(Dec 25, 11:44pm)
The Kashmiri friend, the once-upon-a-time brother I really admired and trusted, is making every effort to reinstate the friendship...
But are friendship and trust institutions? A corridor of power? That may be reinstated with the application of reinvigorated diplomacy?
XXX
Though I do not doubt his simplicity of heart and of mind..
Which is common to most Kashmiris.. having grown up in violence, but never having renounced the instinct to be kind to others!
XXX
He noticed me last Wednesday, when I was in bike with another friend, marketing arduously to furnish the house I have rented..
He immediately found out his number and tried to reach out to me... This friend, though, lied to him I was already traceless, having shifted to my place and without a mobile phone number..
That was followed by a touching, apologetic email..
After which he frantically sms-ed this another friend to get my number... and when the efforts failed, he involved his fiancee to mediate with me..
***a, who made me her brother, at the sacred Hazratbal shrine two years back.. the day after Christmas, while I was in tour here.. and was putting up in this very Kashmiri ex-brother's place!
XXX
By now, he had figured out my number, address, and the office I had joined.. which anyway is adjacent to his office...
Newspapers in Kashmir are all located in small make believe newsrooms in a quaint building nestled in the heart of Press Colony..
He knew I wouldn't possibly ignore him in the presence of my editor and colleagues, who, anyway, he is acquainted with well enough...
XXX
Taking good advantage of workplace decorum, that is obligatory on everybody anyway, he got me into handshaking him, talking to him, hugging him as I left..
Two years back, this same day, we had had a glorious Christmas together with three other friends in Gulmarg... Oh, that reminds me, I have to greet you!
Merry Christmas!
XXX
He followed me into the now dimly lighted lane..
And pressed on me to speak to his mom and dad, a loving old couple who doted on me when I had stayed with them, this time around in 2011..
I didn't..
XXX
The Kashmiri friend, the once-upon-a-time brother I really admired and trusted, is making every effort to reinstate the friendship...
But are friendship and trust institutions? A corridor of power? That may be reinstated with the application of reinvigorated diplomacy?
XXX
Though I do not doubt his simplicity of heart and of mind..
Which is common to most Kashmiris.. having grown up in violence, but never having renounced the instinct to be kind to others!
XXX
He noticed me last Wednesday, when I was in bike with another friend, marketing arduously to furnish the house I have rented..
He immediately found out his number and tried to reach out to me... This friend, though, lied to him I was already traceless, having shifted to my place and without a mobile phone number..
That was followed by a touching, apologetic email..
After which he frantically sms-ed this another friend to get my number... and when the efforts failed, he involved his fiancee to mediate with me..
***a, who made me her brother, at the sacred Hazratbal shrine two years back.. the day after Christmas, while I was in tour here.. and was putting up in this very Kashmiri ex-brother's place!
XXX
By now, he had figured out my number, address, and the office I had joined.. which anyway is adjacent to his office...
Newspapers in Kashmir are all located in small make believe newsrooms in a quaint building nestled in the heart of Press Colony..
He knew I wouldn't possibly ignore him in the presence of my editor and colleagues, who, anyway, he is acquainted with well enough...
XXX
Taking good advantage of workplace decorum, that is obligatory on everybody anyway, he got me into handshaking him, talking to him, hugging him as I left..
Two years back, this same day, we had had a glorious Christmas together with three other friends in Gulmarg... Oh, that reminds me, I have to greet you!
Merry Christmas!
XXX
He followed me into the now dimly lighted lane..
And pressed on me to speak to his mom and dad, a loving old couple who doted on me when I had stayed with them, this time around in 2011..
I didn't..
XXX
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