...those faceless friends!

Jeevan ke safar mein rahi,

Milte hain bhichar jaane ko,

Aur de jaate hain yaadein,

Tanhaayi mein tadpaane ko...

 

I happened to hear this song after so many years, today, in here. They have this wonderful online stream going on. I loved it.

 

A rough translation for those lines ,(by me) goes like this:

On this journey called life,

we meet so many to get separated,

who give us memories,

which pain us on solitude!

 

Hope those “Hindi wale” wont kill me for this translation! This is pure mallu translation guys, forgive me!

 

Ok, so what I was telling was that these lines touched my heart so much.[it sure touches anyone, who loves kishore’s voice and have a nostalgic heart!]

 

I was in hostel for nearly 10 years and had almost close relationship with more than 100 girls from different backgrounds. With some, I shared a very special bond, but I never hated any of them. Some were just with me for 2 weeks and some stayed with me for 4 years. I was always nervous when I heard that I was going to have new room mates. But by Gods grace every single room mate of mine adjusted with me sooo well (or may be I also adjusted with them a lot!).

 

I remember the first day I was put into hostel for the first time. I cried my heart out (really felt like going to KG class when I was a 3yr old.. so much insecurity…oooh ). But the funny part was that my mom cried more than me. Finally my dad had to stay in some hotel near by my hostel , cos of my mom (LOL!).

 

As years went by, I felt really comfortable  with my hostel life. During my second hostel stay, I had a face-to-face encounter with a snake inside my wardrobe. [that nearly gave me a heart attack!]. I had another experience, when I found one of my mates whom I had dinner together the previous nite, committed suicide the next morning. It still is one of the most shocking incidents in my life. I have witnessed eloping, betrayals, secret love-affairs and what not. I don’t even remember the faces of the characters involved in those incidents.

 

I have spent numerous nights in hospitals when my room mates get sick. One day one of my roommate got shivering cos of an allergy and she hugged me tight, in her fright. Soon both of us started shivering like dolls. Now it sounds funny. But it scared us to hell, then.

Some times I get wedding cards from those room mates. But when I try to remember I wouldn’t even remember their faces. There are so many cards with me, whose name and face I cant even remember!

 

It was so comforting to come to hostel on Sunday evening and see my gang waiting for me. It was such a BIG comfort. We enjoyed every second in our hostel (whichever it was!). we shared every feeling, every happiness and every sad thing that happened in our lives. Even when I was 26, 15 yr olds called me “swathi” cos we were always friends first and age difference never came in between us. One day my mom heard it and was shocked. [btw, she was never been in a hostel. She never understood the intimacy between room mates!]

 

After 10 yrs, my dad had a feeling that I was getting away from home, when I stopped coming home at weekends. He asked me to drive 70 kms a day instead of staying in a hostel. And when I agreed to him, my 10 yr hostel life ended there!!