Reggy

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Today is Thursday. It was nice, warm, and bright. 

I woke up. As usual, I had a knot in my stomach. As usual, I hadn't slept well. But unusually, I thought about Reggy. A college friend. A college acquaintance. Had shared some notes in school. We weren't close. We weren't even friends. But we were both shy in a college that celebrated the exuberance of the extroverts. But Reggy was confident in his shyness (and if you have been a shy person, you will know this when you see it.) But I wasn't. 

I graduated. He did too. Never met him. Until one day outside Bandra court and another time outside High Court. He was with a lady. Might have been a client. Regy was a practising lawyer by then. I had completed law but had dusted my books and kept them aside. Regy, the lady, and I had chai and samosa in the High Court canteen.

Regy told me that a very celebrated criminal lawyer was due to make an appearance later that afternoon. He told me to wait back and see the hearing if I could. I told him that it was too long to hang around the court for. He told me, "Trust the wait." The lady with him laughed and said that the phrase ought to be on a t-shirt.

We left. I never kept in touch. He didn't either. we weren't friends on LinkedIn or Facebook 

Reggy passed away. They say he committed suicide. By they, I mean a message on Whats App from a common friend.

I am sitting here, typing this, eating the phirni that V got me. It's comfortable in the flat. It's dark and twinkly in the house. The flowers in my vase have wilted but they still have a macabre, crumpled beauty to them. And I think of Regy and his 'Trust the wait' statement. He was confident. He was wise. He was someone I knew. 

Someone does that to themselves and it does make one wonder...whether you will escape.

Loads of peace, Reggy. In a cold, chaotic time, I used to watch you get along with people and felt a little bit safer. For that, and forever, thank you.

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