ensures

Diye Jalte Hain, Phool Khilte hain,

Badi Mushkil se magar

Duniya main Dost Milte hain

When a group of close friends (See last pic  below) asked me to write this piece (of course giving their own 2-bits to add to my half-bit), I could not but help hum the above number (a famous Kishore-da song from Namak Haram). Without too much of an ado… Here we go, addressed directly to that Special Person….

Do we call you a best friend? No way. You are beyond ranking in a scale of “Worst to Best”  Though there could be many adjectives to describe you, it would be gross injustice to you since our vocab fails miserably. Looking beyond the Wren & Martin Grammar but borrowing from it – it is actually the “Verb” that defines this wonderful feeling that you bring into our lives. So many things that you “Just do” is simply defines you.

For a moment imagining the unimaginable – had we allowed things to run a natural course, do we have even noticed our existences? I guess not and today, we can emphatically state “it is a cinch that it would have been a great loss”. But destiny and of course, His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Art of Living had His own Divine plans for all of us.

Those moments of Trials and Tribulations, some very challenging and some not so much, those moments of Euphoria when we achieved our goals (call it surpassing the goals) – Parse them grammatically and we always had a common and only “Conjunction” which is “You”

Keeping the team mood upbeat  during setbacks,  to raise the performance pitch, to overcome them – Result : every one of us have a proud Bio-data which has no bullet point with ‘Setback’ against it. This is what you managed in “your” small ways.

On the other side too, ensuring that we keep our fleeting, floating feet firmly on the ground during those Euphoric moments was another of your virtue. Reminding us quite often than not, that Job is not over yet, and Euphoria just as setbacks like everything has to pass. Salutes to this incredible sense of Equanimity, not often found around us today. Another of the plus with you, it was not your viewpoint or mine, it by and large has to be the larger world’s viewpoint (or alteast as much as one can)

Foodies, that the gang is, we cannot forget those literally “relishing” moments – the various restaurants that we all ate out- those loving and painstakingly picked items that you chose for the gang from the menu – done with amazing grace. While we struggled with those exotic names on a-la-carte, here you were – the Connoisseur who ensured our taste buds got a treat like never before.

A special mention for being available with your supportive shoulders through the think and thin, with a tissue of empathy to wipe tears of insult and disappointments. In the short span of our lives and even shorter span of being together, you have just been there “unconditionally”, a thanks would be gross injustice and out of place.

For many Appy, Aparna, Aparazzi,  knowing you we are sure you must have touched 1000s of people’s lives and each has their own way to identify you, but for a privileged few of us – it was and is the joy of you being

“Just You“

Thanks a million dearest one for being part of our lives. Love you loads for just what you are.

Wishing you a very happy birthday – For someone very very special, May your Birthday be blessed with everything God wants to give you! Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone as special as you in one’s life… We’re a lucky few! May beauty and happiness surround you today and beyond. We hope your Birthday is awesome, wonderful, full of love and laughter… just like you! Our prayers that there are so many more to come and each better than the best before.

 From

 ||Jai Gurudev||

 

PS: (Parting Shot) from Ashwin: Some would think I am crazy because you are just my Pug 😉  in simpler terms you are my pet who deserve a Hug 😉 😉