Seedling Part 2

After my first meeting with Y, we watered our friendship seedling with great enthusiasm. Handful boys liked me and there were girls who went crazy about him. But neither of us found a match in those people. We clicked easily as best friends, fought like cats and dogs and made up for it with all love. Contrary to the popular adage that you fight with someone the most because they're your lover, we refused to escalate the status of our relationship. Our youth was at its best. I was having the time of my life with my dream job, great friends and we were popular in our clique. Our respect grew when we never flirted with each other but showed interest in our friendship. We busily scouted the best partner for our best friend.

I found my prince Charming in arranged marriage and he found his better half, consenting to a girl who fell for him. We went about happy in our lives, meeting hardly once in many years. The seedling grew into a lush green plant. Our lives drifted apart such that we didn't have time to water it. There were flowers waiting to bear fruits, except that they couldn't due to lack of water. 

Will this plant flower? Will love blossom with the pollen of friendship? The plant remains strong rooted but droopy. Don't let it dry, I tell myself. Maybe, we were not plants, we were stars. Up above the world so high, like diamonds in the sky, far from reach but precious to look at. 

Under the star lit sky, I made a wish to meet him. The very next night, the universe brought him home and we sat under the same sky, trying to catch up with our lives with words and thoughts. His stories told me that nothing has changed  about our bond, not one bit. He had intense respect for me, that's all was needed regardless of the distance. Our flowers bore fruits. 

One hour seemed sufficient for one year's staying in touch. Our families were happy too, we went home with full tank of satisfaction. We didn't miss us when we bid, we took each other in our hearts as one with the good energies of the universe that added fertility to our plant.

Obupriya

So I thought and thought what I could write for O. Obupriya is the unique name that I bumped upon in the group members list. Confession – I don’t know her at all. Addition – Would love to know. So what am I doing here? Well, I thought I could actually write a memory I had of a person with a similar name.

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Her name was Priya. She was my neighbourhood friend during my pre-primary days. We’d play kitchen games, chopping wax and in melted wax and watch our all-time favourite Popoye, The Sailor Man together because back then, we did not have cable connection during its inception. When I was born, we had a black and white TV with just two channels until years later the magical colour TV with umpteen channels arrived. My mom was best at giving nick names to my acquaintances. She even named one of my teachers Miss Kutts after she gave me a blow on my head. Kutt in Tamizh meant the percussion blow with knuckles. The teacher's original name was angela but she always beat up children like Devila and I loved how my mom named her for good. And another teacher always screwed children's ears. Her real name was Shravana and my mom named her Ravanan. She really was one I swear!

Coming back to our Priya, mom named her Opriya due to some famous song in her time that started with the line “Oh Priya Priya” and I blindly believed that her name was Opriya for many years. Thank you Obupriya for bringing up this colourful memory from inside me with just the sight of your profile name J Happy to have you on MSW!

Nimisha

One of the few members who weren’t associated with my other friend groups that I met personally was Nimisha. We met at a restaurant during one of my most outrageous days. Having worked less than a month in an organization, I realized that it wasn’t the right place for me immediately after I signed the appointment letter. I quit without delay and the first thing I did after quitting was to meet Nimisha. That, I call serendipity. Just like heroes have opening scenes, this was the opening scene of my heroine.

I had arrived early. She came a little later and out of my toppling thoughts, I easily blurted to her how quick I can judge people. And she asked – “Right now what are you judging about me?” I reserved my comments for her question.

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We had more occasions to bond as we intended to. She came over to my place first. Dressed up in extraordinarily ordinary salwar kameez, I could easily get her home without feeling the need to dress up for an outsider. I cooked her lunch and to a few places nearby when I was home-alone. On another occasion I dined with her Kerala style food preparations. I wanted to have my usual dose of coconut water and we got out. It was that day when I got to catch what a bold lady this doll could be. The shopkeeper cut a small sized coconut and charged a bomb. There were other big and fertile coconuts too. But he chose to do this. I handed him a lesser amount for his betray and he swore at me. While I don’t extend a fist fight at vendors, Nimisha cut through our conversation. She met him in his eye and asked, “Yes? How do we look? Please tell us.” I thought she was kidding me. But she stood and challenged him until he had to apologize for his misbehavior. “If someone looks gullible, you get to swear at them is it?” she asked. That day I learnt how one confident move can rewrite an entire story.

That wasn’t it. That evening we also dined at Berry’d Alive, the amazing café Nikhil, her husband co-founded. Nikhil was another beautiful soul. His management techniques wowed me, which I later got to feature in a magazine. Nimisha and I have had more such special moments and she always has been a complete package of goodness. I’m glad to destiny for bringing us together adding her on MSW.

Manimegalai

Pothi pothi vecha ponnu megala, adhiku inum vekkam vitu pogala. She is my Manimegalai, who expresses her different thoughts outspoken and daringly. Although we haven’t conversed much directly, she also went on to become one of MSW’s moderators. Patience, individuality and amiability filled girl, thank you for being a part of MSW <3

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Lakshmi

Do you know the life of hedgerows? Always present, spread love but less popular. You cannot do without them in empty places and yet they aren’t spoken about. Lakshmi is that hedgerow.

Moderators for MSW are either picked based on their credibility on group or referred by someone credible. Lakshmi was of the latter category as she does not post much. The other moderator who referred her became inactive after a short while. But Lakshmi stayed on for years.

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She diligently verified and added member requests but never once has sought any benefit from the group. She is the first one to respond to group administration needs and is like the redolent flower. Whenever I think of MSW moderators, Lakshmi comes as a lotus flower memory with some imaginary fragrance.

There were difficult times too. There was a time when thousands of member requests were pending and Lakshmi had to step up. But in the move, accidentally 3500 requests got bulk rejected. That was indeed a costly accident as people are our treasure on group. However, it was also understandable that it was an accident and we moved on from that incident.

Till date, Lakshmi continues to be the indispensable hedgerow of MSW, never coming to the front seeking fame but passionately helping the group to grow by being a backbone. Thank you Lakshmi for being you. :) 

Kripasri

A beam of sunshine is what I can think of when I remember Kripasri. Filled with positive energy and fondness for me, Kripa is a kind friend from MSW. She was one of our moderators too once and had actively involved in the group life, as I can call it. We have always had seasonal and off-season activities going on the group. And they all had a hashtag for easy identification.

I still remember the day Kripa posted something motivational she wanted to share on the group on her own timeline with the MSW tag. We were all so deeply involved that MSW was a lifestyle during group activities. Good things should have a jinx to be good right?

Some members Kripa had added on the group lacked sufficient credentials and work was getting overwhelming for her already as she was busy with her personal life. I had pinged to check with her if she needed a break. But even before I could ask, she immediately offered to break from moderation, with still overflowing love for me from her heart.
I later published her trying to conceive story  when she delivered her beautiful twins and she cared enough to text back even during those precious times in her life. A beam of sunshine she always was and is.

Janani

My sweet junior from office. Very young, vibrant and enthusiastic she was when I met her for the first time. Fresh out of college, married and into work, innocence and confidence at the same time would ooze out of her face. She stayed for a very short while and departed. We have never connected on phone until very recently re-united on MSW.

While I am having work under progress building whatsapp groups for areas, she pinged me to check to get added in the group in her area. And she became it’s moderator too. Still sweet, still active, Janani has marked her space as a Superwoman on the group too.

Here’s sending you cheers from #AtoZChallenge Janani for being you :)

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