The big reunion

Half a year’s gone, and there’s been so much activity. Earlier, the daily soap operas on TV would run every single day from 8 pm. Sometime later, the remote would turn it off, and then blissful silence. We, in our drawing rooms, would continue the argument. This was our daily routine.

In the middle of all this, my life turned a new chapter, filling me with renewed hope. The first thrill was finding friends on Facebook from across the globe and, some from our own backyard. The sheer joy of connecting with so many friends was inexplicable. We just took off from where we had left. And, suddenly everything seemed different.

I used WhatsApp and Facebook with a fervour that bordered on obsession. On days when the network played havoc on my smartphone, I happily went back to my ever-dependable landline. My eternal thanks to Graham Bell! But despite all this excitement of catching up with friends, the homemaker in me couldn’t take a back seat, and above all, nor could my small enterprise in craft which demanded complete attention. There I was, running a one woman show (talk about time management).

A month later, my dependable phone rang, and a familiar voice from 46 years ago spoke. (Was I in a time machine?) An old school friend had opened the floodgates. We were a class of 80 girls, and the networking began with frenzy and zeal. What a task it was.

A friend remarked in exasperation, “Oh, we women! Why can’t we retain our maiden names instead of using married names?” This was, of course, a norm in our time, unlike the trend now where girls retain their maiden names or use both maiden and married names. And leading the pack are the glamorous women from our Hindi film industry.

Finally, the friends were all set to come down to Bengaluru from different parts of India and abroad. It was fascinating that some looked the same, with greying hair and wrinkles the only visible evidence of ageing.

Almost all were proud grandmothers, and each an achiever in terms of career and family. The varied professions that each one had chosen was incredible, for there was not a glimpse of all this when we left school. But it felt so good to see the heights we had all reached. Not to forget the friends who had acquired poise, confidence and perfect grooming.

Sadly, some have passed away, some have problems in their personal lives and some have health issues. But I salute them all for their steely spirit. I am looking forward to our meeting next month with great excitement. Till then my WhatsApp is pinging and Facebook is abuzz. Social media is truly fabulous. Now, the TV can go silent!