I still remember the day a tall, lanky, average looking youngster with a Dil Chata Hai style ‘Dara'(Goatie) walked into our bank looking for ‘tax saving’ investment and was directed to me as I was the adviser looking after personal investments.
You had just been placed in a ‘reputed mnc’ after your engineering degree and were looking forward to have some ‘savings’ as well as ‘tax benefits’ as bonus and that surprised me as most of my clients then were middle-aged people who wanted to save for retirement,child’s future etc and when I asked you for your ‘Goals’ of  investment you were startled and said “No thanks, I have enough goals in my workplace and football field Do I need more here in bank” and I had tried hard to suppress the laughter.
Then when I came to your name I had asked little doubtfully “Bangali naki?” (You Bengali?) you smiled and replied “Ekso sontangsho khanti” (100% Pure) I had no option but to laugh. Thats how it all started.

Then you kept coming and we started liking each other and a common ground was found when you learnt about my passion for theatre. Don’t you remember the plays we watched and then sat in the coffee shop analyzed each and every scene. I used be jealous yes jealous when you used eye the hottie seated on the seat opposite.
I still remember the day you had sneaked me in through the unmanned gates of your office basement to your office terrace just because I had said I wanted to see the aircrafts landing and taking off from the airport which was clearly visible from your office terrace. And How embarrassed you were when we confronted a colleague of yours while returning. I still don’t know what was so embarrassing about it.

How could I forget you had tried to play a ‘match-maker’ when you had introduced me with lot of praises to one of your “well settled” friends when I had mentioned that my parents were frantically looking for a “Suitable Boy” for me.

Then that day oh sorry that night when you called me in a state of panic that you are calling from hospital and cousin who had been staying with you had an accident while returning from college. How grateful you were when I had joined you in the hospital at that hour and we sat through the night in the hospital reception praying for the best.
You had hugged(touched me first time) me tightly in morning when the doctors said he was out of danger and then quickly retreated apologizing for behaving little overwhelmingly. I had never seen you so vulnerable before.

Today when I saw you in the mall with your wife and baby daughter you waved at me with a smile I waved back and when my husband asked about you I had said “Oh we were JUST friends”.

PS: This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to anybody or any situations is purely unintentional and coincidental. And this is not autobiographical as well but the real inspiration is one of my favorite song “Mera Kuch Saman” from the movie “Izzazat” song was penned by Gulzar and rendered par excellence by Asha Bhonsle to the haunting tunes of R. D. Burman

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