ME AND GUITE
-BASED ON REAL LIFE STORY
Friendship of a Christian girl with a Hindu girl , a Manipuri
with bihari who spoke differently but
loved uniquely. In whose friendship
language or place doesn’t matter but the honesty of thoughts.
My feet were talking silently while I was passing through
the corridor of my new school. Ya, everything was new. After leaving the land
of bhutias and chhetris I moved to the place of meteis and Christians. Any
guesses????
With the transfer of my father, I packed my memories and
luggage too to leave Sikkim and join the citizens of Manipur. I was really
excited with the thought of going once again to a new place but when my flight
landed on the land of Manipur, I realized a queer atmosphere there. A different
place, new people and the biggest thing was a different language. Within
a few days my parents took us to our new school for admission. It was 23rd
of august when I reached there and on 29th of august we were
admitted to the new school. I got a new class after a few days of my admission
to other section, transferred from section A to section D due to
misunderstanding of interpretation of the sections admitted. That made a
terrible change and that was I got a few non-manipuris, hindi speaking and
understanding people in sec-A but it was hard for me to settle once again to a
new section when you have made already a few friends with your satisfaction.
Moving on to the new sec-D I met everyone and was not at all satisfied with the
class who were always busy making mockery in the class and breaking the
sarcastic jokes during free time. But a few were there to hold my emotions
back. On the first day when a few were talking to me then they asked about my
previous school, last year’s marks etc. While interacting with the girl
monitors-1st and 2nd one, one of them named “Pamngaihlun
Guite “, Are you not able to pronounce it, don’t worry
because she has many nicknames. But for me her name is beautiful though
I don’t know its meaning. I am very fast at learning the names of others but
….what happened that day this girl after a few moments or I think after a few
classes when I was trying to call her, I couldn’t recall her name so I was not
able to talk to her. She told me that do you know names of all of us. I replied
that I remember all the girls name.
“Ok” she replied and
pointed out to few girls and tried to test me whether I knew their name or not.
I recognized their name after a short conversation in my
mind. At last she asked me for her name. What was it?? Hey! You told that you
know every girl’s name but you don’t know mine….
Well, I didn’t want to hurt her but I was not able to recall
what was her name…?? what was it ?? I tried to ask to other girls but she was
more clever than me , Ya she told everyone clearly that no one will tell me her
name unless and until I remembered it by my own.huh…I was really not getting
the right name , so when few minutes passed away then I again tried to ask a
few people (maybe they had forgotten to not tell me after a few minutes) and
then somebody told me lun, and the same moment I turned and said this name in
front of her but she was not yet satisfied. She told me to investigate her
whole name. Great job! I was captured in this awkward situation for the first
time in my life. But somehow I knew her whole name as I mentioned earlier. And
this is how our conversation started.
Days passed, and we were good friends. She has innumerable
qualities and the best of which I liked was her pure heart and everlasting
cheerfulness. I don’t like to gossip much and so was not fit in that
atmosphere. I got bored at times. From my first day I called this girl as
“Nylun” as guided by her. As I had told you that she has many names. A few
girls used to call her as “lun” and the least heard was “Pam”.
She used to sit in front of my desk and so we used to talk
at times. One of her loveliest qualities was that she encouraged and cared for
others. I remember that when I discussed with her that one of my hobby is to
play chess. She came up with an idea that she will play with me in games period
and told me to bring the chessboard henceforth. It was a great idea, I had also
not played chess from many days. She confessed honestly that she was just a
beginner in this game and so was I. Sometimes she used to stay back in the
class and play with me chess. One day, we were busy playing chess and suddenly
the bell rang, we placed the chessboard as it was under the desk and involved
us in studying. It was science period and what we did, we continued playing for
a while under the desk when the teacher used to turn towards the blackboard but
after a few minutes placed and packed it with our wish leaving the game and
focusing in the class. Finally, we decided to pack up and focus on studies.
I always wanted to be
isolated from everyone there, neither had I wanted to trust anyone nor did to
be friends and my isolation continues till a year. During the games period, I
used to roam alone in the playgrounds, away from the girls group as they
obviously used to talk in their native language –manipuri and how will you feel
when you can’t understand what the people around you are talking. I respected
their culture and the way they were even I know no one can always change or
translate everything for me only. I am also in habit of speaking my mother
tongue as they were. So, I thought the best way was to accompany myself with me
only, in that way I was able to concentrate more on my studies.
Now let me tell you what changed, after a year I started to
accompany them and play with them sometimes.
Friendship is not based on language, it is an abstract feeling
that binds you with someone who cares for you and understands your steps.
She came to my house for the first time to make social
science project specifically album and we have chosen the topic: Haryana. We
had other members too but the album was made by us only. As I remember that day
, it was Sunday and we didn’t had any stuff with us before that day. She came
to my house early in the morning with her father and we left to print photos to
paste in album . We searched at many places , first near school where we had
decided but it was close like other shops and then near RIMS and finally when
we finally got one shop open but unfortunately , the electricity was not there
. That shopkeeper told us to wait and then after some minutes of patience
finally we got the pictures printed. We
came back to our house and started our work……which was not about to end that
day but obviously she has to leave and her father came around 8 pm. We prepared
our album in only one day. At the end we clicked some pics after the exhausting
work. Nylun is very dedicated towards her work and very
clear in her thoughts which she share. I remember that day my father told us to
be positive and made an acronym ATP as “Always think positive” and
coincidentally at that time we had learnt from the biology classes that there
are ATP molecules in our body. This ATP is still a topic in our conversation
whenever we talk.
Nylun loved the Halwa made by my mother and even had a
special desire to eat sweets. Whenever I brought Halwa I always informed her beforehand
and the on the days she was absent, it was a reason to remember her and inform
her next day. Once she was given Rabri at her visit to my house and she even
asked for its recipe when we talked after 2 years that I was unable to remember
what had I given to her. She says on phone too that she misses halwa.
I remember that she taught me how to play vix and we used to
play this in the classroom with all the girls. This game actually was a reason
which made me more frank with my classmates. Till 8th I just passed
my time with them but after coming in 9th standard I enjoyed being
with them. One day when we had our social science class and suddenly the teachers
came for our school bag inspection to catch the illegal things according to
school rules. This was the most embarrassing incident for me. I am not
interested at all in watching Hollywood movies and all but that day Lun
convinced me and she has brought one CD of a Korean movie and that too after
choosing according to my choices. I thank her for that because no one has ever done
this much for me. I accepted it after consecutive yes-no and kept it in my bag.
Later on this inspection was done and they found this movie’s CD from my bag
and I was questioned for this. I thought oh god! This was neither mine nor I
had any interest in Korean movie but I was caught and I didn’t knew what should
I say. I was told afterwards that I should not repeat this. My classmates were
very happy that I was caught for the first time and that too for a movie.
She has also done a great job for me by editing my poems
while I was submitting my poem for school magazine. Well she is a great writer
who lets her emotions flow on the paper as it is and in an attractive way
too. We shared a lot of things in common
like writing poems, playing chess, aspiring to develop our country, interest in
journalism and love for sweet dishes!
And after about 2 years when it was my time to leave Manipur
she again came with a beautiful gift and that was a Bible word power and a
diary in which she requested me to store all my compositions. With that she
also gave a letter and told me to open it after I reach jammu-my next
destination. Believe me I had tears in my eyes when I read that letter and felt so nice to have a friend like her.
Her letter to me:-
Dear Geeta,
I don’t know what to write. How will I sum this up!?? So you
are leaving this is the first and the last letter I wrote to you. Words can’t
express how I’m gonna miss you. But I’m still happy for you cause you will get
to go to new schools, new friends new people and new environment.
When you first join our class everyone thinks that you’re
over-smart, selfish and complain box. But you are contrast to what we think. U turned
out to be intelligent, friendly, funny n smart girl. I am very lucky to have a
friend like you.
Geeta I am very sorry for being a troublemaker to you and
if I have done any painful things or hurt you please forgive me. and I don’t
know how to show how I am happy to be your friend.
U are a smart girl who shines out wherever you are.”KEEP
IT UP GIRL” but don’t push yourself to become “PERFECT” cause we are born to be
“AWESOME ” not perfect and u are “AMAZING”
just the way you are.
REMEMBER: we don’t have to be ordinary .make your best
mistake.
I thank god for giving me such a wonderful friend and I wish
you the best in everything u do.
May god shower his blessings upon you.
With love
and prayers
Pamngaihlun Guite
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