Parashar..You have left us and its barely a day since then.But so many things about you are fresh as though it happened just yesterday.I knew you as a classmate when we were put together in class 8th due to some segregation.You were seated in front of me with another friend of mine.Rani and I were seated behind you.I remember you as a shy boy hardly a word out to the chattering magpies,that were me and Rani.I was actually fascinated by the half broken tooth that you had and had always wondered if you were born with that.You were always a looker on while we played pranks on our classmates or chattered nineteen to dozens on anything and everything.And intellectually far ahead of me which I found out every time in our maths class.I used to be bored with the long sums which went on for pages till you got the answer but you would go on and on, fully concentrating and finishing it which I would dutifully copy it from you without any remorse.You were the most gentlemanly of all the boys in the class.I guess you developed the trait from the books you used to read.
After the 10th std we all scattered and went away.Life's twists and turns took us far and wide and away from each other.And then the Facebook happened.Hooked on to the social networking after 34 years I started my journey of searching out all my classmates.Yours was the first name I began with.I really don't know why but I had this weird idea that being a Doctor's son you too would have become a doctor and I searched for days for Dr.Parashar Arwari,but it was all for nought.Then one day I got a call out of the blue and I knew it was you right away.You too were surprised(that you told me later) that I recognised your voice at the first go.
You also told me that you were surprised that I remembered you.How could I ever forget the quite gentle classmate of mine.Iam so glad that we met again a year back for the first time and 2 weeks ago for the second time,when we shared our thoughts,experiences and jokes.I was so proud of the fact that you led our forces in many important operations.We heard your love and passion for our country through your stories.You kept us spell bound with all your anecdotes.Cannot forget the night before we parted where we sat around singing old hindi songs with the sea behind us and the moon in the sky.It was around 2 am in the morning when we retired.Were we trying to make the time stand still??
Let me thank you once again dear Friend for bringing into fray many of our classmates,some of the most elusive ones too!!You bought us together only to leave us so soon.
Good Bye Dear Friend,you may be out of sight but never will you be out of our minds and one day we will join you!!!
