We all first met at our first job at Magnasoft way back in 1998. Though the group had couple of more guys who eventually moved on in life, the 4 of us stuck together.
Our friendship grew beyond working days at Magnasoft and we kept meeting and kept the friendship alive despite life taking us in different career path and directions.
Ranga was the first one to get married in our group, followed by Nidhi.
Luckily Both Shwetha and Jyotsna gelled well and got friendly with the entire group. Our first ever Trip as a group to Virajpet at Col. Appayya's estate was indeed a memorable Trip which we cherish even today.
By the way, a peculiar incident prompted the name Govindas...during our bachelor days, 4 of us went to Mantralayam and when we sat to have lunch at the Mutt, as per the customs of Mutt / Madhwas, a priest will recite a short Mantra after which we all say aloud "Govinda" and start eating.
Unaware of this custom, Ranga found it very funny and he started calling me and Nidhi "Govinda".
The group's bonding got intense and we became inseparable when Preeti and Deepti entered our group.
Friendship bloomed rapidly between Jyotsna, Shweta, Preeti and Deepti, and they were happy with each other and didn't need us 4 to be with them. This stands as testimony to our friendship.
We just needed a reason to meet & celebrate. With the families expanding and little ones added to group, it only further added reasons to celebrate all birthdays and anniversaries.
Govindas became default invitees to all the family functions as well. Our parents also acknowledged how inseparable we were and we could visit other's home and spend time with their Parents.
Be it Ganesha festival, Sankranti, Ugadi, Deepavali, Christmas, Navarathri we ensured we visited each other's house to wish each other.
We stood for each other whenever anyone of us had a crisis or needed hospitalization either to us or for our parents. We were the first ones to reach hospital and offer support. We rely on each other to be there for us. A listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or finding the silver lining in a less than ideal situation.
With the little ones around, we moved our meeting base to the comfort of Nidhi's house or Ranga's house.
Shankar's work demanded him to move to US, on a long term. We ensured we partied hard, met often during his visits to India to compensate for the time we have missed him and Deepti in the group.
Nidhi does frequent visits to US on work, and ensured he visited Shankar's house each time.
We enjoyed our company even in some of the memorable Pilgrimage trips.
We have now reached a state where we don't need a reason to meet, but just to celebrate life. Many a times, we just barge into each others home late in the night, waking them up just to talk for a while or few times we wake them up, order food and eat together.
We are so used to each other that we share everything in the group, we have shredded inhibitions and talk all topics in the group, that's the confidence and comfort level we have on each other.
Even the next gen have become good friends and happy in their own company when we all meet.
This is how I can summarize our friendship "Some people arrive and make such a beautiful impact on your life, you can barely remember what life was like without them."
Nidhi and Jyotsna's Anniversary celebrations at Taj Westend, Two Goa Trips, Col Appayya's estate, Ooty trip, Dubai trip are some of the best quality times we have spent as a group.
Timeless Memories....
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ReplyDeleteWow such a wonderful friendship and beautifully described.
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