Memories of one old friend ...

I was having my dinner last night and suddenly got a SMS from one of my friend. It carried the phone number of one of my oldest friend. My joys had no bounds...thought of calling him after my dinner as I wanted a resting time to start chat with him... That forced me to have a quick dinner ...

Just a background of him and our friendship....
We were friends when we were in 6th and 7th standard. His name is "Sujeet Rath". Golden were those days; being with friends; I never thought of anything else as part of my little world other than those friends and my home. Sujeet, a great friend of mine; we used to sit together in class; used to play together; used to go to same tuition ... Well, we had a quarrel once , I remember, when he had put his hands on my shoulders and I was somehow against of that..I never liked that ...Then the great effort of our tuition teacher to settle the matter ... and as usual..again we became friends.....

So there I was dialing that number and it rang. It was answered and the conversation went like this:

sr: Hello ...
me: May I speak to Sujeet, please ....
sr: Yes, speaking ...Who's this ?
me: One old friend of yours ....
sr: When...
me: When we were in 7th Standard ...
sr: What is the name... (Felt too curious .....)
me: (So, no more playing around..., I just opened the suspense...) Chinmaya
sr: Chinmaya Achary, you mean
me: Yes, Chinu here
sr: Really...I can not believe .... From where did you get my number ?
me: From Sarat ....
sr: Oh... It feels so great to get you back.. I always think of you ....Where are you these days ?
me: I am in Chennai.
sr: What you are doing ?
me: So called ... "Software Engineer"....
sr: Well, you were out of sight for so many years ....I looked for so many years ... but did not get your address...
me: Yes, I went to my uncle's place to continue my studies ... and thereby, unlinking all the previous links...
sr: Yes, its been 14 years, we are talking again.... You are sounding totally different.. I want to see you...Please send me your photo...I am telling my address... note it down... please send within a week... (He was kinda restless...)
me: OK, now I am outside.. Let me go to house first, then I can write your address down.
sr: How are all at home ? Where are they ...??
me: Father left us 3 yrs back. All sisters' got married. Now, me, brother and mother staying here in Chennai together..
sr: Sorry... I am...
me: It's OK. You tell, how are all at home ?
sr: Yes, all are doing good. Elder sister got married. Others have done degrees in Computers and I am in RK Hotel....
me: Where is didi now ?
sr: Bhubaneswar....
me: What else ??
sr: Stop now.... It's been long u r talking.... My sister is telling, your phone bill might be running high....
(I think, he had put his phone on speaker... All his family were listening our conversation.. They were happy as he was)
me: Its OK yaar... Its after long, I am talking and I have just reached home...Let me open the door....then I can write the address
sr: Ok...
me: Ok, now you can tell...
sr: (..Address...)
me: (...Writing...) Oh.. the same address... I remember....
sr: Yes, the same house ..the same place... you only left us ...
me: Is aunty (his mother) there... Can I speak to her...
sr: Yes.. Sure .. (Maa.... Chinu wants to speak to you.. Come fast... He is online)
aunty: Hello...Chinu
me: Namaste aunty... How are you ?
aunty: I am fine beta ... How are you ? I feel so good to hear you after 14 years ...Sujeet and all are really thrilled ...
me: Same here Aunty.....
....
me: Please give to Sujeet...
aunty: (Take... He wants to speak to you...)
sr: Yes, Chinu... Now stop... It's too long we are talking... I will save this number... And do not forget to send your photo and your address too.....
me: Ok, then, I will stop here.... It was great to have you back after so so long time...
sr: Yes... ok..bye...
me: bye... Good night

Well, the conversation stopped...But my whole night, passed in his memory ... my past... my school days...I remembered the exchange of flower plants we were doing those days... He used to come to my house and I used to go to his house ... The days were really golden ... I can never forget these ....

See, it feels really great to get a old friend back in your network ... Really, Friendship never dies... I was uttering the line as I was trying to sleep last night .... "Friends are the siblings, God forgot to give us." ...