My mother taught me how significant it was to develop a habit of reshuffling and organizing your own possessions. To compliment that thought, I came across a book which spoke of 'Feeling Touched' that gave life even to things that were there - long forgotten and forsaken. After all Old is Gold. I learnt that mastering the art of organizing can unravel hidden treasures. In my opinion, I'd call it a quality of people who live royally. It was a powerful emotion which made one act in a manner to devote their time to organize and neaten their own belonging, expressing out of them how intricately and deeply they valued each and everything they had - how much hard work had gone into acquiring those things and that they were very caring towards their possessions.
Anyway, so whilst she was organizing, she came across few postcards, greeting cards and Autograph Books which belonged to me. I browsed through the pages of the autograph book which had on its back cover 'friends forever' , 'forever young' written from Archies. Those words seemed to speak to me that here lies the proof within this book which shall make you feel forever young and realize the true meaning of friends forever. The pages were sectioned with columns such as : Name and Address, Contact Number, Most Unforgettable Person, Most Happiest Moment, Lines For Me, What is a friend?, Birthdate,Star Sign and Best Friends. Each of this been filled up by my school friends, other friends and family.
I realized the value of what was mentioned in these autographs books as I was flushed with nostalgia with every turning page. The transparency of the emotions felt by those who filled the pages of my autograph book was clearer now than it had been in the moment they'd been filled. There was genuineity in some whereas others pored out envy.
For instance, I had my grandmother i.e. Geeta Sonthalia's autograph here in my pages. Whilst I read through the contents I expressed surprise at learning that her birthday fell on the same day (5th May) as the marriage anniversary of my parents. Then, my recollections reminded me that she had not known her date of birth. A little while later I remembered she did not even know how to write in English so someone else around her had filled this up on her behalf in her presence. It had the essence of clear jealousy as someone had played dirty by putting it in a small childs mind that the day his parents got married was the day when his grandmother had her birthday. Her happiest moment was when she got married and her best pals was God.
As I turned the pages, there were some more revelations about friends and family I'd known. I felt sad when I touched upon 'Mithul Vijan' as he had passed away due to Cancer a few years back. Then, I came to the page of a friend I'd been remembering in the last few days - using Facebook had tried to place him down but was unsuccessful. I'd only known his pet name I called him with -Jittu ... he'd shifted out from my neighborhood, somehow I was remembering him dearly in the last couple of weeks. And there , in the autograph book I found he'd given his full name - the real one. With so many leads as how i could find him - such as which school he'd gone to, his date of birth. He'd filled his autograph on 12th September 1998. I was moved and touched by having discovered this page and immediately succeeded in finding him on Facebook. I cannot put it in words how elated I felt the moment I found him.
Emotions, that one feels in the present moment may deceive the other person in that moment and might make the person feel victorious for having deceived the other person in the moment but time has its way of showing that 'truth is eternally victorious' nothing else is more powerful and joyful than the achievements one gets via truth. The pain one is made to endure and the path one walks through is laid with pain in the present moment, which never seems to end - however that which leads the person forward is the knowledge that truth is eternal and as time passes, it will acknowledge you as the true victor in the past where you were made to believe that you'd lost, where actually you'd won, just so that the other enjoys the short term pleasure of feeling good about themselves for having defeated you.
How extraordinary is this Autograph book, I'd never really thought it would gift me with so much in a single moment. Sadly!! I doubt anybody uses or knows about it today...
