And I Let You Go...

It was beautiful while it lasted , So deep a bond to define in words;

No recriminations, no accusations; Neither side asked for explanations.

A memory so heart warming ; That it brings a smile;

You had a permanent place, All through my life.

 

It hurt that the end was so sudden; The tide of emotions became a burden;

For a while the pain overshadowed the smile; A small step forward felt like a mile.

Clinging to a memory from the past; Blocking my path was something I had lost.

Why it happened ,was my bewilderment; Though had known this predicament.

I had lost it , but couldn’t let it go; I was trapped and that’s all I know.

 

But now it’s the time to move on; Don’t tarnish memories , don’t hang on;

To feel alive one has to heal; Slowly with time I began to feel.

The good times shared came back; My life was once again on track.

Today I am happy to feel; The positivity of life that always heals.

I have stacks of memories to make me smile; May be we will meet again in life.

But the memories belong to the past ;I look at the future with whole heart.

I won't shed tears because its over ; I am happy because it happened.

Don’t ask me to define what it was, words would fail me , without being close;

To define a relationship, we couldn’t understand and couldn’t define;

That some relations just don’t have a name and are not bound by time .

It’s not the time to move to n fro ; And so with a smile I let you go.

The Friends : A Tribute to a Special Group in my Life

I have been a witness to a friendship, that has become stronger and deeper over decades, new additions in the families , joys and sorrows of the friends. A friendship so different from those seen in Hindi Films and Soaps that I have almost laughed aloud at their attempt to portray it.

A friendship that spans across more than 3 decades, 4 families and 2 generations , it makes me feel great to be a part and a witness to it. My Dad and his three colleagues became friends when they started their career in the same organisation in 1974. In fact the 4th member joined a little later. They have been a part of each others life's major events be it their marriages, birth of their children, loss of loved ones etc. Never once have I seen them arguing over things, or allowing petty issues to cloud their understanding. They have formed a bond which is stronger than blood but without the hassles of pampering the relatives. It's from them that I (And all other kids of the group) have learnt the lessons of being a true friend, to be there without demanding, to acknowledge a friend's place in life , to know the joy of somebody being there - always for you and with you.

We don't stay at each other's place all the time, plotting, scheming and carrying kheer and daal over like movies but when we meet its like we always were together. With nobody asking questions like why didn't you call me or I was never told...no recriminations & no accusations , these gathering are one of my favourites. We as kids have fought but resolved our fights on our own as our parents refused to get involved(and believe me we fought like cats n dogs, though now we all are mature and fight in civilised manner). The ladies,(My mom and other wives)have since marriage become an integral part of this group, making it even more closely linked. This makes me think that, why do I hear all the time, after marriage friendship weakens. After going on trips across India as a group of 15-16 members, this circle is at moment busy planning couple trips, recently back from Gangtok and all set to celebrate the New Year at Goa. No wonder they are so enthusiastic about retirement.

They all have been a part of my life even before I was born and I am truly grateful to God for this.

People have relatives the moment they are born but Thanks to My Dad I had a readymade set of friends.

Love you Dad, Preet Uncle, Mahinder Uncle and Maharaj Uncle.


Hats off, to this friendship.