMENT SCHOOL CAN TEACH THAT.

Selfie Syndrome

“It’s in your heart buddy….,” said Sanjay and like a spirited Anthonian and yet in Punjabi style – added: Yeh toda dil ki baat hae…. ITS MATTER OF HEART MEIN…the La Boh spirit was in full-swing.

About such meetings, one must add: We had a similar ‘outstanding’ meeting with Supercop Dr Christopher recently. He knows the menu well. Anthonian spirit was more in action. But another Anthonian spirit is in Sanjay Das's efforts when he met our Late friend Narayan Rao's sister and took her to the school where a stone stands in memory of Narayan Rao. Merciless Bangalore roads took Narayan away from us.

Sanjay Das and Narayan's sister

Before one concludes, I ought to mention Palungthang Veipei also – from the bunch of people calling themselves I AM SORRY! He had humbled me – by his illustrious gesture when he decided to forego his official-babudom - Commissioner Manipur Govt. PROTOCOL – and ran like a school kid underneath a Metro bridge to take me in his arms. Yes, it too was a tight hug and ‘we’ loved it.

As the writing in the epitaph says: 

Meet u prince Narayan in the other world.

We will remember you dearest Narayan when we would have forgotten this world, may be !! 

(ends)