This post is completely dedicated to my close friend, classmate and a memorable personality, Mr. Sanjay Goyal. I am meeting Sanjay Goyal, probably after a gap of 30 years! I met him last in 1995, during my working days in LIC at Delhi. We both had started our careers at that time. And around that time we met. We did our LLB course together from the campus Law Centre Delhi. At that time, I guess, we must be in our early, very early 20s. And also, we were hostel mates too – in the sense we lived in the same University Hostel- Jubilee Hall. My room number was 136 and Sanjay’s was 161.
Many girls described Sanjay as a schoolboy. He had that schoolboy charm in his face. Neatly shaven and mustache properly clipped, hair properly combed. And a nice beautiful neck tie with either black or navy-blue blazer. Black leather shoe. I guess these were the things that made him ooze that school boy charm!
He is, I would say, as smart as he was! The same smile I could see on dear Sanjay’s face. That same intensity, in his eyes and looks. The only difference I find in him is in his hair…the once jet-black hair now has turned into salt and pepper! We made a trio – in the sense my late brother K Raja Krishna Reddy was a part of our team. We never had, I repeat, we never had breakfast, especially on Sunday mornings, without the mandatory melodious company of Kishore Kumar and R.D Burman. Of course, we used to have the special edition of Sunday Mail too with us. You would be amazed to know – our breakfast used to run from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM; and from 10:00 PM onward we used to sit in the Canteen reading the Sunday mail over cup of tea. Those lazy beautiful Sunday mornings are stored forever in our hearts.”
We played table tennis. And. I must confess that I never won a match again against Sanjay. He was a deadly player. He used to defeat my brother Krishna & I always! It is not the case that we were bad players either! I don’t know if Sanjay can play today. I did not ask him, but if Sanjay were to play table tennis, I warn you, Sanjay, I’ll beat the shit out of you. It is a challenge! Come on! If you have the guts, let’s play.”
Jokes apart, we loved Jubilee Hall Raju canteen’s Maggie. What Sanjay and I will give to have that delicious Maggie, today, beats my imagination. Anything I would gladly give to have that Maggie once again.
Sitting in suite #107 of the Diplomat Hotel, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, opposite to each other, we both knew that we became 35 years younger. We both talked simultaneously and silently of many things. We had so much to talk, so much to say to each other that the tea in the cup became a cool drink! The crisp coconut cookie turned damp. It’s already 8:00 PM. The clocks always move forward. But for us, the time stood still. Looking into each other’s eyes we both realized how short life is! Or how fast does this stupid time flies? It’s time to go. Sanjay got up. We hugged each other once again. We shall meet we promised earnestly, ‘Agar Zindagi ho toh’. An unseen teardrop evaporated before it could come out the eye! Until next time my friend Sanjay. You are always in our hearts. We pray for your family and children. And inshallah, next time when I visit Delhi, the three following three things I wish to do:
- To meet your family and children.
- To have a cup of tea and samosa with you.
- To smoke one cigarette (Wills Gold Flake – sharing basis) once again with you.
Thank you, Sanjay Goel, for being a part of our lives and making our lives more beautiful. On behalf of my brother Krishna who left all of us, I thank you very much.
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
