Reminiscences of a childhood friend.

Even when I heard the news, I wasn't as shocked. I was like "Whattt?? watt the hell.. how did that really happen???" while my friends on the other line were almost choking, completely shocked. But later that afternoon when things started sinking in I was pretty upset. And today, a coupla days after the news has spread around...all those small things that count as memories seem to cloud my mind...those thots that were so insignificant then, seem to remind me soo much of all that we've shared as classmates, childhood friends, neighours etc. It feels horrible...despite the fact that we havent quite stayed in touch for more than 9-10 years.

Class 4: I still remember an english composition where we had to write something about how to polish our shoes. And in both sections of the class, ur style of writing and ur composition was thot to be the best. I still remember ur essay being read out to the whole batch of 72 students. U had written it as a scientific experiment with 'aim, apparatus reqd and procedure' which was considered VERY high standard for a kid of 8. Not to mention the teachers actually loved ur use of words and ur vocabulary and I still remember them commenting that u cud do wonders if only ur handwriting was a little more legible. I still remember being amused by it and talking to my mom about u. I guess ever since we had marked u as one of those absolutely brilliant kids in class.

Class 6/7: Your mom used to come to pick u up everyday from skool with your driver Kodandam. And I used to be given a ride almost everyy single day. The discussion I had with you about Mahanadi..seems to ring a bell rite now. U were like.." Mahanadi" is my favourite movie..(Aah...the way u usually talked - really fast, a little incoherent..it seems like yesterday!) and when I asked u why, u replied that it had 28 fight sequences with Kamal doing wonders in it. I jus thought u were such a git to like sumthing with so many fites. And of course u started off with ur passion for WWF and all those God-forsaken madcap wrestlers. Remember even having this discussion one day when we stopped at Adyar bakery for bit of a snack. Remember u laughing at me for not knowing wat a pizza was!!

Summer vacation every year, while I was your neighbour.. I used to come and raid ur library in your house. U had the best Enid Blyton collection I'd ever seen. I dont think any library in the besant nagar area had as many books as urs. And I remember hearing 2 words for the first time in my life - abominable & abhor - words that u used to describe your brother!! Ofcourse everyone knows how much u adored him calling him 'papa papa' every single minute, but i remember leaving ur house thinking "what the hell do those words mean?? How come ur vocabulary is sooo sound while ur just as old as me" and I still remember telling Kala and amma about it and they seconded my thots about how amazing u were in english. They were both like.."He's damn too brilliant. Sure IIT case"

Class 8: Goodd lord, its impossible to forget you in this year of my life. You and Sethu Sir...it was like a clash of the titans. U did all u cud to bug him and he did all he cud to pin u down. Remember him asking u to sit between Misha and me, as a punishment to your unruly behaviour in class. And still remember Misha and I drawing lines on that cramped table and defining territoriess!! Not to forget u had a hand in putting a cockroach on Radhika miss's chair when she came to class and calling her 'naathamandai"...remember u walkin to princi for that and coming back scoffing and feeling proud that u had amused the entire class. And then Krishna mam's talk - adoloscent counselling...how she laughed at us for being such kids. And then all of a sudden it was like we were adults and we had to think 'matured'. And the way we thought that the first sign of maturity was for gals and guys to go out for a movie together. All the planning we did at the "jungle-jym" with Jagatha miss eyeing on us every now and then. And finally all of us having to cancel that plan cos I guess parents dint permit sum of the kids! Still remember studying for project exams with u.. Ur sheer brilliance has always impressed me.

Class 12:Even though we were not in the same skool, I remember wondering that u'd surely make it to IIT. And when u din't, I remember all of us at home feeling sorry that it was jus hard luck. In our opinions u were one of those stud intelligent kids, and no matter how the results turned out, we always thot of u as iit material!!

I know there was a longg break and we dint pretty much stay in touch all thru college. But even when I met u 2 years back in the same driving class with Vicha, I remember we cud start off from where we left. It was amazing. And I still remember hitting my head with my hands and thinking..."aahhh hari, crazy as usual". Remember the driver saying u need to concentrate harder on the road in order to learn properly.

And now when I hear and realise that ur no more, it jus shocks me. All these thots seem to remind me of how much we all, the whole class, adored u for ur craziness, eccentricities, brilliance, ur behaviour, ur priceless imitations of PT and SethuSir, and for every small thing that made u YOU. You've left a deep impression in all of us, and although most of us may have never communicated that to u, we've loved u for every small thing. If I feel so shaken, i can imagine how horriblee ur family and ur first circle of friends mite be feeling. Lifes never gonna be the same for them without u. I simply pray that God gives them all the strength they need. And to you dear Hari Anand, may your soul rest in peace!