Beemanagar Tales- 2 'Sudeep'

Sudeep was one of the few friends in our Beemanagar Gang who used to get a pocket money. None of us other than him or may be Guljeet (who joined our group at later stages of our school days) used to get pocket money. 

Sudeep was this lean guy in our group whose dad was working with LIC, Mum used to work with the University and had two older sisters, Baju taai and Gulu taai. He was the youngest and the most 'ladla bachchaa’ of the family. 

Happy Old Days

Everybody in our group knew the immense love that Sudeep had for animals. I still remember the days when me, Sudeep and Anand used to play in Community Hall ground with these stray cows and Sudeep had fondly named all of them. 'Shama’, 'Shyama’ and 'Kunti’ all the names were chosen by Sudeep based on some typical characters of those cows. Similarly the pups in community Hall were given names like 'John’, 'Johny’, ‘Janardan’ and the most interesting one being 'paduraam’. (that story can be reserved for some other time)

Sudeep had a connect with all these animals at a different level altogether.

The fact that I spoke about pocket money in the beginning is because the purpose for which Sudeep used to spend major part of his pocket money was to feed these stray animals, especially the pups. He used to buy 'bun pav’ from Mota Bhaai's kirana shop for these pups, sit down on the ground or on the floor of the Community Hall without caring for his clothes, without caring to get dirty and personally feed small morsels of bun pav to all the pups. The twinkle in his eyes while feeding those pups, was something different. Guess, he used to get immense satisfaction seeing these otherwise starving pups eat to their heart's content.

All this despite the fact that he had strict instructions at home not to touch or play with dogs or stray animals. I still remember him requesting his mum and sisters all the time to let him get one pup home just like Anand and Amol (we had a pet dog at home) and get rejection from his parents and sisters always. May be because of obvious reasons that all of them were working/busy and it would have been virtually impossible to have a pet at home and take care of the same.

Whenever we were going out and wherever Sudeep saw a pup he just used to stop then and there, sit down on the floor without caring if that's a road or a ground or mud and start playing with the animals. let them cuddle up, let them lick his palms, let them get inside his jacket if its winter season and what not.

Otherwise too Sudeep was a kind of a guy who will not pick up fights with anyone and was one happy go lucky personality. His quest for peace and calmness in life was possibly the reason that he chose to move out of Mumbai within a span of just 8-10 months of coming to city and then later chose to pick up a project in the island of Guam (that is much later in his professional life).

His daily prayers at home (yes he was given responsibility to do 'pooja’ at home during summer vacations) with the tape recorder playing 'Amma Dekh Tera Munda Bigda Jaaye’ at the highest possible sound level, was something that I still fondly remember and can't stop smiling. I can't forget his other funny habits like uttering shlokas or counting numbers in burb sound, his match box collection (all three of us Anand, Me and Sudeep had one), his unique way of tying a rope to the handles of bicycle and riding it as if he is riding a horse and what not.

He was a good singer too and used to love songs from Tezaab (So Gaya Ye Jahan), Maine Pyaar Kiya (Kabootar Ja Ja) and QSQT (Papa Kehte Hain Bada Naam Karega). I still remember, he had won second prize in Ganesh Utsav when he sang Papa Kahete Hai song.

A few days back on my way back home while listening to the same song (papa kehete hain) tears just rolled down my cheeks. I could not believe, Sudeep is no longer among us. Life is so cruel and unpredictable. It can snatch invaluable things/people from you, just like that and you can't do damn anything.

You were one of my oldest friends, buddy. We were together ever since the time we were just 2-3 years' old and even after 3 months, it's hard to believe that you are no longer there.

We will always miss you. the Beemanagar Gang will always feel incomplete without you.

But I'm sure you are at peace wherever you are, I'm sure you are getting to do all that you always wanted to do and I'm sure now there are no worries that are pulling you down. Stay at peace and stay happy wherever you are buddy.