There's something about Sayali!

Some people come into your life, make a difference and leave. Unknowingly. You meet them at the unlikeliest of places and times, you have no expectations of them and they give you more than you deserved. What is remarkable is that they do so unassumingly, nobody is seeking the other one. They are themselves and more importantly they let you be you.

I have been lucky all my life for coming across someone who has been a pleasant surprise. For me every event or phase is strongly associated with people - those who made a difference. This isin't surpring, is it? Everyone feels the same way but I am most intrigued at how the right people turn up at the right time, to be more specific, during times of distress. Unknowingly. They dont know what you are going through but with their companionship you get by.

One such person who helped me tide over the rough times was someone I had umpteen opportunities to know but we didnt cross paths till we started working in the same company. She was a year senior at school, went to the same college and even picked studying multimedia at the same institute as me. Yet all along, she remained a stranger. When I started job hunting, I was surprised at the people who pitched in to help.

Amongst which, Sayali.

She put in a word for me to her boss who, after a day of interviews, recruited me. And since then was to begin a long endearing relationship for which I will never be thankful enough.

She was everything one could ask for in a friend; very down to earth with an extraordinary sense of humour, fun, wit, smartness with a practical and mature approach to life's trials and most of all she was natural and unbelievably non judgemental. I felt at ease with her, a strange sense of comfort which allowed me to be unafraid to be my true self with all my faults and failures. She didnt judge me but accepted me as the person I was.

We became so close that we earned the nick name 'siamese twins'. Being the same age, we were both caught in the throes of the arranged marriage phase. Stressful as it was, it didn't feel such an ordeal because I had her to share my concerns with, pour out my feelings and de-stress. She would listen for all I needed those years was just someone to listen to the outpouring of emotions. We did the most mundane of things after office; we went for walks in the busy chaotic streets of Pune, sat in the parks with the light breeze sweeping our faces, went to the temple so dear to me now, relished roadside eats and of course went shopping. Those evenings gave me not only the much needed strength and cheer but more importantly brought hope.

I am grateful for her for am told never to deprive anyone of hope for all you know, its all they have. Then, it was all I had.

It was uncanny how we lead parallel lives. We, curiously, faced the same dilemmas on our personal front. Love makes you do crazy things, doesnt it? And when I fell in love for the wrong reasons, I didnt tell her for I knew she would disapprove. Interestingly she noticed the change and I had to come forth with it. She counselled and when nothing worked she planned a days outing with another close friend of ours. I was in for a rude surprise - they sat me down and talked me out of it. Now as I look back, I love her even more for opening my eyes.

When nothing was shaping up on the marriage front, she suggested going to the rockcut Shiva temple every Monday. Those Mondays were one of the most joyful of days. Long pensive silences between us became less awkward with each passing day and I would think of her first amongst all my friends with every high or low in my life.

Now as I look back, I wonder how I would have gotten past those days alone, without a friend like her. She was my saving grace and maybe, just maybe, one of the few reasons I continued without buckling under pressure.

She was so herself in all her dealings, genuine with her feelings, articulate with her words and counsels, I couldnt help but hang on to her words of advice for dear life.

We would laugh at the most trivial of things, chat over coffee for hours, make light of seemingly silly situations, share secrets, give grief to difficult team leads and then of course jump over cubicles after office hours!

From her I learnt to not give up on people. Its like the thumb rule while shopping. When you go looking for a sundress, more often than not, you wont find the one that fits. On the contrary you chance upon the perfect dress when you had anything but shopping on your mind. Here's what you MUST do - buy it! For it may not be there again. Its the same with people - hold on to those who wish you well even if it were a fleeting meeting. They might, for all you know, become, what I'd like to call, your 4 am friends!

So here's a toast to a wonderful person who helped me get that bounce back in my step and who I wouldn't think twice before calling without knowing what time it is!