You Are My Brother And Will Always Be

This poem is dedicated to Anirudh, one of my closest cousins. Here goes the content:

I don’t have a male sibling

But that doesn’t matter

You are my brother

And will always be

I’ve known you

Since I was a child

At that time, you were just a baby

But that didn’t stop you

As far as jokes were concerned

Especially the one you made

When we were returning from a trip to Kodaikanal

And were stranded for a solid three hours

Due to a tree falling right in the middle of the road

I was really upset

Because we ended up missing our train

And you know how much I love trains, even now

However, your joke managed to bring a smile to my face

I shall never forget the fun we had

Playing cricket in the basement

Of your old flat in Mandaveli

Even then, I used to be a walking wicket

Thanks to your smart bowling

Then came the trip to Yelagiri

Which was one of the best excursions we ever had

In spite of the boat fiasco

Which neither of us will ever be able to forget

Ah, those days

Summer used to be my favourite season

Because, not only would I be free from studies

For two full months

It also meant

That I would get to spend time

With you and your family

Which included not only “real cricket”

But also “book cricket”

I shall never forget the occasion

When you “managed” to bundle South Africa out

For a mere 32 runs

That too after India scored a frigging 1000!!!

When you came to Mumbai

We had a great time playing carrom

In spite of my cheating

Also, I shall never forget the sheer amazement

Which was written all over your face

When we went to Vikhroli station

And a fast local went past at full speed

This was because you were used to trains being slow

In fact, you even likened them to sheep!!

Back then, I used to get angry and defensive

However, now I can look back at those days and laugh

After all, you were not even in your teens then

And of course, everyone can have his/her likes and dislikes

During those days, I used to be a diehard fan of AR Rahman

It was you who managed to break me out of that mould

By making me listen to that magical song “Oru Maalai”

Since then, I have never looked back

And Harris Jayaraj continues to occupy a special place in my heart

Even now, when the younger generation is making waves

Particularly Santhosh Narayanan and your namesake

As we grew older, our bond became stronger

I even managed to help you with your studies

Though teaching has never been my forte

And I shall never forget that day

When you had your Physics board exam

And Ross Taylor received his best ever birthday gift

From a certain Kamran Akmal

Thanks to his “expert” wicketkeeping

Ah, those days

We had so much fun at Oliver Road

Culminating in the grand finale of the 2011 World Cup

The celebrations we had, after our eventual victory

Were absolutely unforgettable

Especially the drive around the beach

Where we even got to witness a few bike stunts!!

Our get-togethers were also equally memorable

Particularly the occasion when we met Kris Srikanth

After a superb dinner at Copper Chimney

Not to mention, the Sizzling Brownie we had at Opelin

We also shared a lot of secrets

Often, we would go on talking

And would never know when to stop

Even when it was well past midnight!!

My first job was rather dull

And it was thanks to you and Aparajith

That I managed to have some fun

Then you went to the US

And our parting was a really emotional moment

However, I am glad we continue to stay in touch

Particularly in recent times

Here’s wishing you loads of love, happiness, success and peace

And hope to see you soon!!