It’s strange how a seemingly innocuous event can set the ball rolling and change our lives.

It all started with a wedding card that I brought up from the mail-box a year and a half ago. My father-in-law read it, pondered over it casually and asked my hubby, “Anna, isn’t this Umesh the same as Gania’s brother? The family name is the same too.” And my inlaws and hubby all went into flashback mode, recalling their days in Ahmedabad, spent with their homely neighbours and particularly Gania, who went to school with my hubby in Ahmedabad.

Hubby mused, “Yeah, I must get in touch with Gania.  It is more than a year since he phoned me.” He searched and found Gania’s telephone number, and they talked of their childhood days -- playing together and their school days and other friends. Gania named a few others that he was in email contact with.

Soon afterwards, they met over a cup of tea at Nariman point. Two decades had passed since they had last met in their building society in 1986. Each was amazed to see how the other had changed… It was a tentative meeting, but there was still a warm spark somewhere, which got the fires rekindled in their hearts.

And then all that happened and continues to happen, is amazing.

My hubby is one of the more proactive ones among his friends, if I may say so. After Gania added him to his small email group of school friends, my hubby started enquiring about others. The size of the email group rapidly grew; emails started pouring in from all over the world. I could see the excitement building up, with hubby opening his mails 5 to 6 times a day and telling me who all had responded. Before I knew it, he was in touch with some 10-20 friends.

For me it was a pretty large number because in all these years, I had known him to have only one school friend he was in touch with. So it was a revelation to me that he had gotten in touch with so many old friends!

The ball was set into motion for a reunion in Ahmedabad, where they had all studied at a Boy’s Convent school. Very soon, in September 2006, they had their first reunion where many guys, along with their wives, met after what seemed like centuries. Hubby went with Gania, and they stayed at the home of another friend, Sanjeev.

And after his return, hubby narrated the entire event to me and pointed out each ‘boy’ to me in the photos. Of course, I could not imagine each of them as boys because they were in their forties, but he gave me a vivid picture of each one and his relationship with them. I could see and hear the schoolboy that my hubby was once……

A second reunion happened in January 2007, once again in Ahmedabad, at another friend’s farmhouse and this time, since Gania was unable to go, I decided at the last minute to join my hubby, to his great joy! We cancelled his train ticket and took a night sleeper bus from the highway near our house.

The reunion was to be held late in the evening. Along with one of his friends who had come from Delhi, we reached the farmhouse around 8.30 in the evening.

What I got to see through the evening was something I shall never forget! Grown men behaving like kids, back-slapping, re-introducing themselves (since some of them had changed beyond recognition!) calling each other by their classroom nicknames and reminiscing all the naughty things that they had done in school, and remembering some of their teachers. And this time, many more guys had joined in.

While the other wives were sitting around a campfire, my camera I went around with my hubby. Getting introduced to each of his friends and taking photos of each encounter, I thoroughly enjoyed each moment of the reunion!

That evening, I got to see the school boy in my man. The joy in his eyes and voice when he fondly spoke to each one of them, hugged them and shouted with them!

Oh boy! The get-together went on till well past midnight!

The next day, we visited his old schoolteacher, Ms Fernandes, at her home. I had heard a lot about her from him. It was a delight to meet her in person -- a very sweet spinster lady who lived all alone in a sparsely-furnished, old house.

Recently, on Friendship Day, Sanjeev was in Mumbai days on business. Gania and hubby, along with another friend, arranged an evening meeting at Bombay Blues in Bandra. This time it was just the four friends with their wives. It was fun.

A few days back, hubby called up Ms Fernandes and asked how she was. It seems she had retired and was thinking about her future, since she was a lonely lady. He thought about it later on and asked her if she would mind if her old students did something for her out of love. And she was a bit hesitant at first, but finally after he convinced her that he would do it only if others agreed, she said ok.

He floated the idea of collecting funds to buy her a computer and printer so that she could stay in touch with her students over email, and do some computer-related work from home. He sent out emails to all his friends, and a lot of them agreed to pitch in for a computer. One of the boys from Ahmedabad took up the responsibility of purchasing and setting up the computer at Ms Fernandes’s house and also tutoring her. He has promised that his wife will be responsible for all the help that she would require related to the computer.

Now the D-day for giving the gift has been set up as 2^nd September, close to Teacher’s Day on 5^th September. Who knows, it may turn into another get-together?

Due to my son’s forthcoming exams. I may be unable to go along this time. But then, you never know!