Meeting Old Friends: Two Tales

Tale One:

Two weeks before

Tring...tring...tring...

One week before

"I am in your city next week.Lets catch up! We last met 15 years back...can you believe it?"

Three days before

"Hey, I have called you last week, whatsapped you two days back. Never heard back"

"I forgot. When do you want to meet?"

"Day after tomorrow. That's when I'll be in your city. I will be there for two days on an official work. My office is at ABC. Where is your office?"

"Oh! I think I will be in a day long workshop that day in a different location which is far from your office. May be next time. Sorry about that."

"Hmmm...Somehow our meetings are hitting the roadblock each time I am planning. I get a feeling that you dont want to meet me and its only me who is pushing for it, be it a few years ago when I was in Kolkata and had called you, then last November and or now. May be its time I should let bygone be bygones. Life changes, people change, relationships change...After all. time changes"

"We can meet under one condition: No personal questions. We grab our lunch, talk regular and leave"

"I was never interested in your personal life. You got me very wrong. I just thought of catching up with an old friend, which is what people do and which is normal. Anyway, lets drop the plan. Bye."

"Actually, we can meet since I will not have to explain my personal life to you. If you are still up for lunch, I am game. We will get a chance to find out where we are in life. Who knows if this opportunity to meet will come again in future or not"

"If you really want to meet me without any compulsion or obligation, let me me know the time and place in the next two days. You are not duty-bound to meet an old friend. I have to be in office between so and so. Anytime beyond these hours and I am on"

Two days before

"Please meet me at the following address at XYZ. Will the time work for you or you prefer an early lunch?"

"Thats fine. As I told you, I wanted to catch up with an old friend. Lunch is an excuse."

That day morning:

"Sorry, I am caught up in a meeting today, which is far away. Shall we meet tomorrow?"

"I told you I am returning to Bangalore tonight."

"Your schedule is too tight. I dont think we can meet this time. May be next time. Give me an early heads up."

And they never met...

Tale Two

Two hours back

"Happy New Year."

"Same to you...how are you?"

"I am doing fine. Remember, a couple of months back we talked about being in Delhi airport on the morning of New Year but missing each other since my flight from Delhi to Bangalore departs at 8 AM and yours to Kolkata at 10 AM?"

"Yes..."

"Guess what...my flight got delayed by three hours due to fog. I am stranded in Delhi airport now."

"Seriously?"

"Yes...so, we might just be able to catch up. Where are you?"

"That sounds great! I am on the way to the airport. I will call you once I reach there"

Thirty minutes back back

"I am at the airport."

Twenty minutes back back

" I collected the boarding pass. So, which gate is your flight departing from?"

"34. Yours?"

"48."

"No problem. I will walk up to Gate 48. Never have I been so happy to see my flight getting late by three hours"

"I swear!"

10 minutes back

"I will be there at Gate 48 in 10 minutes. Where are you?"

"Exactly in front of the gate, sitting on one of the chair and waiting for you"


And they met...after 15 long years!

There were friends...and then there is TIME (photo taken on the river banks of Ganga in Rishikesh)