My Neighbor, My Childhood Ideal..

Sini P. George. Yeah, that was her complete name back then.

My malayali neighbor, 4-5 years elder to me.She was a beauty, a black beauty.I used to try to dress up like her, to comb like her, to even carry a pen/pencil of the brand she used to use.Be it waiting for our school bus early morning or running behind it at times; a patty fight with my classmate or finding it difficult to perform in any event...She used to be there, always. I was more connected to her than my mother at one point in my childhood.With her two elder sisters,Uncle & Aunt, they were 5 of them in the family. I used to join them for their evening prayers. Monu Di (Sini Di's nick) used to make me read those passages from Bible and Uncle used to explain them to me.I have spent almost fifty percent of my free time post school hours at their home for years. I always felt invited and secure there..I can't deny that she was way to protective of me and I was fond of that :-)

Most of us have an ideal,from childhood days, we take inspiration from. Be it a school senior or someone staying in the neighborhood; whom you observe and try to imitate. Monu Di was that childhood ideal for me.

When I was in class 4th, we left that neighbourhood and shifted to another locality. I cried and cried for days because I was lonely there. For me it was sort of an end, which I couldn't figure out at that small age and I remember that it was during our summer breaks which made it even worse. Our meetings were limited to school premises now and that too very rare. Exactly around 3 years later, we moved back. Although I had grown up a bit, I was excited to be around her. But now she had grown up too much for me, she had other friends of her own age she would spend most of her time with. Alothough I was jealous but she never ignored me. I was always given preference somehow :)

Alas! things dint remain like this for long. 2 years passed and she moved out of the city to pursue higher education. We too shifted to our new home permanently, farther than this society, leading to no medium of being in touch with her or her family.

Surprinsingly, on one of my birthdays, I received a letter with her card. I wasn't in the same city anymore, neither was she; but I read it almost 10 times immediately and was very happy with the thought of Monu Di writing to me, after so long..I decided to reply back. I was staying in Kota, Rajasthan and she was in Bangalore, Karnataka then ; pursuing her Nursing. It felt so far away then. Sometime later I came to know that her family moved back to Kerela, selling their house in my hometown and other properties..so their was now no chance of them returning back ever.

Few years passed, and we were still connected via phones. Thanks to developing mobile technology at that time. As time passed further, I got busy in my higher studies and I believe same would have been the case with her as well. We were talking only on Birthdays, Diwali and Christmas by now.I hadn't realized, how fast time flew; when one fine evening she called me suddenly and informed that she is married now. She was sorry that she couldn't invite me. But I wasn't waiting for just the invitation, we were supposed to plan it all together. I was upset. I couldn't be angry with her but somehow urged to be have had been there on her big day!!

Then when one last time we talked was 4 years back, she called me to inform that she is moving to Kuwait and gave her contact number and email id to remain in touch. Sadly, none of that worked after a few months later. I din't hear from her on emails and then even I stopped writing to her.

Since then, it's been so many years, but whenever I get to reminiscence my childhood, she is a part of it. At times,I miss her so much that I will search the web for her, in all the possible ways but after some failures, I will end up hoping that she is doing fine at some corner of this world, and may be does think of me too at times. She could be a mother now. How her husband would be like? Would she be remembering me ever? "How few people, who have been the most important to you at one point in your life....disappear, forever!"

Now a days, although we have got facebook, gmail, twitter and so many other mediums to be in touch with each others or finding out about someone, sometimes even they don't help; and you feel the need to find that one missing link!

She was more than just a neighbor to me. Yes, she was like my elder sister. I was the only child in my family then, the eldest one and I needed someone elder to me around. Everyone in my family felt the same. My mother used to leave me at her place when she had to go out without me. When my father fell ill, uncle used to pray for him. I was so young but I still can remember him taking my father's name, my mother's name..my name in his prayers.

Haahh..it still feels heavier after having written all this down. Usually this works the other way round for me. Well, I will still be hunting for her in all sorts of ways I can. I don't have her address, her phone number, in fact i don't even know her last name after her wedding, but I know that I want to talk to her..somehow...anyhow; something...anything!!

I wish I see that day soon :-)

And yes, if you feel the same for someone, don't let them disappear because you are too busy!

-Fingers Crossed!!

UPDATE**

Date : 06/12/2015 and Yes..I finally could find her!!! Thanks to Facebook's Friends-Suggest feature, who suggested me her elder sister's name. Till this date, this feature irritated me, but you find the real worth of some things, when you find your real worthy person out of them..It felt so amazing talking to you Monu Di and knowing that all this while , you were finding that missing link back to me , from your corner of this world! Love You too :D