Dedicated to Moothavar ...

Life is all about surprises. Things, whether significant or not, will never reveal their true sense until we realize the power within their unpredictability. Never did we remember where we first met our gal or our best friend ... unless we dig hard into the past or make it a point to remember, all our past goes into the irrevocable part of our brain.

So was this one. I never knew how we became very close friends. But, it took time to happen but the bond strengthened at every logical stage.

I had got my XLRI call then, I was waitlisted and I was pretty sure about conversion. I was working with CTS for the last 8 months. XLRI was a surprise for me. That was the time when my project was getting into the main phase and i was being looked upon as a potential leader of my small but energetic team. I had given up on staying late nights to complete pending tasks. These days meetings sounded useless for a person who was already into the mindset of an external guy.

The day began rather on a bad note. I missed my office bus and hence took out my car. It’s always fun to drive the car alone without the driver or dad doing the back-seat driving. As I entered my wing, I was able to see someone sitting in my desk and doing something on my computer. I moved quietly towards my place to see that it was my manager. I was an hour late to the office on a very crucial day where we were supposed to have signed a milestone document with a client. I prepared myself for some lashings from him.

As usual, I showed no signs of any problems. Dropped my business world and car keys right in front of him and said "Hey selva, I had a bad day. Cognizant bus service sux, u know". He slowly looked at the business world with a sarcastic smile and said "Yes sir, I can see".

I laughed out and trying to hide my case, continued "It makes me proud watching my manager sitting in my seat. No issues selva, carry on. I will use your room for a day". He politely replied, “U already wanna sit in a managers' cubicle, is it? Unaku thimuruda [arrogant fello]. Settle down and I need to meet you in 5 mins right in meeting room. Fast"

I found myself in the meeting room after a face wash ... He broke the silence, "I am planning to send you to Eindhoven [client place in Nederland] , Malcolm wants you to be there for 3 months till we go live" ... I was stunned, It was only three days back that I had spoken to him in length about XLRI. Now he is there presenting me with another priced catch. I said "Selva, I am confused. Offer me some time". Selva got up from his seat and said " Please make it fast sir. U shall have to report there on may 3"

I was confused and was still sitting in the meeting room ... The BAD thing about me is that I am so vulnerable and people can confuse me so easily. A feeling of pride at one side and pressure at another side filled my heart. I was silently contemplating for some time, when sukumar [another senior collegue of mine] walked in with his usual bombastic tone, " Machan, Unaku Macham da [U are so lucky] ... Netherlands thaan. Kalaku[enjoy] madi. Come for a coffee"

It was then my mobile rang. I asked sukumar to continue and answered the call. "Can i speak with Jayaramakrishnan ?" muttered the voice on the other end. It has been long since I had heard anyone address my full name. I was always known as JK or krishna. "Yeah ! Jayaram here .... who is this ?", i replied. "I am sathish, I am also joining XLRI", he continued.

I was relieved to know that another guy from chennai is there at last. We spoke for some time and then called him later and we continued breaking the ICE. He had a decent English, with an ample amount of peter[local slang for style]. I still remember telling him, "Sathish, you actually speak like a manager. Should u join XLRI?” He then explained the job he did and went on and on about the Microsoft thing and Harvard stuffs [which we now are so used to]. we agreed to meet sometime and I moved out for lunch.


After a week, we met in Barista. I was overly punctual and jobless. I had hit the spot 10 mins before the planned time. He walked in with a long teady bear smile which i was not used to then. We were so formal. The 3-4 difference in age commanded so much of respect from me [which i regret for now]. He was so congenial and we spoke in length and moved over to my place to fetch the XLRI welcome book which he wanted to see.

We later went to his office from where we called up another Chennai-ite chandramohan [who is my rooomie in XLRI], who was in Noida then. We decided to meet again when chandra was also around in town. We decided to leave, but continued to speak over phone at least once every alternate day.

In the mean time, I was also introduced to another guy called karthik[echa] …. We all had some individual meets here and there before we all met together on that day at barista. I feel nostalgic about that day even now. I was on time as usual. A short and fair guy walked into barista and was talking to the man at the counter. I dint notice that he was chandra. I have not seen him before. I called him on his mobile and we were talking on mobile from a distance from which we can hear each other. Both of us realized this after some seconds and got ourselves introduced. We laughed about our stupidity and began chatting over a coffee.

Sathish too joined us an hour later. I had no clue that chandra will be my roomie later. That’s what life is all about. All you can do is laugh about things when you think back. As we killed our time knowing each other, Echa[The erstwhile Karthikeyan] joined us. This guy was one peculiar character, but I was forced to think that he was otherwise when we met for the first time in Elliots. He sounded logical initially till our thoughts began to collide rather the wrong way. Expert at some dirty humor, I still remember the first thing tat came from the horses’ mouth.

What do men talk? Our conversation dragged into gals in XLRI. Eecha came up with a rather bold one-liner. It goes like …”We [men] look for cunt and they [women] look for content”. Oh man! So professional it was. We laughed about it and lotsa other things like Eecha traveling alone in train to XLRI with two gals. Eecha left soon and we threee continued and after some time Chandra too left leaving me and Sathish to continue putting pattani. This guy is one close pal of mine who is so different from what I am. We rarely have similar taste and we like opposite poles, but we still make good friends and can carry out a 5 hr long conversation at ease, with minimal arguments. Some people are special and so was he.

Same time last year, I dint know who he was; Now, we are close to an extent of smoking grass. I remembered when it all began, but don’t know if it would end. In another month, I will go away and after one 3 more months, he will also move ahead.


Those long chats, moments of blissful existence, those small arguments, kalasals tat had no bounds on age, the shared memories, the bacardi’s, the dance parties, the long miles we traveled, the healthy smile while we gathered, old monks, friendly mocks, moments of truth and a relationship for life. Will I ever have them with me ?? I have no answers to many of these questions. I want the clock to remain there, without ticking away into the future, erasing all the past glories that we shared.

You will be missed and thou memories shall be cherished …. Ever....Forever

JK