Thank you God

 

‘Technology is an accelerator, not an agent of change. Good companies use it to execute better, but it won’t save a mediocre company’. The professor was shouting at the top of his voice, trying very hard to convince us to read ‘Good to great’ (a book by James Collins).

I looked around. Almost 60% of the class was almost sleeping, 35% of the students were doing their own stuff, and the remaining 5% were the ones who were giving the Professor the reason to be so ecstatic ( they were listening as if they were CEOs of some Fortune 500 company and were about to make a life changing decision on ‘usage of technology’ in the growth of their company.

I cursed myself for sitting on the 2nd bench (specially when I could see Sampat sleeping away to glory at the back). But then you make such mistakes in your first week in a B School. I made a mental note of sitting behind with Sampat during this professor’s lectures in future.

With more than 10 minutes to go for the lecture to get over, I had to do something to stop myself from sleeping. I looked in front. Shipra, sitting on the first bench (as usual) was taking notes. Shipra, by the way, was one of the four ladies I had ‘shortlisted’ on the first day of College. I had already taken the other three out for coffee last week. So, I decided to have some fun and enjoy the remaining 10 minutes.

The Professor, meanwhile, had seen Sampat sleeping and had decided to give him some lecture on how to be a good listener.

I passed a note to Shipra, asking her out for coffee. She just read the note, looked behind, smiled at me and looked at the other girl I was hitting on (the whole college by then knew I was hitting on this other girl). And then she got back to her ‘notes’.

As soon as the lecture got over, she turned back and asked, ‘How many of these women have already gone out for coffee with you?’

’3, and you are the fourth one I’ve asked’. I said.

She smiled at me and said, ‘ I suggest you concentrate on that one.’ She pointed out at the same girl. ‘I know you like her. Infact all guys like her. She is the best and I have a feeling she likes you too.’

‘You think so? Lets discuss this over a cup of coffee.’ I was trying to be my charming best.

She smiled at me again, ‘ You are a smart guy. And among all the other guys here, I think you have the best chance of dating her. Don’t waste your time on me. I really think she has feelings for you.’

This happened 7 years ago during my first week at the B School. Shipra became one of my closest friends during that time. Though the coffee thing became a joke between us and I kept asking her even after I started seeing the other girl (the one I always wanted to date).

Today, after I hugged her goodbye at the airport (She moved back to Delhi from Mumbai), I suddenly felt alone in the big city. Not that we used to spend a lot of time with each other anyway, or that I don’t have other friends in the city. But I realised that she is not just a phone call away anymore. This Sunday, she will not call and try to convince me to go for a movie with her, or take me out shopping. Or from now onwards, I’ll not be only the second person in Mumbai to know that Charles & Keith is on sale. Or nobody will call and suggest that Varsace or Louis Vuitton is on sale and I must check out something for my girl.

I was just standing at the airport for sometime. Thinking about all the small little things that had become a part of my life in the last 7 years. I wanted not to act like one ‘extra practical emotionless bastard’ that I have been in last few years, and call her out of the airport for sometime, hug her tight and cry, and thank her for everything.

I wanted to thank her for her first advice she gave me – ‘I have a feeling she likes you and you have a chance there’. (After that, she’s told me this about every second girl she sees me with)
I wanted to thank her for crying for me
I wanted to thank her for trying for me
I wanted to thank her for making me believe that I can date any girl I want
I wanted to thank her for not giving up on me
I wanted to thank her for buying me my favorite ‘white chappals’ and studded belt and making me believe that I can carry them off even when people said I look like ‘Jitendra’
I wanted to thank her for approving most of my so called ‘weird’ style statements
I wanted to thank her for disapproving and making sure I never wear the clothes she didn’t like
I wanted to thank her for making me believe that spending Rs. 4000 on a shirt is worth it
I wanted to thank her for treating anyone who was not nice to me as her enemy no. 1
I wanted to thank her for being the lady on my side at every party we went to
I wanted to thank her for trying very hard to convince me to come for a holiday abroad
I wanted to thank her for being so possessive about me
I wanted to thank her for being one of the very few people I cared to fight for and shout at
I wanted to thank her for making me meet few amazing people
I wanted to thank her for making me feel like her family and behaving like a part of my family
I wanted to thank her for taking the girls’ side everytime I broke up with someone
I wanted to thank her for not minding being in bad books of most of my women
I wanted to thank her for making me believe that there is still an emotional side left in me
I wanted to thank her for always being next to me
I wanted to thank her for being my support system for last several years

And yeah, I wanted to thank her for starting my Facebook and Orkut account
I wanted to thank her for everything

More than anything else, I wanted to thank God for sending an angel to be with me.

 I will miss you Ships!!!!

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