Blog@GraceJunction

Hey Freddy,

I reached Mumbai a week back in search of a better job and opportunities. But I have been missing those beaches and the time that we used to spend watching those beautiful waves, sipping lemonade, our hangouts near D’Souza restaurant and those football fields.

Here you get the real taste of city life. The huge population, the busy streets and stations, rush hour, the confluence of the rich and poor, skyscrapers overlooking hutments and slums, brightly lit buildings hosting glitzy and glamorous events and the hungry man who begs on the roads and sleeps on the streets. (more…)

Mate,

It is nice to be able to write these letters to you from jail. I am awaiting the final decision on the mercy petition pending with the President of India. These days I am just reflecting on the days gone by and I can’t help myself from being nostalgic as hopes of a future life died when I was convicted.

I felt like a life wasted in the quest for being loved and wanted. There are many things that I could not have changed but there were many that I could have. I could not have changed my family, my parents and my upbringing. I could not have done much about my parents strained relationship or the inevitable pain of going through my parents divorce as a small child. (more…)

Doctor,

It’s been a long time since I spoke to you. I remember when I first met you during a counseling session at my college. Well, I have been greatly helped by you in getting rid of some of my addictions. Your techniques to counter them helped me to come out of it easily. My parents were really happy to hear about my de-addiction.

I wanted to invite you for my marriage, but circumstances were such that I could not. You know Reema who was my junior in college and you have been our common friend for a long time. Even now when we talk, we do remember you. Well after those good days when we met, both Reema and I took a liking for each other. We loved each others company and things just worked out. (more…)

Samir, are you there? Whenever you read my message, give me a call. Switch on the TV and look at the news. All of them are covering it. They say that the police and the media are still trying to figure out, who is the culprit.

My whole house is glued to the TV set and it is giving me nervous moments. Do you even remember what we did last night? How will you, you were so drunk, that I had to drag you out of the party and hurl you in to my car. Yesterday, it all started when you had more than your normal intake of alcohol. You got in to a fight with a guy on the dance floor. His group of friends charged on you and then what followed was total chaos. (more…)

Dear Sis,

Am writing this letter at a time in life, where I have been overwhelmed by a sudden turn of events. Somethings which I never expected in my life, things that I thought were innocent have come back to haunt me. I need help.

I know, you would say ‘I told you’ but it is now too late to dwell on those issues. I am ready to take your counsel. All my life, you were the one who guided me and I was the one who always spurned the good advice thinking you were from the old school of thought, narrow minded.

Remember, Raj who used to be my research partner. Yes, one of the many boyfriends I used to date and the one you hated the most. Well, I liked the guy for his lavish spending and deep pockets. The relationship was just a way for me to enjoy life, the added advantage that he was a good student just helped. I always knew that none of these guys would be my life partner, I knew that marriage needed somebody who was more dependable, mature and understanding. (more…)

Dear beloved Son,

This is the first day in years that I have spent without listening to your voice. I still remember the first day I saw you besides your mother in the hospital. Oh what joy to have held you in my arms for the first time, my heart was pounding so hard just thinking that I am a proud father and the responsibility that was to follow.

You grew in my arms those first few years and you became the centre of our lives, both of us made all our plans, with ‘you’ as the priority of our lives. Probably we were overwhelmed and did not know how to react and we decided to bring you all the good things in life. We never compromised on anything that was important to you, whether it was your studies or health. We brought home the best that money could buy. (more…)

Hey Shridhar!

Sorry I did not get any reply from your personal mail id and did not have any contact numbers to get in touch with you for these last two years. Heard that you are doing well in life, that you joined an IT major and are now settled in the U.S. Ravi gave me the news when I was chatting with him. You are the only guy who has got settled so fast, but you deserve it.

It has been two desperate years for me, hunting jobs and making ends meet has been a Herculean task. Natasha and I soon moved in to another apartment after our graduations, she has landed a job in a bank and I am still languishing in a call centre, the same old routines, only thing that has changed is that now I am a floor manager. The BPO’s have been hit hard with the fall in number of clients due to the American slowdown. Pressures to keep our jobs are increasing and my medical bills are not likely to come down any time soon. (more…)

Dear Sarita,

I am writing this letter which I am sure has come as a surprise to you. But it definitely would have brought back memories of our college days when we would exchange letters, I wish I had some of them with me today to read. But those carefree days when we would hold our hands and walk through the park, those tasty kulfis which we would relish and long nights where I would keep reading those letters and keep dreaming well in to the night.

Another reason I am writing is that I could not bear to listen to your voice on the phone, it is too painful for me, I still remember when you would keep calling just to persuade me to give our marriage another chance, but I believe I was blinded by the beauty of my colleague then to reconsider my decision to go through a divorce. But I guess it is now too late to think on those issues. (more…)