Chapter 2

Sachin opened the door of his house and switched on the light. The familiar feelings of loneliness and sadness struck him as usual. He missed his parents. Gone too soon, guys, he thought with regret, looking at their photo that he had framed and kept on the showcase of his living room. Every time he entered his house, he first looked at the photo. It had become a habit now.

He had learnt to cook years ago when his mother died. He remembered fondly, the times when he and his dad would cook in the kitchen and laugh at every disaster of a meal. Over the course of time, Sachin had perfected his cooking and none of them realized when he took over the kitchen to prepare their meals.

Tonight he cooked a simple meal of Roti and Sabji. Once the dinner was made (which took no time now-a-days), he cleaned the kitchen and took his meal to the dining table that seemed too large now. As usual, his thoughts strayed to the old-age home while he was eating. He was really happy about the donations received. There were many changes to be made. He had received some applications for assistants for the home but had kept them pending. He decided to go through them the next day and call them for interview.

An hour later he was sitting on his bed with the book that Baba had given him. He ran a hand over it reverentially. He couldn’t believe that Baba had written it all by himself.

No one could pinpoint when and how Bhavesh Patel became Baba to him. Sachin could never understand why he felt so close to the aged man. May be because he had been a good friend to his dad, may be because he was there at the time of his father’s death or may be, because he was the first and the only person on whose shoulder Sachin had cried his heart out after his father died… The bond between them had strengthened with the passage of time and he made sure to visit him every day, however busy his schedule might be.

Sachin opened the book and thought about a suitable name for it. Since it was the story of Baba, he decided to title it as ‘The Times Of My Life.’ He hadn’t informed Baba but he was thinking about publishing it.

With an eager smile he began reading it.

The Times Of My Life

1

I, like most people, have only a handful of details about my birth. But two things I remember vividly as informed by my mother. Firstly, that it rained on that day, even though it was the end of winter and the beginning of summer. Secondly, Vishnu was born on the same day, same time and same hospital as me. Our families were immediate neighbours staying in a chawl. That’s how my story begins, and thus, Vishnu’s story begins too. We were destined to connect right from our birth.

Staying in a chawl teaches you many things. Firstly, it makes you totally un-hesitant and unashamed about the lack of privacy. Only a thin wall separated every house and every neighbour could make out the menu for the day at the others’ house. A chawl also leads to life-long friendships that stand all the tests of time – such as fighting over water, fighting over the common bathroom and toilet and helping each other without being asked or informed about the trouble. Everyone knew everything that happened in every house. It was like a giant family stayed in separate rooms in one big building.

It is difficult for me to pinpoint the exact moment when Vishnu and I became friends. We knew that we shared the same birthday which was never celebrated. We also played together, though with a large group of friends. We went to the same government school at the end of our lane.  But there is one instance that probably brought us closer to each other. It happened when we were ten years old each.

Vishnu is a South-Indian, (lovingly known as The Madrasi) and used to dress up in the same way too. Hair oiled back in his head, loose pant and a loose shirt tucked inside and the Vibhuti that he used to apply on his forehead. He would have an irritatingly confident expression on his face, as if he knew everything. That expression, coupled with his lean and tall frame, made him an easy target for bullying.

Vishnu would always grumble about everything – the school, the sports, the second-hand books that we used to get, the teachers who took lot of leave, the trouble-making boys in the class, etc. The problem was, he was too vocal about the last complaint. He did not bother to hide his dislike for those boys and often complained to teachers about them in their presence. This did not go down well with the guys.

That day we both were returning from school, our bags dangling from our heads. It was a hot afternoon and tempers were already high due to the excessive heat and sweating. Vishnu was in a sour mood, not speaking much and just walking with a nasty expression on his face. To complete the dismal picture, the trouble-makers were walking behind us, calling us names indirectly and making fun of Vishnu (not so indirectly). I tried to ignore them but I could hear Vishnu’s loud breathing which only meant that he was irked terribly. “Ignore them, don’t pick up a fight now. Only ten more minutes and we would reach our lane while they have to walk further. We will get rid of them then. Please don’t fight with them.” I kept muttering but it didn’t seem to have any effect on Vishnu. It probably riled him up even more.

When the chants of ‘Eh Madraasi, Oh Madraasi’ continued for more than few minutes, Vishnu lost it totally. Frankly, even I was irritated. Vishnu stopped and turned around. I stood beside him protectively but was fast losing courage. They were a burly group, the guys, all hefty and well-built. There were four of them while we were two pathetic lean and angry guys. Safe to say that we never stood a chance...

“Stop troubling me, or else, I will complain to the principal tomorrow!” To my utter disbelief, Vishnu said this in a calm yet firm tone that failed to conceal his anger and irritation. Is that all, my mind thought in despair as I took in the lean Vishnu standing with his arms on his hips and threatening the hefty gang who looked as stupefied as myself. Then the gang burst out laughing.

“Oh, the Madraasi is threatening us! He is angry! I am so scared, I am shivering with fright! Somebody please help me!” Raghu, the leader of the group, said in a mocking tone as the rest of the guys laughed.

“I mean it! Stop it right now!” Vishnu used his most terrifying tone to say this but it still came out as a squeak in the end. It made the guys laugh harder.

“You are soooo angry! What if I do this?” Raghu said, coming closer and holding Vishnu’s wrist tightly. He then twisted that arm in an awkward angle making Vishnu shout out loud with pain. I could not bear to see him writhing in pain. I started looking here and there, trying to find something that could be used to stop Raghu. As I moved from one side to another, I felt my writing pad poke me in the back from my bag. Out of sheer desperation, I took out the pad from my bag and hit Raghu with all my might.  

I can’t say that it hurt Raghu, but it definitely stunned him enough to release Vishnu who, by this time, was shedding tears out of pain. Before the guys could react, I dragged Vishnu by his other arm and we both ran as fast as we could. For few seconds, I was really scared that the guys might follow us, but thankfully, they didn’t.

We slowed down while approaching our chawl. Vishnu was now sniffing in a very subdued manner. His arm was red where Raghu had held tightly and I could make out the beginning of a swelling.

“Wash it with warm water okay. If it doesn’t get better till evening, then please go to Doctor Mama. He is good, he gave me a biscuit that day when I went to get treated for fever.” I said to him.

Vishnu didn’t respond immediately. There was a pensive look on his face and he had clenched his jaw tightly.

“Is it paining a lot?” I asked him.

Vishnu let out a sigh and shook his head. “Nothing unbearable. I am more worried about my father’s reaction.”

I nodded in silence because I understood and knew. “It will be okay. Come to my home if things go out of hand, okay? My father will be happy to take you to the doctor. He is good. Doesn’t shout much, doesn’t check about my studies or homework. Laughs a lot and makes everyone laughs too. He’s good, I think.”

Vishnu nodded solemnly and we walked up the steps to our home.

Sachin wanted to keep reading but had started yawning uncontrollably now. Keeping the book on the table beside his bed, he sprawled over and promptly closed his eyes. He smiled in his sleep as the image of two lean boys against a bunch of hefty guys came into his mind. With that picture in his mind he fell fast asleep.