A Special Dedication...

I wanted to dedicate this post to two close friends of mine. They did something really exceptional this week. They have been a great help ever since I have known them but some days are just indescribable (and I am doing my best to put it into words!). S & R this is for you.
Yes you and you! Sitting there, reading this with a smile on your face and amusement glittering in those eyes. I can see it! This one is for you buddy!

What did they do, You ask? *with wide eyes*…Yeah?
Okay, so without further ado, I will dive straight into it.

It was Ganesh Visarjan (Departing of Lord Ganesha, to those who do not know this tradition) and there was heavy traffic all over Pune. I left office to catch the office bus scheduled at 8 o’clock in the evening unaware of the severity of the situation outside. It hit me belatedly and smack on my senses that buses had not left since 6:00 pm. The last bus left at 5.15. Since then due to heavy traffic buses were stationed in the premises sound and safe. Me and my friend (a female colleague…ahh chuck it, M I am referring to you!) just like everybody else patiently started waiting outside our office premises. Standing. 9:00 o’clock went by, 9.30p.m became 9.45 p.m.

My friends S and R (both guys) were worried about us because normally to reach my place it takes an hour. From where the bus drops me I have to walk for 15 mins. Going by the heavy traffic it was going to take more than 2.30 hrs to reach. So it was completely unsafe to be reaching and walking home after 12:00. These two guys come in shifts and have cabs at their disposal after every one hour. Normally they leave by 9.30p.m. Their cabs were ready to leave. S stays very much near my place but R goes in exactly opposite direction and it normally takes him more than 1.30 hrs to reach his place. So S after talking to me and hearing my panic-stricken voice, had a long discussion with R (as they put it), got down from his cab went to his cubicle got a temporary bus pass and rushed practically all the way from his cube to the bus at 9.50p.m. At around 10.00p.m finally the engines started reviving and buses were scheduled to leave.

R wanted to accompany us, but he would have had to stay overnight at S’s place and he quite literally regretted for not making it.

I reached my place just after midnight. S left me at my doorstep (!) and went home enjoying the walk at midnight. He says, “I should have some such walks. Middle of the night, with my mobile phone shrieking loud music in my ears, no one in sight, cold night, with just me and my thoughts.” Now how cool is this person?

By the way, M got down before me and she had quite a few people to accompany her to her place. I, M & S had a time of life on that simple-late-night journey back home which we will never forget for many years to come, I am sure M and S agree. Instead of getting irritated by the bus-service, traffic and getting agitated we enjoyed the journey. We relished a big huge Cadbury (courtesy S), cracked jokes, sang, hooted, clapped, called R to give updates, encouraged others and basically lived in the moment!

All things considered, all of us reached safely. Bless S, R & M!

M you are a dear!And I respect you a lot for reasons known to me and me alone...
Thanks to S and R for being such caring kind friends. What you did was quite out-of-the-ordinary. I am glad I have friends like you :)
I can’t seem to praise the three of you enough!

Furthermore, I would like to mention the flock I hang with, they are really incomparable and diverse minds. They all have something special in them. Each one of them has carved a mark on their own and are just as special. So taking the occasion in hand, I would thank them all for being who they are. Knowingly or unknowingly you have made a difference.

Cheers,
*clink*
MD/ET

P.S.: I would have liked to elaborate more on the last note, but I feel ya’ll deserve a separate dedicated post to describe each one of you in detail. When I start appreciating you all, I can’t seem to stop. So stay tuned, it’s in pipeline.