My friend Nandu who lives in Bengaluru sent me this story as comments on my post Synchronicity Strikes Again. Rather than leave it as a comment, I thought that I should share the story with my readers.
I last met Nandu’s daughter almost a quarter century ago when I had gone to their home in Bengaluru for a farewell dinner for me. She must have blossomed into a remarkable lady from what I can make out from her persistence and desire to make her father happy. I hope to meet her sometime in the near future.
After I left Bengaluru in 1990, I had lost touch with Nandu too but it was the internet that brought us back together a couple of years ago, thanks to another mutual friend who had been in touch with both of us all these years. Such things do happen!
Here is the story from Nandu.
Our daughter visited us from Mumbai a couple of weeks ago and we did the usual “family stuff ” . Out of the blue she asked me if I had succeeded in re establishing contact with a college class mate Prakash (whom she had met as a child). When I answered in the negative she asked the usual questions – did I try FB , Google – I responded “yes , but drew a blank ” .
She then recalled that he worked for a private company in Mumbai many years ago , so that might be a good place to start the search . I was not very confident since people change jobs and the tracks grow cold . But she persisted and got the telephone numbers of that company from Just Dial and called a mobile contact number at around 5.30 pm. The gentleman Mr X who answered seemed quite intrigued by her query and even strangely touched by it . There was a lot of background noise since Mr X was at a train station ! He had vaguely heard of my friend and recalled that he had left that company around 10 years ago . That did not sound very encouraging .
He however recalled the name of another employee with whom my friend was close to and provided the mobile number of that gentleman . My daughter immediately called that number and the person Mr Y admitted to knowing my friend and said he would call back shortly . Nothing happened . We gave up hope and my daughter went out for an evening with her classmates whom she had not met in a while .
My wife and I finished our dinner and settled down to watch a movie . Just then at 9.30 pm my mobile rang and Lo & Behold it was my long lost friend Prakash ! I wondered how he got my number but more than that, just floored by the fact that I was actually speaking to him after more that 25 years . He too sounded ecstatic and could barely contain his excitement . Apparently Mr Y had contacted Prakash and had provided my daughter’s mobile phone number , so Prakash called her and was given my mobile number .
All this in a matter of 4 hours ! But it took a random visit by our daughter , a chance question asked by her and then a bit of Holmesian perseverance on her part !
Prakash and I have since exchanged photographs and caught up with most of the water that has flowed under the proverbial bridge since we last spoke . No doubt we shall meet again in the not too distant future !
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