Laugh, Love, Live – Repeat!

“Welcome to Hyatt Regency, Dean Menon...” as she said these words, the doe eyed receptionist must have suppressed her surprise. She was perhaps expecting a bespectacled scholarly old man with tousled Einsteinian  white hair, dressed in a sharp suit...but here is a rotund figure with a disarming smile attired in a crumpled T shirt and a matching trousers...hardly your archetype of Dean and Professor at Loyola University, Chicago. But for us who have known Goutham from our college days, it’s hardly a surprise. Even today, I could swear that the smiley emoji you see everywhere in your WhatsApp messages and FB 'Likes' is a photoshopped image of Goutham’s cheerful visage. 

Minutes later in strode Squadron Leader Unni Nair, dressed every bit -as a squadron leader.  With the Indian Air-force insignia on his cap and his name emblazoned on to his crisply ironed out full-sleeved shirt. The said receptionist would have saluted him even before he reached the reception desk. 

Looking at these two gentlemen from a distance, you could not surmise any link between them. But for us a motley bunch of guys and girls, both of them are our dear friends from college. When the invite came from Goutham for a quick meet up for lunch, we dropped everything and made sure we were present for this rare reunion that soon turned out to be worth every single nano-second. 

I sauntered into the sprawling lobby – unusually late, frantically checking my watch and trying to figure out where we would be meeting. The invite had just said, 12.00 noon at Hyatt, but did not give a specific location.  But, I did not have to wait long, soon the sound of boisterous laughter guided me like a laser missile to the lovely restaurant corner tucked away from any direct view from the lobby. The laughter and banter of course could only come from a crackle of friends who are meeting after a long hiatus.  

As soon I reached their table, I was embraced with a bear hug from Goutham before the others jumped out with a loud cheer and pounced on me. For the next few hours, we left our mundane worries and stress of daily routine behind and created magic that only true friends could. 

Laughter reached a crescendo when we recalled the misadventures of some of our friends who could not make it to the reunion. There was good natured leg pulling and no holds barred stories bordering on the scandalous. With a tinge of Malayalam, smattering of Tamil and overdose of English, we fuelled and rekindled our flames. A belated birthday cake surprise for dreamy eyed Swapna sweetened the day further and we really had a ball :) 

Age had not withered our love and affection for each other. It was amazing that we were able to pick up threads of conversation like we had just met a few days back – though in reality some of us are meeting after several years of separation across geographies and cultures. Time stood still and laughter floated across the hall into the lobby and beyond as we took countless selfies and posed with a permanent grin pasted on our faces. Golden memories they are. Yet, they may fade away from the Facebook posts but will be forever etched in our hearts. 

And when someone said ‘repeat’ we did not mean just the glasses of beer ...