School friends and death

I was watching 'Autograph' today and a particular scene reminded me of a bunch of my school friends.The title song ('Nyabagam Varudhey') has a particular sequence where the hero thinks of a childhood incident - the death of his friend. Yes, I was reminded of my school friends who are dead now! Death is always a difficult thing to deal with - especially of those with whom you have studied with.

For the record it has been only 8 years since I finished school. So there is no reason why my school friends should be dead by now - by any means - other than due to the cruelty of death itself.

Ayyangara Siva, Senthil, George Chandy.

Each one of these guys were my class mates at some point in my school life. Ayyangara Siva was a happy, fun loving and very helping guy. I remember the day when he saved me from being the 'outstanding' student of the class by lending me his spare drawing notebook. Yes, that was a day in the 6th standard. I had talked to him only sparingly till then. Seeing me standing nervous after the 'games' period he enquired why I was disturbed and promptly handed out his drawing notebook on seeing my predicament. Point to be noted is that I did not ask him for the notebook. Actually, I have never been able to ask anyone/anytime for any help so easily. At school I was a very shy kid who talked some sentences and that too only with very close friends - especially not with teachers or not-so-known class mates.

Siva met with his fate on a calm Friday-evening (just after the school) when he and some of our other class mates went to a lake (near our school). I have no idea why Siva & Co had gone to the lake in the first place! I had overstayed at the school as it was Friday and I bumped into Melvyn who had gone to the lake with Siva. He was panting and told me that he had seen Siva drown in the lake. I just laughed it off thinking that it was one of many spoofs that many of class mates crack on others. I suppressed the little doubt that had in mind and went thru my weekend without thinking much about Siva. My little doubt was confirmed the next Monday morning - when our principal announced the death of Siva at our Assembly. We were all shocked and couldn't possbile understand how it would be loose a son/friend/relative to death.

When I think about it now, death does really have a profound impact on our memories. I feel pathetic and sick when I realize I that might not have remembered Siva now if he is not dead
:-(.

Senthil was a bit more lucky - he lived to complete their school. Senthil was studying in an
Engineering college when he met with a fatal accident on one of Chennai's (in)famous fly-overs. He apparently rode his bike on wrong direction of the fly-over (against the traffic!) and lost his life to a PTC bus.

George Chandy breathed his last at a fatal car-crash. He survived thru School and College. He even made it to the U.S of A to pursue his higher studies there. But fate seems to have been waiting for him in there with a deadly surprise.

The whole purpose of this blog entry is to record my school-life and the school friends I have lost till now.