Remembering Old Friend!!!

 Well I am back....gone to Ahmadabad with The Gardner. Mini also joined with us...most of the time we both talked, giggled....you become so light & fresh in the young company!! She is most charming with wide beautiful smile young woman. Full of life. I really enjoyed her company. Given at any cost I would want my youth days back!!....Only you can rewind your life!!! I don't find many changes between us & today's youth!! I still see our carefree nature, our curiosity to know the world, our innocence & all is good attitude in today's youth but only different is they are allowed to express in their origin form. No suppression. No boundaries. No limitations. No rules. No fear of confrontations..... When I was young I used to feel that I am little ahead of time but now I feel I should have born at least 20 years late!!
      Today is 26 January!!! What so significant about that!! Well today is India's Republic Day. Today is P_G's B'day.Today in 2001 the Earthquake struck here in Kutch, G'dham. I came here in G,dham in 1975 & moved to USA in 1989....after I left two disaster happened here, one very bad cyclone & one life threatening earthquake!!. I still remember I was watching news in the evening at Charlotte home & heard the earthquake has happened in Gujarat, Kutch my home town in India...worrying that no one of my loved one has injured I tried calling all numbers in failure not connecting anyone....finally got one number from friend who lives in Bombay. I tried & heard very familiar voice on other side.....A-Kothari’s voice!!! I asked how come you are answering this unknown no...& hysterically she replied...Billa nothing is well here...crying she was shouting...Billa Doctor is dead...Billa Doctor & Bhattsaheb both are dead!!!! I just couldn't believe that!! No that is not possible!! The phone number I got was the number of the Doctor's daughter's!!! The only working phone of my connections!!! The Earthquake has taken the life of our beloved friend Dr Bhatt!!
    The Doctor...was a most dignified, beautiful, elegant woman!!!She had a serene quality, a sort of cheerful calm which made herself very enjoyable!! I met her on my wedding reception and even we had age difference we clicked as friends. She was blessed with two beautiful daughters & very humble life partner. She was always there when I needed most...physically or mentally.Ohhh so many Card Parties!!!! You will always find her in good spirit & fresh even after whole day running her hospital!! I can never forget our trip to South India together!!! What a fun we had!! So many long late nights drives listening to our Gujarati songs!! She wrote me a letter, included her two grand children's pictures on 18th Jan 2001! 25th Jan was their wedding Anniversary!! The Earthquake took lives of both of them!!! Her involvement in life was so intense it is impossible today to grasp the fact that she is no more with us! Sometime you wonder God's ways!! Her most beautiful gift to me is my first born!!
   Today again those memories flooded in my mind!!! But the cycle of life moves on....the show must go on... of course with so many beautiful memories of being togetherness of our loved ones!! Nothing or nobody can take away those precious moments from us...that is our safely hidden treasure in our heart!!
    Death is not a great loss in life; the greatest loss is what dies inside as while we live!!!
Today really I want to drift away in the deep sea of lovely memories and not to find that wood which will bring me back to the shore...
love always drifting away billa.