Wednesday, May 23, 2007

EVERYBODY LOVED PRIYANKA...


It was raining then.Must have been sometime during monsoons when a new girl entered the class entered..She sat on the bench in front of mine.We still didn't talk to each other for quite some days.We were studying in Prep A and I don't remember having great friends(as i have today) at that time..The only ones I had were My "little master" video game and a few elder didis in my neighborhood.Too small to understand what friendship meant.
It was after few weeks,that i came to know how verbose the girl was.She would go on and on blabbering about any thing..
We struck a good bonhomie in class 1.She lived some 3/4th km away from my house.
I remember when she had first come to my home,how excited I was.I had been waiting the entire afternoon,staring at window, waiting for Priyanka to arrive..with time both of us were really forging a strong friendship.

In class2 we would stay back in school after classes had ended doing up the Class bulletin board or preparing articles..we shared common interests..and we were made prefects and captains alternately.I must admit she was far more responsible than i was.
While I would hone my simian instincts on the yellow painted monkey-ladder or sway on the swing,Priya(shortened her name coz i found Priyanka too long) would take pleasure in combing Aaya Didi's(school's staff) tresses and tell her how lovely they were.Then she would plead to me"Sneha,come down,let us try the see-saw".
We started visiting each other's place more often as we ascended classes;for assignments,class-notes,exhibition work(she made lovely clay balls as planets when we made a model of solar system).I loved the lip-smacking pickles her mom served to me while she kept trying to ride my bicycle.She was outstanding in maths and hindi.
Once she won a local elocution competition,still never let it go into her head.I drew inspiration from her,and won it the next time.
Aahh!!The dramatics and dance that we were into..She was made Sonia Gandhi once,Queen of King Solomon(when King solomon had to bow down and propose to her,both of them were too shy to do it),a dowry demanding mother-in-law..but my favourite one remains the "Mind your Language"skit in class 6 and the falguni pathak dance we taught to the slum children.

We were both choir members and enjoyed singing together.The way she would impersonate one of our teachers in an attempt to sound very much like those high pitched opera singers...that still invites my chuckles.
Gutsy and brave she was,and would stand up against anything she felt was wrong.I remember when in class6.she saw a std.10 captain leaving the tap
at the water point open,with water spewing all over.She went up to him,though she saw he was with his gang,and questioned him"Bhaiya,you left the tap open,is it not your responsibility to close it?"The captain said"Can you see my badge,do you know who i am?"
That didn't budge her to say"You should put forth an example ,so please do close the tap."
Priya was compassionate and would helping out people.One day when one of our classmates was being teased by the rest of class guys,for no fault of his,she took up cudgels on his behalf.The rest of the guys were all put to silence by her words.She later became friends with everyone even that senior captain who would call her"Priyanka madam" in banter.She was a real tomboy and everyone started liking her.
Not that Priya and I never fought.We had plenty of tiffs between us,but very soon we would get over it and laugh at each other's stupidity.
We enjoyed those "girl talks"..I told her how i couldn't stop thinking about Hrithik after the release of KNPH and she confessed even she was nuts about Salman.
Our friendship was getting noticed by everyone.Once our Games teacher gifted us a bouquet(which was gifted to him) saying,"this one,for your friendship girls"

In Std.7 Priya lost one of her three elder brothers,to some undiagnosed illness..The loss was obviously too big for the family,so they were moving to Patna where her father worked,and where most of her relatives stayed.
I was really downcast at this thought of her leaving..I remember giving her a tight hug and a lovely showpiece while parting..she presented me a walkman(she knew how much i needed it).
Though time healed the void,that i had initially felt after she left,as i made new good friends.
But still,class periods were never the same and recess never as amusing as it used to be..
Its not that easy to stop missing one's first friend.
We always were in touch with each other..confiding those teenage secrets over the phone..she was no more the same,as she now had started giving me mature advices.

On 11th May 2 years back,my B'day,she had called me in the morning to wish,her voice was not the usual perky one,probably coz she had just got up from sleep then..and said she'd call me later..I kept waiting for that "later"..
Exactly 2 years back on 23rd May,our 12th results were declared,I kept calling her to share my frustration,as my results weren't as per my expectations..but no one picked it up.Then the other day her Father rang up to break that ill-fated,shocking news"Beta,Priyanka is no more.."
I just couldn't believe what i had heard..Then her eldest brother took away the phone from uncle,as uncle started to sob bitterly.Bhaiya said that she was fine at the dinner last night,only when they tried to wake her up the next day on 23rd,they found her breathless...
I was not in a position to ask any further.I still am not..I tried doing that on her B'day but feared what if one call of mine revokes the grief of the bereaved family.
It took weeks for the feeling to sink in,that I no longer will be able to talk to my adorable friend.
I feel eerie at the thought,how often Priya and I would end our conversation saying to each other"HASO,JIYO,GAAO,MUSKURAAO,KYA PATA KAL HO NAA HO"(laugh,live,sing and smile what if tomorrow never comes)
Today,on her second death anniversary,I just want her family to be blessed with fortitude to get on with their lives,after losing two of their lovely children...
Truly,WHOM GODS LOVE DIE YOUNG.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

it was absolutely awesome.. i loved reading it n wanna read again n again...it really made ma eyes wet...... gr8!

Anonymous said...

I know how does it feel, when One loses a best friend, anyways life keeps on moving.... What we can only do is pray for d peace of d lost ones.

Unknown said...

May God Bless....

Anonymous said...

Hey.. that was a very moving n touchy write up....wonder how did it happen..???

Anonymous said...

I don't know about this...
I often throw defiance in the face of truth, and the fact just hasn't sunk into me, and probably never will.
You sound like you're writing an obituary, it sounds very strange to me.
She's there somewhere--I don't know if it is somewhere in a classroom Ranchi, or a different dimension... I can't see her either way... Then what is the difference?
May be it's because I didn't see it happen. But where can the consciousness go? Where did it come from anyway?
These things confuse me, and when I think more, they frighten me.
I feel ashamed of my fear, but afraid, I try to think of other things.

Anonymous said...

read ur blogs! the best was the one on priyanka though all i know abt her is frm inputs given by u n ankur but it was really touchy. some people are too goood to be true.....

Unknown said...

it ws extra-ordinarily heart- touching yaar... dnt wry!! certain things jus hapen..u cnt help it !!! lyf keeps on movin... chillout !!

anish said...

hi there!

i must confess i ventured thru ur blog by chance and wow! really was moved to c u express in such simple words, ur innermost feelings. wen one goes thru this piece, he can really feel that this has come straight our of ur heart. i really am moved by this piece. i kno there are times wen people come across these kind of things, but one has to cope up wid the pain of parting and continue wid life. u never kno wen life takes an unexpected turn and that's almost always wen ur least expecting. i really like ur art of converting ur feelings into words. great going.
keep writing and take care.

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aditi said...

you write really very well...it really hurts when you lose someone close to your heart especially when you dont have a hint of not meeting that person again in life.

Anonymous said...

really touching.. am sorry for the loss..
regards, Vj

http://vjmachine.blogspot.com

helloWorld said...

brilliant ... i usually dnt browse through much of blogs ... but coming to dis by chance was totally worth ... m happy for ur frndship but feel sorry for her sad demise .. may God grant her peace .

Anonymous said...

Yeah Sneha...I know its one of the most difficult things to lose someone in life and that too to lose a best friend...its unimaginable! May she always rest in peace!

Rajeev Ranjan said...

this really touched my heart..!
The concluding line sums up evrythng. But then raises a question .. Why Whom Gods Love die young..????? Dont we deserve company of good people for ever...????

Anonymous said...

You made me remember her after so many years... Thanx for it... and may God bless her... She is definitely happy wherever she is now...

Unknown said...

Why am I so late to read this.. . Why..!!! Priyanka will always be missed.. always!! Probably the best out 2005 batch had ever seen!!! RIP dear!!