'Suddenly he found his queen trapped...'

On True-blue Friendships | Memories

29th August 1994

28 years ago!

HSC Days @ MCC School

Hostel life is a real double delight of sorts, if you are lucky enough to get the right people by your side!

These are the friends who are there for you in your good and in your bad – at your desk – in the classroom, in your cubicle, in the play field, at the swimming pool, in the mess, at the ice-cream parlour, at the music class, and the list goes on and on!

What with those incessant chats, those cute petty pillow fights, and a gentle flicking away of your Tintins, your Tinkles, your Asterixes, your Hardy Boys and your Happy Days and your Satyajit Rays – things you hold so close to your heart!

Well, that’s the definition of friendship, ain’t it?

It’s a truth, then, universally acknowledged as well, that a lovely literary soul, in possession of a lovely literary heart, would always have  a lovely literary friend beside them!

In short… Not a day without good friends in our lives!

Well, I’ve always believed in Caleb Colton’s axiomatic line, “Books, like friends, should be few and good”.

They are the rare few, the special few, with whom you take some sweet privileges!

The ones who don your diary entries almost every other day!

The ones with whom you take some extra liberties!

The ones who partake in your everyday delights – er… um… with coffee being the crowning glory of it all!

This is especially true for a hosteler for whom a close friend doubles up as a sibling as well!

Sunil was one such bosom buddy for me in my hostel years at MCC School during my HSC Days!

One thing I’ve noticed in my past diary entries is that, almost every other day, my friends find mention in some event / incident or the other.

And this particular day was no exception!

But on this day, 29th August 1994 – 28 years ago, coincidentally a Monday again, I went to Sunil’s cubicle and we planned on playing a game of chess.

I had received two letters you see! So picking them up, I read it - as usual - with Sunil, my buddy who is that eager-beaver, active-o-active and super-excited listener to all of my letters!

Since lunch time was calling, we stopped the game mid-way and continued the game post-lunch!

Sunil was quite adept at the game, and he was not one to be easily defeated!

But this time, he was one down! He had lost due to a callous move on his part!

Then Shakti came and it was a Shakti vs Sunil bout now!

I assisted Shakti and he won in the end!

All was well until then!

When...

Sunil, who was kinda sulking from his first taste of defeat at the game, asked if we both could take to the board again!

I nodded!

That nod proved quite costly!

The game went on and on! When…. Suddenly he found his queen trapped beyond redemption!

And with the hobson’s choice on him, he was in a fix!

That’s when I made a move – a mistaken move!

The move he had been waiting for all along!

I had innocuously placed my queen near his pawn, when he carpe-diemed the opportunity, and asked me if I had placed it, and when I nodded my head, albeit nonchalantly at that - 

At one go, he then knocked off my queen. 

When I said, it was not a confirmed move, and i was just pondering over my move, he – already sulking with a defeat on his side – shattered the board and the pieces as well!

For a moment he was filled with such great anger! He then held me by my shirt!

But then, I’ve written a line that I guess, has been my lovely little philosophy for all these years!

And I quote –

‘I didn’t hurt him because he was my friend…’

Well, when we are hurt, it’s always good on our part, not to talk!

For, it’s better not to aggravate a situation by adding salt to injury!

That's one reason why, when hurt, I always withdraw into a ‘silent mode’ for hours - Something that my bosom buddy Wesley also does! 

And get back from ground zero, only when things are back to cool, and limped its way back to normalcy!

My closest friend – Wesley – [who was also ‘Best Friend’ at my wedding, and my bosom friend for more than three decades now] – I can say with all honesty that, we both have never once hurt each other - even once - all these thirty years of our friendship!

Whenever we talk on the phone, or take a walk for our morn and evening’s cuppa, or whenever we go for those blessed music classes, Hindi classes, French classes, Computer classes, we both always used to have a warm, wodehouse-ian humour on top gear on us - all of the time – each delighting in the company of the other by being the best, and giving the best - to the other! 

That’s what friends are for, ain’t it?

Well, let me conclude this blogpost, with a true incident that happened more than two decades ago!

Wesley and myself – we were hostel-mates for many many years!

One fine day in July, in my final year PG, since I was working with The Hindu Newspaper part-time, I had to step out of the hostel, and stay in a Mansion outside Campus, due to some journalistic commitments!

For the first time ever, I came to college on my bicycle, without the company of my bosom friend – Wesley!

For the first time ever, in our college life, my friend Wesley came to classes without my company either!

Everything was fine up until the first hour was up!

In the second hour, Dr. Sobana’s class was going on, when suddenly in the last row, there was a whimper. 

Dr. Sobana noticed the whimper that had slowly crept all over Wesley!

She then stopped her lecture, and asked him, ‘Wesley, why? What’s bothering you?’

Wesley then wiped the tears off his eyes, and said, ‘Nothing, ma’am!’

Sakthivel promptly stepped in, to salvage the situation and started comforting Wesley!

But Wesley was inconsolable!

Then, Dr. Sobana looked towards my direction – to where I was seated - [since the entire department knows full well, how bosom buddies we both are!) and said, 

‘Rufus, take your friend to the Canteen. Get him some coffee!’

Immediately I obliged, and Wesley gladly followed me to the College canteen!

I bought him his favourite tea, and I then asked him what had happened.

For a few minutes, he didn’t say anything!

I was intrigued! What on earth had happened within just a day’s time? - I was hazarding all possible clues and blues on me, when - 

Wesley slowly opened up –

Said he –

‘Rufus, for the first time, I had to walk alone to College today. I missed you so badly da! Why did you leave me?’

A line that literally broke my heart, dear reader!

I stood up from my side of the table, and went up to him, and hugged him tight! 

A hug that made him cheer up for the rest of the day!

Guess what?

Very soon, Wesley also joined me in my mansion outside, along with two other friends who soon followed suit, and with their bag and baggage joined us on our rollicky times in our lovely mansion quite close to College!

Nope! It’s not a Forest of Arden type! But it was by all means - the loveliest of forests with the finest of friends, and the purest! 

Friends – who add spice to your life, and music to your days!

Wait! Let me add on –

At my wedding, my same good ol’ friends were there to sing a special number for their friend – this blogger!

At my first book release - again – a very memorable occasion in my life – my lovely friends were there, yet again, singing a beautiful number for their friend – this blogger!

And yes! When I released my first album two days ago, Wesley was the first to call me up and wish me, and gave a precious comment - straight from the heart - for me – his true-blue friend of decades!

Let me end this post with a lovely quote that I’ve so loved –

There are friends!

There is family!

Then there are friends

That become family!

Dedicated to all of us who believe in the power of a lovely, true-blue friendship for a life beyond life!