Some years back there lived 4 girls, in 2 hostels, in Cochin. Three of them in one and the one in a different one. And very good friends they all were.
One of them was me, of course. The other three are Ap, My and Ar. Ap and My were my roomies. Ar was my colleague in my first job. (I do not mention their full names for fear of intruding into their privacies, wherever they are now.)
We were such good friends that I have no idea what any of them are doing now.
The last I heard from them is that Ap was married to a guy P in Chennai. She subsequently had a child, dunno the gender, and knowing her, am sure she would have had at least one more. I am also sure that she would be enjoying familial bliss, she is the kind who would make an absolutely irritating,but adorable mother and wife. With an opinion on anything and everything, but who is a solid rock in times of need.
Ap, did I ever tell you how much I loved you? Am smiling now as I write this and wondering if you will ever get to read this. And if you would still be getting irritated over the thought that, though you were my friend before My, I got so much closer to My. I love you and My like a pair of sisters- equally in different ways.
My got married to B, her boyfriend of a few years, after overcoming much parental opposition. They were in the US and they had a baby girl, whom I think they called either Shreya or Shruti. This was before the dotcom bust, and B was a s/w engineer by profession. I have no idea if they had any trouble of any sort with the bust. I fervently hope not and if they did, I hope they are out of it and thriving now.
I especially bonded with My because both of us were in love with boys our parents didn't love and we were determined to bring them around, and wait till they did...
A priest in a local temple told her that they would get married, but would face great opposition and hardships before and after the wedding, she would be better off to marry the person her parents chose for her... But she stuck by B. That priest is why I wonder if she had problems in the dotcom bust.
It can't have been easy in a foreign land, with a partner you fought with your family over, with a kid, and no job... My, I hope you are alright, you and B and S and any newer additions to the family.
Ar eloped and married J, her boy friend of a few months( I will never forget the emotion in her mother's voice when Aunty asked me over the phone if I couldn't have given her some inkling of the way things were...we were distantly related...) and has a son, who is I don't know how old now. I met up with the husband J some years back (we were all colleagues) when he came over to B'lore and then I briefly got in touch with Ar, and then lost touch again... Her husband is diametrically opposite to her in so many ways, I think of them as the perfect example for 'opposites attract'. I can probably trace Ar out when I visit my in-laws' place. But I have not taken the pains so far. I wonder why I don't.
These are 3 friends, of whom I have the fondest memories.
There was the time when Ar related the way a passing motorist had squeezed his fingers in mid-air at her when she sailed past him on her Scooty. Who had persisted in the act even after she gave him a glare. She thought it was an amorous gesture intended at her breasts, and was fuming at his effrontery. But it turned out that she had her headlights on in broad daylight and the poor man was just informing her of the fact.
There were the times when Ap would be aghast at My and my total disregard for consequences... Whereas the truth was that we were as bothered as her and were just pulling her leg. To get her streams of abuse...
Ap would buy fruit bread on her way back from office and My and I would shout at her for buying something as ordinary as bread, and would then proceed to eat all the bread..
Ap and My and myself have shared 4 walls which were witness to plenty of laughter, some tears, some heartburn, plenty of curses for the establishment, and some wholesome bonding....for 2 years. I was the first to flee the nest.
And now long years later, am wondering what my dear friends are doing... Wherever you girls are, I hope you are all faring well.
2 months ago
