Dear Akku…

“So finally here I’m reading this letter out to you. I hope you’ll cherish this letter as much as I do. So, my dear dearest friend Aakash. I know you were not planning to return home this soon. Who else know better about your ambitions like me and your mom. But dear chap, you should’ve taken more care about your health. See, you stressed out so much, starved yourself, had so many sleepless nights and still had to return home without that promotion. I still remember the day you left for Delhi. I was so jealous that you got in through campus selection and was now leaving for the big city to pursue all your dreams when I was jobless and stuck in this village. And at times when you would hang up on me making excuses about your busy schedules, I really wished you lose your job and come back to us. But brother, I was genuinely happy for you the day you recieved your first salary and you bought me this watch. See, I’m wearing it today. Yeah, so that day when you left for Delhi, if I remember right your train was to arrive at 3:20 but was late by half an hour. We stood at the station, waiting, sipping that piping hot tea from Ramu kaka’s stall. The smell of elaichi and adrak is still lingering under my nose. You loved the taste of his tea, didn’t you. Right from our college days you were his regular customer. I had gone there today morning, he enquired about you and I didn’t know how to answer. I think it would’ve been better if you had just quit the job and returned home. We could go for those morning walks through the street in front of Radhika’s home. I promise you, I won’t be late this tym and you will get a chance to see her watering her chrysanthemums. And then we’ll stop at Ramu kaka’s for your favourite tea and ‘garam garam’ pakoras. We’ll spend our lazy Sunday’s helping mom in kitchen and burning more of her pans. Let’s go again for night rides on rented out bikes and have more adventures with cops who catch for over speeding.And when you fall ill, like you did this time, you wouldn’t be struggling alone. I’d be there to take care of you and crack lame jokes when you are stressed about deadlines, you workaholic… I hope the train that left that day comes back. The exhausted me that ran behind the train holding your hand for the last tym would be smiling to see it coming to drop you back at the station. I hope you were here with us, and now I realise how much precious was the time I lost. I…. Akku was…”

There was a brief pause.

“Sorry, but Akku has not left anywhere. He is right here, with me. I’m not letting him go that easily.”

David left that eulogy incomplete. And just sobs and tears followed from all who had gathered for the funeral.