Shaji” as I know him - Vandana

Shaji” as I know him It all started when I came back to India from UAE last year in 2008.A realization that we are entering our 40’s soon and I started wondering what my friends from back school would be doing.I was in touch with Victor and Uma on and off.One fine day I call him up and spoke to him (our usual tete – a – tete)and our talks shifted to our batchmates at school and I felt so excited to hear he is also getting in touch with a few of them.I asked to pass me few of the numbers that he has.He gave me Albert,Chander,Shaji,Rakhi,Raji’s numbers first.Thanks a lot Viccy ‘coz if not for this,I would never have got my friend’s contacts at all.Albert and Chander were my close pals and had touch on and off but than Shaji,Raji and Rakhi?it was 22 years since I spoke or saw them.I sent them SMSes with a short intro and asked them whether they remembered me.I got Raji’s call first and than Rakhi too responded and it felt wonderful.Than one fine day I got a call from Shaji and instantly we hit it off.The gelling was superb between us right from the first day on and he remembered me quite well(though viccy told me Shaji needed some details to remember me).I sent him my pics and he said he remembered every little details.According to him,it was the dimpled cheeks with two long plaits with the typical smile that he remembered so vividly and that I used to stay in CRPF also.so I was satisfied.we regularly kept in touch through SMSes and calls.Everytime he called we transformed to our teenage days chirping away to glory. It was July and one day I asked him about Orkut.I dint have any idea about it as its banned in UAE.He very sweetly explained it to me as one would to a small girl.In our hectic pace,all these yahoo chats and orkuting was out of question all these years, but back in India at home gave me a chance to get all my dear friends back through orkut and I am enjoying every bit of it.Its brought back so many sweet memories along. Than came October.We kept calling one another atleast once a week and share all our happy moments.I called him up on his birthday on 28th October 2008 and we spoke for more than half an hour at a stretch and I kept the phone without wishing him and than I remembered the reason for calling him and hurriedly called again and wished.He started laughing like mad ‘coz he knew I remembered his birthday as I had wished him on orkut in the morning and said, “Vandana,tub bhi na,I was waiting ki abhi wish karegi,lekin u just went on n on and when u kept the phone I knew”abhi iska phone aayega aur sorry sorry karke wish karegi” and the way we both burst out laughing at the incident. In November Tanu got the net connected after going to Doha.I was badly in need to be in touch with her too and helped her to log onto yahoo and than orkut.I told her about all our friends in orkut and she too sent requests to Shaji,Victor,Rakhi,Raji and Albert.One day she said she had a chat with Shaji on yahoo and I was like wowwww,that’s great.next time when I saw him online,I said hi and there broke the rest of the ice if we had any left.I asked him ki why didn’t he chat earlier and he replied sheepishly ki,”I wanted to.I used to see u online but was hesitant ki kahin tu ravi se to nahin baat kar rahi and I would be like a kabab mein haddi.”I laughed at it and said ki agar mein ravi ke saath chat pe hoon tho bataa doongi.There it started,our regular chat and laugh sessions. By than in December he was on long leave and everyday religiously we would sit on our nets around 1030,Tanu would also join us.we three freaked out and had crazy sessions.we tried pulling our other friends like Rakhi,Raji,Vijaya,Victor,Albert into conference chats too but they were busy with work and used to join once in a while and we could understand it.Shaji would joke,”chal,sab kaam mein busy hain vandana,hum dono ko koi kaam dhanda hai nahin,so lets enjoy our chatting.”we had a wonderful time chatting and catching up with one another for that period of time when Shaji was on leave.we filled each with every small details on what happened to our lives in the past 22 years and today I feel I know Shaji in and out and about the kind of person that he is.He is the most wonderful,caring,loving,sensitive friend and a human being.Very touchy,emotional too and I feel almost he is like me too………fun loving and bindaas.we hit the roof bonding big time.but I knew these chats are not gonna last long as he had to go to Jorhat and join back duties.He got busy with his packing ,shopping with Navina and to help settle her down before he moved onto Jorhat by first week of Jan.On 17th Jan 2009 he moved to Jorhat.I called him on 16th to wish him and on 17th couldn’t reach him.I missed him lots during those days when he was out of touch completely and finally I mailed him ki,”aree shaji,phone tho kar yaar,I don’t have your new no”.and immediately after reading it he gave a call saying,”kya karoon champ!I am in a god forsaken place and getting everything in order is a pain here.”but he described the place as a wonderful place.he also said ki,”yahaan getting net connection is gonna take sm time but you keep scraping and mailing,jab bhi mein free honga,toh I will check it up and call you” and true to his word,for every 2-3 SMSes and mails,he would call up.once I didn’t hear from him for about 10 days and sent him an SMS which goes as,”friendship is not measured when both take care of each other,it is measured when one ignores and the other still continues to love and care for”I knew he would call the moment he reads it and I didn’t have to wait for long.The moment he was free,he called up in the afternoon and said,”I read the message and thought…aaj toh bhai phone karna hi padega,aree yaar,tu toh hamesha punch line maarti hai”.I started laughing and told him ki,”that’s why I sent you this.I knew after reading this you would dftly call up”.those days I was in touch with only a few and there used to be no group SMSes like I send today.That was the kind of bond and telepathy we shared.All the way,we used to bring smile to the other. It was fun,laughter,giggles like our sweet old days. My birthday was nearing in February and he wished me in advance on orkut.I called him and said,”shaji,I don’t want any advance wishes”.He said,” nahin nahin I will dftly call you on that day and wish”.but he forgot till aftn and I called him.the moment he picked up he remembered and said so many sorry’s.saying,”nahin vandana,mujhe kal shaam tak mind mein thaa but mrng I got busy n it just skipped,If you had waited till evening I would have wished you”.He promised me a gift which is still pending and that’s a testimonial on orkut.he said…”agle saal tak pakka daal doonga.i need time to write for a person like you vandana”.Hey Shaji,are you listening?I need my testimonial before my next birthday..haan? One fine day in April around 11 am,he called me up and said,”Vandana,kahan hai tu?I said,”Ghar pe hoon,kyon?”and he said,”achcha aaj ka kya programme hai”I was puzzled and asked ki,”kya Shaji,kyon pooch raha hai?”he said,”theek hai,achcha sa non veg khana banaa and get ready.”I was by this time puzzled and wondering what he was saying.and he gave a loud laugh in that typical Shaji style I remember so vividly.he said,”ok ok I am flying over trichy and reaching tanjore airport”.I was like ……”wowwwwwwwwwww,its only an hour’s drive from my place,I am bringing lunch and reaching”.but than he said,”no yaar not this time,I was just joking…we are halting only for ten minutes this time but every month I am going to fly here and will call you in advance and tell,so next time achcha non veg menu tayar karke lana,we will have good lunch together.”and I am still waiting for it Shaji.I was complaining ki,”why didn’t you tell me this time and he said,”I wanted to tell you ystdy,but I kept my phone in the cockpit by mistake and didn’t have your number to call up from outside.”but he promised ki “agli baar pakka milenge”.and I will wait for that Shaji. I kept coaxing Shaji to join our reunion at Chennai and I was feeling so bad that he wouldn’t be able to join.I could feel his hurt coz he couldn’t attend due to election duties.On 13th May,was his anniversary.I was in train at 5 am going to join my friends at Chennai.I called him up and wished him.he was elated and gave me lots of do’s and don’t’s to follow at the get together as he always patronizingly did so.I always felt like listening too like a good girl whenever he had a doze of advices coz he was a genuine caring friend who meant only good.After coming back I called him and gave him all recounts and he was laughing along and even teased that,” I think ab ravi ko bulaana padega tujhe le jaane ke liye” and I used to always laugh at it and say,”haan yaar,yeh stunts mein isi liye toh kar rahi hoon ki he gets jealous and pulls me and takes me from here.”we used to laugh a lot together. On 8th jun 2009(Monday) around 2 pm,I got his call and as usual we were our chirpy self and spoke for about an hour or so exchanging everything,almost all the topics we covered strangely.spoke about his work,his flights,navina’s job offer at dubai,my plans to return back,his plans to visit us in dubai,my plans of purchasing a property in chennai,his dream house getting constructing at Hyderabad…everything god everything.we were just going on and on laughing and chirping away to glory and at around 3 pm or so,he kept the phone.on Wednesday afternoon around the same time at 2 pm,Viccy calls and says….”a bad news yaar,hamara Shaji was in the plane which has gone missing……”he went on and on but I was feeling blank….totally blank..nothing was registering…I was just shouting…..”Shaji….is it…Shaji?”.I was on my way back after shopping with my mom-in-law.I just reached home in a state of shock,registered what viccy had told,trying to grasp the news and I lost control…I just remember rushing into my room,closing it and crying loudly.I just couldn’t believe what I had heard and wished that it was not true…just not true……but my gut feeling still says that Shaji is there somewhere safe and sound….mebbe a bit hurt but he is fine.he will return back to Navina,mallika whom he loves so dearly and to all of us who love him too. Are you listening fauji(I call him so fondly and he calls me champ)?Please come back safe…we need to reach our 80’s and have a grand get together again where you would walk with a stick and call us…..”girls”…remember just as we planned.You gotta come back to all of us.Hey Fauji…….we are all very proud of you.Now just head back….we are all waiting for you.Love you and miss you lots. With lots of love Vandana(Champ – as you call me,Shaji)