Goodfellas

Inspired from the 90's classic , no, not really. Apart from the title, this story doesn't share any resemblance to the De Niro's flick. We all meet a few persons in our life who leave an everlasting impression on our personas.
Since my childhood, I have a great affinity to spend time with elder people. I like to listen to their experiences, their woes and their suggestions too. This makes me feel happy and I learn a lot from them. It would be very unfair if I do not pen down a few lines for these few great persons who helped me understand the world in a better way.
To start with, I was very attached to my grandfather, I used to call him Anna. I was very impressed with his lifestyle, his discipline and his immense knowledge on a wide array of subject. Be it the politics, the day to day events, religious scriptures or command over sanskrit, hindi or english language. He had answers for almost everything and I was proud to have a grandfather like him when most of my friends had grandfathers who were busy cursing their old age and considered the whole world as a very wrong place to live in.
I can dedicate a whole book of various anecdotes that I shared with my grandfather, a few memories are now hazy as he passed away well before I even entered an adoloscent age.
Another old fellow who took me under his tutelage was Mr. Manke or more affectionately known as Dada. At a mere age of 5, I used to sit with him for hours, listening to whatever he was reading in newspaper or both of us simply sat in the window gazing at the vehicles passing by. Dada always had something in his store to cheer me up. As he used to live next to our house, I never missed to visit him and ask for my daily dose of sugar bits. Years passed by and we moved to a new house leaving behind Dada and his family and to add to my misery, my grandfather also passed away. I had no such old friend to help me out with my problems. At that tender age also, I hardly had any materialistic wishes (apart from Raj Comics!!), my problems had more to do with, I am not enjoying this particular subject and I am so bad at maths that I always loose my rank over this one horrible subject.
Then, another reverent person came into my life and took over the baton from my Grandpa and Dada to guide me though those childhood years of ignorance and curiosity. Coincidentally, he was also affectionately known as Anna. As he noticed my reclusive nature and a constant battle to avoid the public, he advised me to visit him daily and voluntarily offered me his selfless friendship. He always had a funny way of cursing others. The people who faced his wrath ranged from Plumber to Politicians and the daily victims of his whims were his own children. However, under this ever flowing river of spite, a dormant volcanoe of love was awaiting to burst. I enjoyed his company for a long long time and even after we moved to a new place, he invited me to lunch quite a few times to his place.
Last I met him, 3 years ago when I visited his son's house in Indore. He had lost his hearing power and the vision was also completely blurred but still he recognized me and moved his hands to indicate that how I grew up from a small baby in front of his eyes. Well, a year ago, I heard the news that he passed away. Certainly, I never called him all these years but now as he is gone, I feel I lost a very important part of my life.
However, as we all know, life stops for none and it moves on. On my marriage, I got a call from DADA, well into his 80s, his voice still has that amorous touch. He blessed me and Sapna and asked us to pay a visit to Baroda where he is living these days. I wish, I can visit him sometime and sit with him on that window sill gazing at the vehicles again. Next day, we got a letter from him and his wife telling in detail, how they miss our family on this occassion. I do not have any words to explain the importance of these good old fellows in my life. All I can say to these lovely human beings is, Thank you for everything and I miss you alot my special friends!!