DISCLAIMER :This one was difficult to write... not cos i did not know what to say ..but i had so much to say and that too for my sisters best friend - Roohi .Let me state that clearly she is my sisters best friend - so Neeta don't make faces and take out your territorial claws -she is and always be your best friend ...secondly i am trying to write about someone who weaves magic with her words ...and I..... well I compared my best friend to a bottle of water :-)
. But no more long drawn intro - let me get to it... Roohi,or Roo (thats what i call her in my head :-) !) ....- she is my sisters best friend,soul sister ....and that is one of the many reasons why I love her cos she means the world to my sis ..and to me that would be enough reason ..but Roohi has given me so much more to love her for ...
neeta used to talk about her and i used to listen ... half interested..roohi this, roohi that etc etc etc....half heard /remembered conversations over chai.then one day i met her..the first and most amazing thing about roohi is this mass of beautiful thick gorgeous curly hair and the most amazing intense honest eyes - these are not eyes that are your typical -large and doe shaped beautiful these are intelligent, honest, passionate and hence beautiful eyes.
if you can get past the hair and the eyes u see a woman who is feminine, eclectically dressed and just gorgeous in her physical appearance with a fabulous 'goes to her eyes' smile- and not your film star kind of pretty ,but an unusual beauty, but-cant-help-notice-her pretty- and then if you can get past that you see a wonderful human being -an intelligent,warm,sensitive and superb human being...and for anyone who meets Roohi i sincerely reccomend get past that to know who she is ...
so who is she - to me Roohi is gifted with an amazing treasure...and her treasure is people - she is a people magnet. when i spend time with her at her home -as she walks around her home,cooking , putting things away, fluffing up a pillow here,tucking away a book there,chatting with amay,dealing with the dhobi and making sure i am looked after she is constantly with people -who call her and whom she calls and there is this constant comforting buzz of people around her....and she shares off this treasure generously - to know her is to know this wonderful cosmos of people that she has nurtured and treasured and if she likes u she will make you a part of that world -and what a wonderful glorious world it is ! so many lunches and dinners have i had at her place and everytime i have come away having known someone who was interesting and 'good-to-know' even if for an evening conversation.
Roohi is today MY friend - when that transition from 'Neeta's friend' -Roohi and 'Neeta's sister' - Api happened i dont know but it did ...and to a large part it is her persistence-and that is another thing you need to know -she is persistent....for a loner like me she kept on it -she would keep inviting me and i would keep coming up with excuses but she persisted till i gave in ...slowly but surely we bonded and it happened over some wonderful moments....her diwali /christmas parties, our visit to the spa for a facial ( tho she came down with a rash !!) birthday's,an evening that we spent together pub hopping and sharing stories of our college crushes ( it was only 2 pubs but at 30+ what else can you expect) silly stupid moments like laughing about chicken-do-paada, or some silly punjabi phrase and drunken moments when she told me that i was a better cook than Neeta or how awful a singer she is (Neeta - in her defence she did look a bit guilty :)!) ..and tough moments -i saw her transition from working in a prod house to creating her own business and running it so successfully,from being a wife to a mom,some tough times personally and professionally, and she has seen me go through relationships,job changes and city moves..i dont know if she agrees but i feel Roohi and I are very PROUD of each other and happy about our successes and that is an amazing feeling - i love telling people about Roohi and all that she is and has achieved and when she visited my home in Bangalore and here in Mumbai - she looked around at my place and said "this is so cool i am so proud" and that is when it struck me -the pride we take in each other....and that comes from not just love and friendship but respect ....
I value her in my life - her thinking matters..i recently called her for something stupid that i was planning to do ;-) and she gave it to me straight as a bullet ,she does not mince words - "dont do it , take it easy , you dont want to go down that route again".... and in my head i went "damn" !!! i need her to approve -because she matters and i respect her opinion. But you know the good thing is that if i dont listen to her and go ahead ....she will still be there - and when i burn my fingers and go to her she wont say "I told u so" (maybe she will! ), she will hand me a cup of chai or a glass of wine, talk to me and make me feel warm and whole again and say "chal koi nahin,its ok, u will be fine". The imp thing is that i want her to say it cos i need to hear it from her and the best thing is that she has a great track record -she has said it to me many times in the past and she has been right everytime.
So this is to my sisters best friend and the other woman who completes my tale..MY friend Roo....
