She might have become a world renowned doctor flying to Dubai and Las Vegas at the drop of a hat to talk at local conferences that apparently doctors hold at high esteem – but to me she is the same friend I made about 30 years back. In spite of coming from the same small town Durgapur (once again apologies to the other renowned Durgapurian – Mr. Dubey for referring to Durgapur as a “small town” 🙂 ) and being in the same batch, I somehow never got to know Piyali while in Durgapur. We never crossed paths in school or in social circles.

After having met a common friend in her college, I happened to be headed in the same direction as she was going to go for her dancing class. In an apparently misguided moment of judgment, our common friend Madhumolli vouchsafed my character to escort her thru the streets of Kolkata. These were days of wearing shorts and going around barefoot in India. (Wait a minute! I see the same in the picture now too!! 🙂 )

And as Piyali has pointed out later, she had heard about me from other friends and our first meeting was the biggest disappointment in her life 🙂 (This is a true story). In her defense, she has not been much appointed with me in our subsequent meetings either 🙂

As today, so then too, I was a guy who would reach out to anybody who would give me some time. (And for some, I did not even hold that strict a standard 🙂 ). Over the years, I got to know her husband, her two sons and my brother and I would drop by her house for a cup of tea (and once for dinner) if we happened to be driving somewhere nearby in Kolkata.

This year she was in US for one of those conferences and I managed to meet up with her while she was visiting some friends and family in Carbondale, IL. On the surface, you might be surprised how we became friends in spite of having virtually nothing in common. But one thing I have admired her for and still try to inculcate in myself – her ability to refuse to follow the crowd and live life her own way. I have rarely seen somebody capable of that much independent thinking and have the humility to not impose it on others.

One of these days, I might actually learn like her to live life on my own terms. Maybe, she will finally br “appointed” with me 🙂 I know, I will be!!

We had an evening flight back to Atlanta. That allowed me to catch up on my work during the day and the girls to hit the common shopping spots in Dallas area (can you say Sam Moon? 🙂 ) before we headed back. Walking into the Delta Sky Club with the family, I was wondering if Nancy would be there. I was hopeful since I seemed to recollect that she always did the evening shift. If you remember – last year, I had met Nancy – that lady from Copenhagen – and had written about her great life journey. (See “The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.” ) . Initially, I looked around and I could not find her. The girls went out – no points for guessing – to do some more shopping and I got busy with the day ending office calls.

Eventually, I shut down the phone and walked up to the bar for a drink – and guess who was there? Nancy came out and we talked for a long time and caught up with her life since I had met her last time. She was excited that she was going to see her grandparents this month in Scranton, PA. (If you recollect, she lost her daughter to cancer last year). She seemed as jolly and full of life as I had seen her last year. She seemed to be very happy with her job in Delta (again, if you remember, she started as a volunteer a few years back after losing her husband and daughter).

Apparently she got very excited about my previous blog about her and she had shown it to her manager who had sent it to Delta headquarters Marketing department. She was very surprised to learn that I do not write for a living!! Maybe I will give it a shot some time!!

In the meanwhile, the family had returned and Nancy spent quite some time with the girls (Natasha and Nikita) and Sharmila. Finally, we took the customary picture together before leaving. And I have added the inset with the old picture of me and Nancy in it. She gave the best compliment before we left – “You guys have become my family from Atlanta”!!

Hope to come back to Dallas soon!

Exactly a year back, on this day, May the 24th, I had met the young son of my childhood friend Baisakhi – like I almost always do when I go to Durgapur. The visits are short but always memorable to see Kintu (his name) grow up thru the years. That day after I had left and was speeding down the highway to go back to my parents, I had a call from him regretting that we forgot to high five each other before I left.

You see, that was our thing. When he was very small, I had once visited him and taught him how to high five. And ever since, we always did that. It was a ritual thing. That particular day, I was so distracted by my dad’s failing health, I had completely forgotten about it.

I certainly felt proud that he still remembered that and looked forward to it. I would be his “High Five Uncle”. But I also kicked myself for not remembering it. I was the adult. I was supposed to have remembered it. I remember promising him that I am not going to forget it next time. Or ever.

Next trip to Durgapur and wouldn’t you know? – we missed each other since they were out of town 🙁

A break came this month. He and his parents were visiting US. I was in touch with his uncle (who lives in US) to get an idea of all their US tour schedule. And was waiting for a chance to get close enough during my office travel to make a break to see him.

I got that break today. I was a few hours drive away from where they were. Close enough. Having taken care of office meetings, sped straight down the left lane of the highway. I had to go there, meet him and speed back to catch the late night flight back home.

Moment the door was opened, the high fives flew!!!

The visit was short. They almost always are. It was good to see Baisakhi and Sagar though. And great to meet their sister in law Tumpa. (Missed his uncle Kuntal). But the most exciting part was Kintu’s stories about cars. I have never seen a guy know so much about cars and stats of cars. I am not big into cars but I was a patient listener, I thought!!

The best part of the high fives and meeting him? The crazy coincidence that it was exactly on the May 24th – one full year apart!!!

Perhaps someday, many years later, he will chance upon my blog site and out of curiosity search for his mom or dad or his own name and read this. Hopefully he will realize how every kids’s wishes, likes, dislikes, regrets, loves so profoundly define every adult’s priorities in life. How, while means might be a hindrance, willingness is never lacking every adults’ – father, mother, uncle, aunt, grandparents and so on – innate desire to make a child happy.

And hope he will realize that as weird as that High Five uncle was, he did keep his word… albeit a year later.

Jon Martin Karl – we did business together in a prior life of mine. All throughout, he had impressed me – above all – as a down to earth person. Lovely personal value system and an amazing ability to stay above the fray. I have visited his city for work later in my current job many times but never managed to meet him. Till today….

It was absolutely amazing to meet Jon again after some time. Nothing has changed. Okay, maybe he has lost some weight and he looks even better – if that is possible – and it certainly does not hurt that he is doing great in their business. But other than that, he is the same down to earth guy and our topics of discussions probably are the best indication of that.

Let’s see… we went from the true qualities of a CMO to the intricacies of how a snake behaves with equal amount of ease. He is one of the rare adults who shares my view that if you understand and study snakes – like most things in this world – there is very little to be afraid of them. As a matter of fact, they are more afraid of us than we are of them!

My story of catching a snake in our yard and letting it lick at my finger and watch the wife and kids shriek out loudly was trumped by his story of he feeding a small snake when he was a child and nursing it back to health. And I say his story trumped mine only because mine was a (non poisonous) King Snake and his was a (deadly) Copper Head, for crying out loud!!!

To be sure, we also talked about the joys and pangs of raising teenagers, the direction of identity and fraud industry, the pros and cons of Portland as a business center and many other arguably non-snake-y subjects 🙂

It was a great evening to be with Jon Martin Karl. After a long time!!