Mr. Sanjay Goyal was my hostel and LLB mate at the Campus Law Center (CLC), Delhi University (DU), Delhi from 1986-1989. My brother Krishna was close to Sanjay. Sanjay calls Krishna and I as ‘Reddy Brothers’. Sanjay, Krishna and Gopal – were always together, inseparable during their stay at the JUBILEE HALL – one of the reputed hostels of the DU.
There used to exist a canteen called the Raju’s Canteen at Jubilee Hall. It’s specially prepared Maggie, a cup of tea and one Will’s Navy cut cigarette used to be the greatest party for us. No breakfast, Lunch and Dinner were complete without us three. Memories of Sunday’s Aloo Paratha with pickle in the veg. section, bread omelet in the non-veg section – are mouthwatering delicacies for us even to this day.
I must admit that I can never ever repay the good- wishes, blessings, generosity of Sanjay and Krishna – the two pillars who stood by me and Sudesh during our marriage at the Arya Samaj Mandir, R.K Puram in 1989.
I have Sanjay Goyal (who Sudesh affectionately called “The School Boy” – for he was always immaculately dressed) to convey my heartfelt thanks. All these thankyous – I mean and believe in the deepest depths of my soul. Krishna is not here – he had permanently migrated to another space, another universe where they speak an unknown universal language and know everything. I am thanking him too. He is my younger brother – but grown in his stature to such heights which are difficult to imagine.
Yesterday I met Sanjay Goyal at the Crowne Plaza Gurugram. We spent few hours reminiscing Jubilee Hall and Krishna. One day, which is buried under millions of memories in my life’s history, these gentlemen gave me a rose – a fresh beautiful red one – trained me to give to Sudesh with the Hindi saying: “Yeh Mere Payar Ki Nishani Hai”. I went to the University Gate U-special bus stop armed with the rose. As soon as Sudesh got down from the bus, I went up to her and said: “Yeh Mera Pyaar Ki Nishana Hai”. Sudesh burst out laughing – she continued laughing throughout the day!
The God, the Existence, my good deeds, my fate and my luck made it possible to meet Sanjay Goyal again after 35 years! I admired Sanjay Goyal who retained that School Boy charm intact! We all have grown, but you would not find a single wrinkle on his face. The same boyish smile, the same innocence in his face! 35 years later, I fell in love once again with Sanjay Goyal. I am sure, Krishna will be watching from another universe to wonder why we have not lighted the Wills Navy cut cigarette yet!
We met when our lives were about to begin-in 1986. Krishna could not wait for 35 years. He was in hurry. Hence, I met Dr. Sanjay Goyal alone when our lives are almost over, at its conclusion. We both brooded seriously about the swiftness of the 35 years passed. Few hours later we both agreed to go to the King’s Way Camp on the Mall Road to have a tea; to play our favorite table tennis; to have a Wills Navy cut cigarette to think of our lives and to thank Krishna for all the wonderful memories he gave us in our next meeting. Thank you, Sanjay. Keep up the School Boy charm. I will bet a Wills Navy cut cigarette – even the God will fall for your charm!
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
