Wash my hands of it….

I don't like my hands wet or dirty, greasy, oily. Almost compulsively, i have to go and wipe them clean as soon as possible. Today, i did the ashtami pooja as dad has gone to Bangalore. As i was preparing for it, i must have washed / cleaned my hands at least 7 times in about 15 minutes. When the pooja started, my hands were full of all ghee, havan samagri, flower petals, water, nariyal pani, camphor powder and God only knows what not. I cannot get up from a pooja and just cleaning with the dry cloth was not helping….most uneasy 30 mins spent in recent times……

Recently read this - In the movie Trishul (1978), Yash Chopra and Salim – Javed had put in a Shakespearean touch. Sanjeev Kumar’s character was often shown washing his hands – implying he trying to wash of the guilt of having betrayed his love for the riches he got for marrying another woman.

I wonder now…

Hey, long time…..

I had last met him in March 1998, during my SSC exams. I cant say we were friends. I know nothing about him ,apart from his name and the fact that he sat 2 desks away from me during exams. He had his circle of friends, i had mine. I remember him as bit brash kind -  “Kon gadge baba???” he had asked that to our class teacher. I still shiver as i think of her. Her response was typical. “Pratham to saral ubha raha aani kaana khaali khaa…..” :)

Couple of days back, i heard someone call out my name as i was getting out of the ric. Turn back to see a smiling, fair, half bald guy walking rapidly towards me.

“Pehchaana kya??”

“ Rohit Takarwankar??”

“ Abe tune to pehchaaan liya!!! Bahut time hogaya bh#^@*^$ !!!!!!”

“Haan yaaar, 12 saal ho gaye hain…”

And for the next 1 minute, all we did was laugh. We would have looked like lunatics to any third person.I dont know why he was – i did because the above incident came to my mind, bringing along a flood of memories – school, cricket, Damle mam, Maa, friends, shorts, scandal, failed in algebra….soon we went our ways….he was out of touch with most school guys….and he says he is not on orkut!!! i dont think i’ll ever follow up with him, nor will he.  But the day i met him was definitely one of the best days i have had in recent times….

And it set me thinking, how would i react if i were to run into someone i was close to after a gap?

After all, if i am not in touch with someone i was once close to, there must have been a reason, The memories are not likely to be the best ones, infact the first thing that would come to your mind will be the reason why you stayed away all these years. Can be circumstantial. Will that be forgotten? Will i be civil to the person – “Hello, how have you been?”. I guess the best would be to see how the other person reacts and then decide – but what if they decide to do the same?

And will the time gap have any effect – people mature, grow and the same situation/decision that looked right at that time looks silly now.

And, then, lets say you resume the relation. Do you pickup where you left off (as in, not the unsavory incident but more like the comfort level you had and so on….). I think its best to keep things simple, formal……

Hmmm, there are atleast 3 people i can think of whom i’d like to run into……what would i do…..AS – i would probably be cordial, AR – Talk, interact but rude, snide, intentionally hurtful comments (expecting the person to guess this though and steer clear of my path!!) and the third person would probably be whacked. Again.

Ok, decided. Though i know from experience now, what actually happens in such social situations is always different from whats planned on paper or what you have advised other to do…….

Last night, i was in a hospital as an year old kid had a small accident. Small in the sense, it was an injured small finger.Just as I reached the hospital, the doctor was explaining all possible scenarios – including partial amputation. Speechless for a couple of moments, it was unnerving to be in the room, look at the kid…..i could have left for home, but did not, instead offering to help in any way i can. At about 2, i went to a colleague’s house nearby to sleep – but could not sleep till i got the news that the surgical processes went off well and the finger has been saved.

Why i was so anxious is something i cannot get. I’d never met the kid before, i cannot claim to be the best of friends with the kid’s parents, and honestly would not have cared for someone else’s problem. Or so, i thought.

Maybe, i am just more human than i think i am……