OBSERVATIONS

IN MEMORY OF A VERY DEAR FRIEND
By: Palchen Dorjee

On the first day of my class as a ninth standard student, I was reaching out to my class-mates and trying to catch up with the exciting things that they have been upto during the winter vacation. Suddenly, a new face appeared within the range of my vision. He was feeling somehow out of place and finding it hard to find an agreeable companion. My attempt to throw myself as a potential friend didn’t give me the desired effect, as it must be too boisterous to be true. I tried my entire attempt until when the teacher sent us for errands, the boy followed us all the way even though he didn’t say a word. It was evident that he needed a friend, but he kinda being timid and failed to open up. Later, I found out that he was detained for his poor performance and in fact, is in two minds whether to continue studies or opt for the armed service for which he has a lifelong fascination and on the top of that, he had a crisis of low confidence. I decided that he needed help and if I am of any help to him, I need to show that I am in for a genuine friendship. Since I am not bad in my studies, I got on a fabulous start by trying to teach him mathematics and English. Soon, our friendship blossomed and our relationship went beyond textbooks and syllabus and we shared many intimate moments. Though small in size, he stands tall when it comes to arm wrestling in the class.  He was normally the most timid kind of the boys, but I was told that it would be a gross mistake to take it at its face value; rumors had it that he could kick his way into the Kongfu movies and had in fact knocked another boy unconscious with a back-kick. But I always find it so hard to believe, not because that I am convinced that he is not capable of it, but because he is not the kind to provoke anyone. I remember once a girl said some nasty things to him and some boys goaded him to retort back in defense, all he said is that if you don’t react, there wouldn’t be any reaction and everything would be fine. This was indeed a huge lesson for many of us. As he opens up, he improved in his studies and for our first science monthly test; he stood first in the class. By then, he had completely brushed aside the idea of joining the army and was high on thinking of going on for higher studies. He said that his father has promised to offer him a motorcycle if he is able to win a scholarship to college, and I would be among the firsts to be taken for pillion riding.

As it always was in my second nature, I tried to impress him with the understanding that a love for English literature would be a gift to oneself, and to show I meant business, I gifted him with a copy of K R Narayan’s ‘waiting for the Mahatma’.  He was so happy that he went out of his way to flaunt the book to all and sundry. For the first time, he read a book from cover to cover and told me the story of an infatuated man following in the steps of a girl whose only ambition in life to spread Gandhism into the vastness that was India.

 Hailing from a financially deprived family, he was always short of money and when the class demanded occasional funds for one thing or another, I would try to champion the cause of the downtrodden by reasoning with the class monitor that certain students are not in a position to pay their due, I never minded even if I have to argue a bit. There are times when I and some of his other friends misplace their pens, he would produce one from his own pocket and make it as a gift for us. But, in spite of all these, he had never got over his fascination with the men in uniforms. During a routine class when a teacher asked for our professional colours, he stood up to say ‘Major Sab that is it’. At the end of the year, he passed out with flying color as anyone of us did.  

For our tenth class, we were accommodated at a hostel and we went our different ways. Somehow being together for 24x7 is always a testing period for any relationship. Unfortunately he didn’t clear the tenth standard math’s paper and had to take a retest. One day, I went to him and asked whether he thought of sending someone to take the test on his behalf, he replied me that it was morally wrong and that he is capable to take the right plunge by himself.. He proved his mettle with the good results.  But as tragedy would hit him, on his way back to the school for his final year at the school, he was infected with a relapse case of bone tuberculosis and had breathed his last in a hospital at Delhi.

In his dying moments, he asked his doctors to remove the expensive life enhancing drugs because his family couldn’t afford it. That was how a valiant soldier would have done. I may not have the good fortune of pillion riding on his bike, but he will always be Major Sab in my mind, donning with decoration for his bravery. Dear friend rest in peace and you will be remembered for a long, long time…until eternity.