School Reunion

Today, I attended my school reunion. It is a pleasure to see those faces and to remember one of the best phases of my life.

Usually, it is held in the last week of December when those abroad come to these shores. This time, for some reason, they requested for the first Sunday of February. I try to get there early, around 10 am, along with the organizers. I like to grab my seat and watch my old mates enter. People start trickling in at around 11 am. There is ample time to mingle till lunch is served at 1 pm. 

Till a few years back, the party used to be held at a friend’s farm. Then, the venue shifted to the new Taj in town. The cost of attendance has shot up but it is really worth saving for. I have attended every party since inception. And, to make it memorable, something always happens.

Till five years back, alcohol used to be served. That year, one of the oldies groped a mate’s wife and the scene got ugly. That wife was sporting a rather indecent décolletage and her sari kept slipping all the time. She made such a big fuss. That popular guy was always like that, even during our school days. Anyway, he let bygones be bygones and never misses these reunions. The other one (he is a bit weak in the spine, everyone knows) and his wife have not attended since then; really, quite unfortunate and unforgiving.

A year or two after that, two kids created a bit of a flutter. Around lunch-time, the respective parents realized that their wards were missing. It was fun actually, searching and shouting for them. The two were found on the terrace, discussing Physics they said but nobody believed that. Some advised the parents to take it cool. But they left immediately. The guy and the girl, they belong to two churches. Anyway, since then, even kids are not allowed. Most find it easier now to let their hair down. Till date, none of the adults have gone missing. That would have been interesting.

I love to watch them enter, with their casual wear and the careful carelessness. It is so different from my usual life. The new Alumni secretary Mathew received everyone at the door. This time, Zach was the last to come. Poor chap, his wife is an invalid and it is beginning to show on him.

Mathew greeted him at the door, ‘Hey Zach, great to see you here.’

‘Hi.’ I could make out that Zach was trying to fit the face with a name.

Unperturbed, Mathew introduced himself, ‘I am Mathew. We were together in XI A. I went to ‘C’ division in XII.’

‘Ah!’ Zach responded and the two joined the others.

I got up from my seat ready to flit from one group to the next. Most of them have aged so gracefully and done quite well.

I went to the large lot in the middle. It is not like the early days when the ones from abroad used to stand apart. Nearly everyone from everywhere get together these days: comparing notes about kids’ education in Portland, Sydney and Bangalore; the latest in Kochi, Dubai and London; life in Singapore, Mumbai and Vancouver; opportunities in Shanghai, Technopark and Frankfurt. It is amazing to hear how they adapted, the nasal twang, the tough life when they come to India, the recession, the uncertainty and how they had to settle for a vacation at Aspen or Cyprus.

I left that lot and joined Shekhar and Deepthi who were standing a little away. We watched as Gopi made his way through the crowd towards us.

Shekhar whispered to Deepthi, ‘There he comes…Go-pee…your love. What was that song he used to sing for you?’

Deepthi hushed him, ‘Shhh…poor chap…he is in a miserable state now…a widower, divorced too.’

‘Which order?’

‘How does it matter?’

‘If divorced and then a widower, still rich; otherwise, bloody poor…’

‘Shekhar, shut up!’ Deepthi hissed. Gopi reached us.

Shekhar greeted him, ‘Ah! Gopi! We were just talking about you…how are you, old man? Look, let me leave you two love-birds alone…’ Laughing, Shekhar moved quickly without acknowledging Deepthi’s stare.

I followed him to Shajeeb (I.A.S.), Suresh Namboothiri (doctor) and Rajeev (professor). Those three are always together. Till 2008, they were into stocks. They claim that they exited when the index touched 21k. Now, they are into real-estate.

Shajeeb was asking Rajeev, ‘I am trying to get that hill near Technopark…and develop it, man…only one more acre to get. It is your brother-in-law’s land, man...any chance of getting it, man?’

Rajeev confided, ‘He is in a tough position now…up to his neck in debt…his latest venture has also flopped…prawns, he managed to flop with…prawns! Only my brother-in-law can manage that. I can introduce you…good time to approach him to sell that land…’

Shajeeb replied, ‘Wonderful, man…’

‘Don’t forget the brokerage for me…’ Rajeev joked rather seriously.

‘Of course, man, of course…’ Shajeeb smiled widely, indicated that he has to go to the loo and left.

‘Bloody Muslim…they are grabbing everything…’ Rajeev told the others.

Shekhar, the Cupid, entered the fray and needled Suresh, ‘Oye Suresh! Your daughter married recently, right? You didn’t call us…’

Suresh reluctantly nodded but refused to comment.

Rajeev joined in, ‘Come on, Suresh…her guy is from my caste…it is not too low, you know…chin up…you look as if she married a mongrel!’

Suresh also indicated that he has to go to the loo and left the scene.

‘Bloody Brahmin…’ Rajeev remarked.

Shekhar moved to another group and stood behind Anna. In school, he used to sit behind Anna. She is a dentist and he has got a perfect set of teeth.

I moved away to join a gang of ‘girls’. The professionals compared their trips abroad. The homemakers talked about their social welfare groups. They talked collectively about an absent gang-member,

‘Oh, she has become so girlie these days…can you imagine…she was so tomboyish…now, she is all sari, gold and lehenga…Lehenga at this age…can you imagine…’

They discussed the old days, the tricks they played in boarding school, the old teachers (dead and alive). They took stock of the gang-members. With regard to another absentee, Sheetal, they came to the conclusion

‘She was definitely not in our gang…’ Sheetal is the daughter of a Party leader. ‘She got a job in that co-operative bank, you know…courtesy the Party.’ The gang was definitely against that Party.

It was close to lunch-time when I heard a commotion. I knew it…something always happens.

The whole lot crowded near the entrance. I could hear a few remarks from the front,

‘Shit, man…is she dead?’ That must have been Shajeeb back from the loo.

‘Yeah, not long though…hey Mathew, was she in our class?’ Was it Suresh or another doctor in the group?

‘Hmm…I think she was in ‘B’…don’t you remember her? She was just like this even then…’ Mathew’s voice came clear.

‘What? Dead even then…?’ Shekhar had to quip. Someone mentioned that we should call for an ambulance or something.

‘Damn! Right before lunch…’ Some of the girls grumbled.

I looked at myself, that slumped figure that used to be me. I felt like announcing, ‘Well…for once…I am the soul of the party…’

That sounded cheap and used. How about, ‘Add spirit to your group…’ or…

I felt sad for spoiling their party, my last reunion.

I should not have tried to be one of them…