Dedicated to my friend ‘My Personal Monk’!

A poet, philosopher, singer, guitarist, activist, dreamer, achiever and one of my best friends.

I met Dhee in one of my previous organizations where on the first day of signing the papers I was made to sit in a room with bunch of guys and later I found out that they all were my batch mates and I was the only girl. Dhee was the sweetest looking guy. He looked like he was just fresh out of college, to be precise a kid.

A kid who wore his jeans little too low and little too baggy.                                                             A Kid who smoked cigarettes with little pinch of fashion.                                                                   A kid who spoke only when required but always found smiling and releasing puffs of smoke in air.                                                                                                                                                         A kid who never spoke a complete sentence with me but at a party he sensed my nervousness and came to sit next me to make me feel comfortable.                                             Looks like he was not a kid but an old soul trapped in a young frame.

Time flew and he became a plus one in all those chai breaks and I became plus one in their smoke breaks. But that was it. We never hung out after office as he was too hard to find and I was too much in trouble. Things were bad personally and I would struggle being at home but I would know that the next day my friends are going to be there in office. I had many friends at that time who meant a world to me but this blog is about Dhee and his journey and about the reasons he is so adored by this stupid female.

I left that Job and moved cities and sent him a big goodbye message and in my heart I knew that this is it. This is the last time I am talking to this silly boy who I never got a chance to know. Too shameful. But I had bigger battles to won and hence all the friendships of that city took a back seat. Life moved on and we all moved on but somehow I met Dhee again.

This time he was difference. Its like he grew 10 years in 2 years. So Dhee’s journey-

He left that job too and went onto start a business in a foreign land. He had gone there without telling any of his friends probably because thats how he is- secretive. But when I met him again, he announced that he lost his mojo and money in that ordeal and has come back to a job life. I admired him for telling me that truth with so much honesty. I mean really, if you meet someone in Delhi who ends up making a big mistake then they will tell you all about it with too much falseness and make it sound so glamorous that you would sometimes think- Uhhh was he talking about a downfall?

So my friend Dhee joined a good firm and excelled at it. Well, to some excel would mean earn a lot but for him excel meant to learn a lot. I remember him telling me once that ‘shee, I am focusing on learning people management and project growth and I want to see how I go about this’ so basically he was learning about himself in the process. He took challenging roles and things flew to him. At some moments I used to envy that I am more experienced but he is getting opportunities but later it stuck me that he is looking at life with a very different lens and that is where I was lacking.

Then started a journey of him preaching me and I believe he carved me slowly and steadily and made me find this person whom I like a lot today: me.  Okay I do not want to make him feel too proud as frankly I am blessed with many good and best friends who have walked along with me in my journey till date but yes during last 4 years it was Dhee I would go to whenever I would feel my Happiness and Motivation level dropping. He had become my very personal Monk. The best thing about Dhee was he never got irritated by my questions and he would first listen, comprehend and then made me think. He hardly gave me suggestions but he made me ask myself difficult questions. I am not sure from where he learned that but he could aim to become a Life Coach afterall.

More about Dhee: He left that job one day in quest of something which he had no idea about and he did not regret leaving the job even a bit. He went travelling, meditating, shifted to a silent far away place, rode bicycles for hours to get clarity, aimed to learn more, aimed small things like learning to cook which he never did. Then one day he told me that he is starting a startup with some guys: Super awesome. Things were settling.

But then I got this call last year that he is moving out of country as he has got a job. I mean what??????

As always he was still secretive and I cant blame him for not letting me in. He is the way he is and still he is my best friend even if I am not his or may be I am or maybe he does not have any except for life which is closest friend.

I lost our frequent calls and talks because of his departure from India. I was left without my personal monk to figure out difficult things myself like why do sometimes people who apparently care for you hurt you intentionally? How can you deal with some things which effect you on a daily basis like a work politics? Etc .

I often times thought of starting a series of blog – Dhee and Shee. It would be about two buddies and their lives. Please bare in mind that this is never going to be romantic in nature but it would open doors to a beautiful friendship and life long commitment to watch out for one another. I wish that everyone has at-least one friend like this. I am lucky I have 7. Yeee!

As for Dhee: I wish him all the best in his learning and I know that someday he will change the way humans live their life by doing something remarkable. I am not sure what that thing is but I am sure there is a thing.

I could post one of his poem here but I guess I would have to seek his permission before that. So let me ask him. Until then, ladies and gentleman, lets give it for Dhee: An explorer, a living legend and an awesome friend.