Shikha and I go back a long long time – I was introduced to her on a lazy August weekend in 2001 when I had gone to campus. We hit it off almost immediately and the journey since then has been lovely with its more than fair share of ups and downs...rather big ones too! So well, shes recently shifted to Bombay to join ICICI Bank after a long stint in the villages where she mentored NGOs while working with CARE International, trying to professionalise their systems (I am still kind of awed by her moving to Bombay!).
If there’s been one person whom I’ve tuned with totally, without any misunderstandings, without letting distances affect our friendship and without any stupid preconceived notions about each other, its been her. Friendships and relationships require immense amounts of effort to understand each other, along with giving each other the trust and space that they deserve. We’ve had that for each other, and held on to mutual respect through thick and thin and have finally decided to make a life together. I realize now that no one ever came close in the way we understood each other.
We cannot decide who proposed formally first… ;-))))))…I say she did, leaving me with no option but to comply, while she says I did so, formally! The bottom-line is, we’ve decided, left the rest to our parents this week, so watch this space for a date and more updates now!
I just came back from campus and it was a converging point for people over 6 batches, people from different walks of life, at different phases in their extremely varied careers…and of course, a time to meet all the people you’ve known, loved and trusted in the 2 years you were there. The relationships I’d built up then have sustained and its awesome to see those friendships carry on, people I know I can always lean upon. Some great friendships have also fallen by the wayside, clogged with very strange gaps and perceptions - and its sad to let them go, but I'm tired of constantly rebuilding bridges - so good riddance...and may all be happy
I’m looking forward to getting married - thankfully thats all thats on my mind right now apart from work. A lot of people are going to be happy (phew, including my parents!!!!), some, as their wont is, will continue cribbing endlessly. Life has not changed after this decision yet – but it will, soon…and for the better…:-)
Amen.
