To the regular ‘strong 2 by 3 without sugar coffee’
spells amongst Rahul, you and me at Airlines. To sitting peacefully in each
other’s company and yet being rapt in our own worlds on weekends at Shiro. To
the magnificent years of swapping notes on workouts, and working out together.
To jointly dividing a square of seventy-five per cent dark chocolate every so
often. To ambling in plush hotel lobbies and trying port wine at places with
plastic chairs and odd glasses. On consulting each other on the cars to buy
from the art to procure. To agreements and disagreements. To the philosophical
ruminating whilst trading a single cigarette, to cheering each other in the
highs and lows, and most of all to the comfort of unwavering brotherhood, we
have indeed come a long way, bro.
Remember how you would raise your eyebrows and say,
“Enough, bro, how much will you work. Come now with me for a coffee!” I adored
that ‘apnapan’ then, and I adore it even today, especially when you demand what
you want, and have it your way, because you know it is your birthright.
Unrequited rights to one’s soul barely some get. It is something one cannot
give, and you know that. However, you also know that you get it as your
right, and I am pleased that you have that right in my life my bro.
Oh, yes, how can one forget the daily omelette sessions
at the café, eh? Eggs, which I loathed from the depth of my heart, but still
clawed into only because of you. How torturous those days were! To planning
trips to places around the world, and smiling at each other knowingly when
people before us made buffoons of themselves since propriety
provided us no permission to make them feel awkward about their odd behaviour.
Two decades. Time does fly.
So here’s wishing my bestie and brother Manish the
happiest birthday. What would I do without you? What would Shruti, Dharmesh,
your sister, your folks and Rahul do without you?
Was delighted that Shruti, Rahul, you and I, spent the
entire evening together. Would have certainly come home with you as you had
desired, but you know you were terribly tired and needed to get some rest and
some sleep as well. The weekend sounds fine over a movie and dinner at your
place, as you had wanted.
You are our lifeline!
Love you bro!
