Rahul & I

I would like to share a very interesting episode with all of you I have a friend 'Rahul whom I had not been able to contact for eight years. In fact he had shifted to Surat long time back and even I was away from Amritsar for six-seven years before that. This is before the cell phone and emailing became common. So we were just out of touch His parental house is here…and it was always at the back of my mind to visit them and take his contact number. But eight years passed. Whenever some common friends met they asked me about him and I would say that I planned to get his contact number from his parents. Anyway, to cut the long story short, in the beginning of this year I received a call from a common friend- Sabina who was in town and I insisted upon her to drop in. And she did along with her hubby. It was a very pleasant evening remembering college days when we used to be just a part of one another. We remembered how I had gone to Delhi to attend her wedding and reception and so on. And we discussed Rahul I promised to her that I'll visit his parents on the first opportunity and take his number. I have now been in regular touch with Sabina since that meeting after a gap of years.

Last Sunday, I got free early from 'walk-in interviews' that we were conducting and it was a sunny afternoon. As I started from office for home I thought I could visit Rahul's house on the way being a Sunday I thought even uncle would be home. As I drove my car I was full of nostalgia and was wondering what changes might have taken place in his family in the last eight years and lost in my thoughts I just forgot to take the turn towards their locality. I took a detour and came from the other side leading towards their house. As I parked my car outside that house facing the park a place which I used to frequent like my own home what I saw was a shock! The house was being demolished. There were labourers removing the doors with hammers. No one familiar was in sight. I went inside full of emotions and walked into the living room. It was intact. The doors leading to bedrooms and drawing room had already been removed. I walked from room to room with a lump in my throat. Wooden wardrobes in the bedrooms were still untouched even the keys were hanging in the concealed locks. I was so overwhelmed by the scene that I just came out with the urgency to know what happened. The labourers had no idea except that the house had been recently sold off and the new buyer wanted to demolish it..demolition had started on that very day. But no one was able to answer the questions in my mind. So I thought of contacting the neighbours. A young boy flying kites on the rooftop answered as I rang the door bell. He told me that Kapil-elder brother of Rahul was there the day before for the final deal of the house and he gave me his cell number.

I came back still full of questions and emotions. That house was almost new twenty years ago when we used to study together. Many nights I spent there with Rahul and Gurmit- our other common friend, studying together. And those were some of our most memorable and enjoyable moments.

In the evening I left a message on Kapil's cell for Rahul. And I got Rahul's call soon after. We talked and it was as if we were never away from each other. He told me that even his parents had shifted about seven years ago to Surat and stayed with them. So there was no point keeping the house he said. I shared with him the emotions I felt when I visited that place after years. Yesterday evening I took my wife and kids also to have one last look at the house that was so much part of my best years of life. Both Rahul and I are happy to once again be in touch and will meet soon on a vacation. We shared in brief the developments in our life and talked about other friends with whom I am in contact he is cut off completely from everyone. I'll pass on to him a few contacts and share with them how I got in touch with him again ..