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Friday, February 03, 2006

A Friend in Memories - Nishanth Selvakumar

I still remember the first time I met him...He was shy and walked out of his room in his torn faded blue jeans and a grey tee. He smiled a lot but hardly said anything more than a "Hello," and walked back quickly into his room. He had just won some Mr. Something title at some fashion show the previous day.

I don't remember exactly when I met him after that but I do remember that we became friends. We fought like siblings and discussed 'stuff' like friends...It was easy. Through him and his brother I met his family and our families met and we became family friends!

Over the few years we got to know each other really well...I met him last in India the night before I flew to the United States. I gave him a hug and we promised each other that we would meet in the USA.

Well that never happens does it?? It was December 3rd, 2004 before I met him. We were so happy and excited...We just couldn't believe our eyes. But we spent only an hour or a little more than that. It felt so good. We spoke about everything from his tensions about his Dec. 27th engagement to our future plans like we always did. He was such a good listener and a great person to be with.

For about a year I was unemployed and lazing around at my parents when he and I would talk for hours at a stretch discussing each others girlfriend/boyfriend issues. Advicing each other about how to deal with our better halves...I followed almost everything he said. He was very matured and sensible when he wanted to be but a child at heart.

He always made it a point to keep in touch with everyone in my family, especially me and Balaji. We spoke over the phone at least once a month even after I got a job and moved over to Dallas. He kept promising me come and visit me during his spring break...But joked saying that he would rather be at Cancun with his friends than with me in Dallas...He was naughty as hell...

But today, nearly after a year since he left us to be in a better place...I still miss him. His innocent but charming face that I remember from the last time I met him is in front of my eyes. To me he has become an angel looking over all of us. I hope he is safe and happy wherever he is and pray that his family will get through the tough time...

(PS: Nishanth had asked me a couple of years ago to write about him for his website that he was planning to create. I never got around to doing it. I still feel guilty about it...I wish he would forgive me for that).

15 comments:

Trevor Penn said...

Friends with those, who you cherish,
for their memories, shall never perish,
over troubled times, amidst chaos and screams,
listen to them whisper, in your dreams...

Anu Russell said...

I was reading this blog again because I was thinking of Nish...and guess what? you are so right...in that I remember him so often...his face and voice...I see and hear them all the time...I miss him so much :O(

Anonymous said...

Its sad. I still remember the last time I saw him. It was around 5:10 PM Friday, we got off work. We plannned the Basketball game for Saturday which we never got to. =(

Anu Russell said...

@Anon...

Please leave a name next time...it might help for me to connect to you more so because you knew him too...

Ya...Lots of things that we had decided to do have been left unfinished...

Anonymous said...

Hey , i am new to your blog, was reading this blog, i was breaking my head, what did really happen to him??

Anu Russell said...

Fire&Ice...My friend passed away in a head on collision with a pick up truck when he was driving back home after picking up something to eat around 3.00am...He had no scratches in his body but he had had an heart attack...Unfortunately he had been engaged for a month to be married last year...but things just changed for everyone...

I hope you got the ending of the story now.

Anonymous said...

Oh my god!!
Really sad...I did not really expect this.. hope his friends , family and his fiance recover from this loss of a precious life.

Anu Russell said...

F&I...The recovery is slow but I am sure it will be long before things iwll be back to normal for a lot of people...his parents, brother, friends and me for sure...

But thanks...

Anonymous said...

Hi Anu! Nishanth was a friend of mine too. we both studied in SBOA chennai. I miss him lot. On jan when he left to USA after his engagement i spoke to him and enquired abt his wedding. He had lot of plans for his wedding. Hope his fiance (though i know her name din wanna mention here) is recovering. May his sould rest in peace.

Anu Russell said...

anonymous.

I am sorry...nishanth was a dear friend of mine...his fiance i am guessing has recovered and is also moving on in life...I am happy for her.

Anonymous said...

Hi Anu, Nishanth Was a good friend of mine.. we were in SRM together,
last spoke to him when he was in US, I have a photograph of our farewell if you are interested.

Anu Russell said...

Praveen,

Yes Please...Nish and I were really close...we still are...I miss him dearly.

Thanks for visiting

Potrunner said...

https://www.facebook.com/VPrem/posts/10152750032520030:0

Anu Russell said...

Thanks Potrunner!! Memories are what we are left with. We think about him so much everyday!

Potrunner said...

same Here Anu, he was a Gem...