Somu - Part III
Foreword: This is the third and final part of the obituary. Read previous parts (Somu - Part I), (Somu - Part II)
In the beginning of 2005, I left India to steeple chase my MBA. This happens to be that second epoch, albeit lasting only 3 years from 05-08 where I was not in touch with my friend. Now and then, a mail or a fortuitous online chat was all that occurred between us. So herein again, some one else would be a better candidate for continuing the remembrance
When I returned to India in Aug 2008, the communication was re initiated. He had ventured out into entrepreneurship, much to my amazement. At first, my MBA infested mind all but laughed at this. “How would he do the kind of work he was attempting without an MBA?” But as always, I ate humble pie. When he used to talk, I saw that he had more gumption and understanding than majority of my Spjain batch mates.
As I access his linked in page, it reads Co-Founder of Unileap Associates. Some time ago, I recall he had sent me a draft webpage of some other startup which he had been incubating. I had reviewed it and provided my feedback. In all, he never appeared hapless to me. Success was in his blood which unfortunately stopped circulating way too early.
My friend got married in the month of Jan in the year of 2009. In a few months time, even I towed down the marriage lane. Although I could not attend his ceremony, my friend did not disappoint me, in fact he astonished me. The couple unexpectedly (he and Madhura) drove down all the way from Pune on his bike, with Madhura bedecked in a sari. It is also a personal footnote for my consideration that none of my other friends managed to attend the function. Not that it is of any importance to me, but if one among many friends does take the effort to attend then it does assume significance. The two stayed till the end and left for home, a 2 hr ride to Pune at 11 in the night!
I approach now the end. On my birthday, i.e. 28th Aug, I heard my phone ringing for the nth time during the day. To my utter surprise, my friend’s name flashed on the screen. This was the last time we spoke. In another month, he became history :-(
This one event gives me the creeps. Since the nineties, my friend never called me on my birthday. Forget calling, I can’t recall even an email or scrap or sms from him on the backdrop of my birthday. WHY THEN DID HE CALL ME THIS TIME? Am I sounding crazy when I say that his sixth sense gave him a premonition of his impending death? Did his mind direct him to speak one last time to me? I am no stranger to the often repeated stories of how people nearing their death get about doing strange things, which they normally would not have.
He spoke as he always spoke. He spoke of his plans at Unileap. He spoke of general gyaan he had recently acquired. He spoke of Madhura and her job. He spoke of planning to visit Bangalore someday. He spoke as he would not speak again.
There now remains one last chapter in my narration. On the day I got the dreadful news, one of my immediate concerns was to know whether my friend would be ‘happy’ in his afterlife. The only way to know that was if he ever appeared in my dream, so I was awaiting his appearance in my nightly slumbers. It did not happen, much to my consternation, for a long time. And then, finally, on the night of 28th Oct, some 20 days after he died, it happened. My friend visited me in my dream. On a side note, there is a rather queer coincidence here, I last spoke to him on the 28th and he appeared in my dreams on the 28th again.
My dreams are always weird and have never ever been happy shappy. I remember this segment of the dream very clearly in which he appeared, but I shall not disclose the contents here as they border around controversial. Was it a veiled message that my unconscious brain was trying to accentuate by creating my friend’s image and making him say those things to me, I wouldn’t know?
Whatever, but I am very glad he visited me in my dreams. If I were to hold the explanations given in the book “When Ghosts Speak” by Mary-Ann Winkowski (reviewed here) as gospel truth, then that would mean my dear friend has passed through the white light and moved on with his after life. His spirit does not lurk around, wander or haunt, unable to leave this material world still holding his near and dear. Mary-Ann says that those who cross over can only ‘return’ to our world through dreams. Since my friend came in my dream, he has crossed over into the world yonder. As I used to write it in maths papers “Hence Proved”.
Somu has moved on. One day my time will come, hopefully later rather than sooner. If ever any one of us established contact with his spirit, I am certain what it would spell out on the Ouija board…
“There I Go .. Turn the Page”
In the beginning of 2005, I left India to steeple chase my MBA. This happens to be that second epoch, albeit lasting only 3 years from 05-08 where I was not in touch with my friend. Now and then, a mail or a fortuitous online chat was all that occurred between us. So herein again, some one else would be a better candidate for continuing the remembrance
When I returned to India in Aug 2008, the communication was re initiated. He had ventured out into entrepreneurship, much to my amazement. At first, my MBA infested mind all but laughed at this. “How would he do the kind of work he was attempting without an MBA?” But as always, I ate humble pie. When he used to talk, I saw that he had more gumption and understanding than majority of my Spjain batch mates.
As I access his linked in page, it reads Co-Founder of Unileap Associates. Some time ago, I recall he had sent me a draft webpage of some other startup which he had been incubating. I had reviewed it and provided my feedback. In all, he never appeared hapless to me. Success was in his blood which unfortunately stopped circulating way too early.
My friend got married in the month of Jan in the year of 2009. In a few months time, even I towed down the marriage lane. Although I could not attend his ceremony, my friend did not disappoint me, in fact he astonished me. The couple unexpectedly (he and Madhura) drove down all the way from Pune on his bike, with Madhura bedecked in a sari. It is also a personal footnote for my consideration that none of my other friends managed to attend the function. Not that it is of any importance to me, but if one among many friends does take the effort to attend then it does assume significance. The two stayed till the end and left for home, a 2 hr ride to Pune at 11 in the night!
I approach now the end. On my birthday, i.e. 28th Aug, I heard my phone ringing for the nth time during the day. To my utter surprise, my friend’s name flashed on the screen. This was the last time we spoke. In another month, he became history :-(
This one event gives me the creeps. Since the nineties, my friend never called me on my birthday. Forget calling, I can’t recall even an email or scrap or sms from him on the backdrop of my birthday. WHY THEN DID HE CALL ME THIS TIME? Am I sounding crazy when I say that his sixth sense gave him a premonition of his impending death? Did his mind direct him to speak one last time to me? I am no stranger to the often repeated stories of how people nearing their death get about doing strange things, which they normally would not have.
He spoke as he always spoke. He spoke of his plans at Unileap. He spoke of general gyaan he had recently acquired. He spoke of Madhura and her job. He spoke of planning to visit Bangalore someday. He spoke as he would not speak again.
There now remains one last chapter in my narration. On the day I got the dreadful news, one of my immediate concerns was to know whether my friend would be ‘happy’ in his afterlife. The only way to know that was if he ever appeared in my dream, so I was awaiting his appearance in my nightly slumbers. It did not happen, much to my consternation, for a long time. And then, finally, on the night of 28th Oct, some 20 days after he died, it happened. My friend visited me in my dream. On a side note, there is a rather queer coincidence here, I last spoke to him on the 28th and he appeared in my dreams on the 28th again.
My dreams are always weird and have never ever been happy shappy. I remember this segment of the dream very clearly in which he appeared, but I shall not disclose the contents here as they border around controversial. Was it a veiled message that my unconscious brain was trying to accentuate by creating my friend’s image and making him say those things to me, I wouldn’t know?
Whatever, but I am very glad he visited me in my dreams. If I were to hold the explanations given in the book “When Ghosts Speak” by Mary-Ann Winkowski (reviewed here) as gospel truth, then that would mean my dear friend has passed through the white light and moved on with his after life. His spirit does not lurk around, wander or haunt, unable to leave this material world still holding his near and dear. Mary-Ann says that those who cross over can only ‘return’ to our world through dreams. Since my friend came in my dream, he has crossed over into the world yonder. As I used to write it in maths papers “Hence Proved”.
Somu has moved on. One day my time will come, hopefully later rather than sooner. If ever any one of us established contact with his spirit, I am certain what it would spell out on the Ouija board…
“There I Go .. Turn the Page”
Labels: R.I.P.
3 comments
This is a very fitting conclusion to the entire group of write-ups dedicated to our friend Somu. I'm glad that he appeared in your dreams; I'm waiting for him to come in mine as well. That he appeared on the 28th sounds more than a coincidence. The last time I talked to him was when he wanted me to give some technical advice to one of his colleagues.... I wish I could have talked to Somu for longer that day and later too.... God bless his family and may his soul Rest in Peace.
I believe in life there are no coincedences. You noticed it this time, because the effect is humungous; but its always there, we just dont see it.
But dreams are sometimes deceptive, often what plays in our sub-conscious unfolds out.
Having said that, there is little we can do to determine a person is happy afterlife. We all get what we seep. And your friend seemed to have done a fair bit of good karma.
Each one to his own, and nothing else matters.
Amen
Very well written Manish.. Been a long time but the memories and stories are still fresh!
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