Six of a Kind in an Eleventh-hour Rendezvous!!!

Some meetings are planned months in advance, some weeks in advance, some days in advance….. But some just happen, without planning – grab hold of everyone who’s free and there you are! Today happened to be the same…..

A Call From Bangalore!? Just Who Might It Be???
Well, yesterday was just another day. Getting up, eating, sitting in front of the computer – my usual holiday routine. Then the landline starts ringing, caller ID shows it’s a Bangalore landline number – unknown to me. That comes as a surprise – I start wondering who it might be and while wondering, I pick up the phone. “Is it Arun?” Comes a voice – strikingly similar. But before I could make out who it was, she herself said it, “It’s Girija here.” Another of the old warhorses of the erstwhile X-C class.

Anyways, she asks me if I can come to Malleswaram in Bangalore today, ie. 26th May. I, being jobless during holidays, said I was free to come. She said we can grab a few of the others and meet to have some chit-chat. Travelling 40 odd kilometers from Hosur to Bangalore crossing the TN-Karnataka state border just for the sake of meeting a few, maybe 5-6 – many might not be willing, but the class X-C has its own special place in my life. Even if it’s for one member of that class, I’d have gone. So we decide to meet – no speculations about who else will come!

Don’t Count Your Chickens Until They are Hatched!!!
There were quite a few rumours – “More than 10 will turn up”, “………. is also coming” and all. I’ve had many such experiences in the past and knew usually only half of them turn up. Well, we were six in all and that’s not a bad number at all – there’ve been worse!

So it was us – Girija, Vindhya, Saurabh, Samuel, Jasmandeep and me. I met the first three in front of Girija’s college. She had come to collect her hall ticket (I wonder why they need hall tickets each year – I, being a student of NIT Warangal, have never needed one. We are used to going to the examination hall just like that. Mind, they don’t even bother to see our ID Cards – so such formality seems strange to me). And we gathered up the remaining two as we loafed around on the streets pointlessly – just keep blabbering, it doesn’t matter where we go – that seemed to be our motto.

“Why are We Standing in the Sun? That too in Such a Crowded Place???”
Typical girlish comment – boys are used to playing in the sun and maneuvering their way no matter how crowded a place might be. I don’t understand why everyone worries about their complexion once they get out of school – no wonder sunscreen lotions are making it big in the cosmetics industry. I think Vindhya might’ve said this at least half a dozen times – with Girija too chipping in to support her. I personally feel they should be sent to an isolated dungeon-of-sorts.

And amidst all this, they decide to go to a beauty parlour, owned by the kin of another of our old classmates, to find out her whereabouts. I think it might not be a deviation from reality to say they were gone for around half an hour. We really thought they ended up being customers there!

“Café Coffee Day!? I Don’t Drink Coffee!” “Neither Do I!”

(From left) Saurabh, Samuel, Jasmandeep, Vindhya, Girija and Me!

It was Girija’s suggestion. And my usual reply to such suggestions, “I don’t drink coffee.” And her reply – “Me neither!” Well, she said we can go eat donuts – but the bill would be on us guys. “Ok fine”, say Saurabh and I (Anyways, girls won’t eat much – what’s the worry!?). And we walk in. And everyone is still telling stories about this certain someone or that certain someone (I won’t mention the stories lest they turn out to be rumours!). The girls kept insisting they’ve to leave my 12 30 – as far as I know, nothing usually happens on time, the obvious exception being exams!

So we finally decide to leave – with some new memories to cherish! A walk to the bus stop and all of us leave one by one – Jasmandeep & Samuel followed by Vindhya and Girija. Then we, the remaining two bid adieus with promises to meet gain sooner or later!

Some Change, Some Never Do!!!
I felt we were still the same – as we were in school – the envy of the other classes. Of course, Jassi and Sam (too much trouble writing their full names) never seemed to really join in gossip. It was the remaining four of us “blah blah blah”. Girija didn’t really like this and she told us so. But you really can’t expect people to be the same even after all these years. But some never change, as they try to replicate the person they were in their fondest memories!!!


Adding new memories everyday! Life rocks!!!