Those faces……………
Those faces meant nothing; they were another bunch of good looking girls with an attitude. That’s exactly how I thought of them when I surveyed the class room gallery before I made the speech for an elocution competition. Happenstance, serendipity or illogical coincidence you may call it what ever you want, but I ran into them every other day and those faces meant something different every time I met them. One was brash, arrogant but unbelievable sweet that was how my mind conceived brendha. She touched a chord that meant so much but some thing I was never able to explain. Rasika, enigma is the word that aptly describes my first impressions of her. She reminded me of dickens tight lipped ladies of English counties. One thing that kept me interested in her was her uncontrollable laugh with tears rolling down her cheeks that for me were a mark of lovely human being behind that curtained exterior.
Mercy, I was circumspect with this graceful girl. I thought she never liked me but I would smile at her hoping that one day she would overcome her misgivings of me. Amudha boring, lazy girl with a beautiful face. I was confirming my belief with her that either beauty or brain one always outscores the other. I was sure she would be one of my innumerable acquaintances.
Priya, a saint amongst these mischievous girls and she commanded reverence from me. She would hardly speak and never spoke to me for good part of our first year. My respect grew manifold. Prabhu, though I knew him before, he gains a new meaning amidst these people. For me, I would trust him with my life and this was before the yearly clock stuck 2000.
Years rolled and when I look back, all these people have an irreplaceable place in my life. Have they changed? They haven’t but those faces that meant nothing means a lot in a disparate number of ways. Brendha, still as blunt as blunt could get but I will take back my early description of arrogant and brash, for me she is just a phone call away for any kind of situations be it sharing a good news, seeking an advice or just that call that you make to connect to your roots (devilish self), she still strikes a chord and my vocabulary still not good enough to describe it.
Rasika, American in all respect except for her Indian passport. On any occasion of importance, I would bet my life to receive a call from her. Dickens lady is no longer the description that fits her; she is perfect Ms.Bean courtesy motor effect while she sips something. She is one friend I don’t hesitate to fight because every reunion after fight has added extra fragrance to our friendship. Do tears roll down her cheeks? These days I only hear it when she laughs over the phone . Enigma? Can we have some discretion please, is what I tell her.
Mercy still has grace but transcended into a woman, my misgivings of her has given away. She is my antidote for my depressions or disappointments. Of late she is my consultant and wow recommendation of this consultant really works.
Amudha most of her acquaintance are my relatives and vice versa. She knows me like back of her hand and her son calls me “mams” and that aptly describes our relationship. My day is not complete without a mail from her. I feel dumb failing to decipher her efficiency at home or anything she does. Beauty and brain do co exist.
Priya, I only know her as thennai is one friend with whom unlike the others I share equal relationship of mutual bullying. Oh boy, my eyes glistened with happiness on her marriage and that said it all
Prabhu is still good enough to trust my life with him. The catalyst who made sure those faces meant something.
