Dye another Day

                  

 “Wait for a minute man. I will join you” Saying so I went into the house.My friend Jayaram had come in his car.

I had come to Bangalore with my family to join our friends in celebrating a get together of Engineering classmates . This was happening after more than two decades.

We had arrived the previous day and were staying in my sister’s house.

Within minutes my entire family came out of the house and we sat in Jayaram’s  INNOVA car . The car was spacious enough for 8 of us , 4 from my family and 4 from his family.

He started driving and very soon we were on Mangalore highway leading to Hassan . Jayaram owned a coffee estate about 9 kilometers from Sakleshpur in Hassan dist . We had planned our first get together of engineering classmates with families.

I was  excited that we would be meeting many of our classmates after  two decades.

I looked at Jayaram.

He looked a bit worried . I asked him “ what’s the matter dude. You look worried”.

“Am a bit concerned. I have organized the get together in my estate bungalow . Many guys are coming with their families. Few of them are coming from abroad . Two decades have passed and we do not know what phases they have gone through in their lives. The arrangements which I have made for them would be sufficient or not I don’t know. This is a matter of concern” he said.

I looked at him and said “ Come on Jayaram. You have misplaced concerns. After all  our batch mates are from the same middle class background as ours. What if they have traveled far in their lives and have earned more money and fame? We all are made up of similar DNA. Keep your concerns aside. Everything will be alright and all the guys will enjoy full throttle with their families”.

“I know I can count on you. That’s why I am taking you along with me half a day in advance” he replied.

After having driven for about four hours on the highway, Jayaram took a turn and started driving towards his estate. The landscape changed as we kept moving.

It was green carpet on either side of the road and we could see  green trees with birds sitting on them. The chirping melody of the birds , the wet forest fragrance, the huge trees laced mountains or either side took us into a different world altogether.

On entering the estate, Jayaram slowed his car and parked it in the portico. We got down. The ladies went into the kitchen to oversee the arrangements and kids ran into the ground which was huge and bordered by trees.

We sat on the chairs in the front hall . his wife came and gave us coffee. Sipping the coffee he added “ Guys will start arriving from 4 pm onwards . we shall give them welcome drink and some snacks by about 5 PM. By 6 PM we all shall assemble in the ground to the right side  of this bungalow. I have arranged for some 50 chairs. From then on the ball is in your court. You manage the show”.

It was 6 pm. About 8 of our class mates had come from various cities in India and abroad. They had come with their families too. The total strength of the meet was about 30 . It was a small but lovely gathering.

After exchanging the pleasantries and hugging we settled down.

 I stood in front of the gathering and started talking “ What should I describe this? A meet after two decades. We were a bunch of lean and lanky guys with spark in our eyes. Now we are men , have families and kids and  have grown twenty years older.

We have achieved success many times in our lives. We have upgraded from being directionless bachelors to men with a proper orientation. We are now less ambitious but focused more on a  mission. The mission to give the best to our families”. I continued for another five minutes and ended my  introductory speech.

.

Guys started narrating their journey  of life . Each story was unique , different  and successful. I was very  pleased to note that each one of us had a fruitful journey in life and had built a small but wonderful world of our own around us.

The discussion inevitable shifted to two important and distinct developments. The ever  increasing waistlines and greying & vanishing hairlines.While we were discussing, Rajesh got a call on his mobile. He walked into the open ground .

Jayaram told “ Most of us were looking lean, mean & hungry during our college days , courtesy the hostel mess food. But look at guys now. It appears that they  are taking revenge on those days and have added almost double the weight.” All of us broke into laughter acknowledging the truth.

Sanjay looking at me said “ you too have fed yourself well over the years”.

“No second thought on that” I replied.

He continued ” What is the secret of your well preserved hair ? You hair has neither receded not has turned grey.I hardly find any white  strand in your hair”

“I do not know the reason for that.” I replied.

“I think you dye your hair regularly”.

“I have not applied any hair dye until now . In days to come what will happen I do not know.” I said.

The discussion about my dark hair went on for few more minutes.

Our focus shifted to Jayaram. He was fit and did not have any extra fat around his tummy. We asked him the secret of his fitness.

He replied “ I do not do any sort of exercise. We have grown up in plantations and coffee estates. We do the work ourselves. The physical work we do when we are in the coffee estate is enough for us to be fit”.

I  asked him “It is fine that you are fit physically but you have white hair all over your head . Why don’t you dye?”.

To this he said “ I will never dye”

Rajesh after finishing his call over mobile was walking towards the gathering . He looked amused and said “ Who is that guy who said that he will never die?

Is he the Phantom? The man who never dies and the ghost who walks”

I corrected him “ Rajesh we are talking about hair dye. Jayaram does not want to dye his hair”

“Why dude?” Rajesh asked and continued “ I dye very regularly. In fact if  I had not dyed I would not have got married to my wife”. The gathering erupted into laughter.

Jayaram broke his silence and said “ Some how I feel dyeing the hair is like faking. I want to be natural”

I could understand what was going in his mind and said “ Look Jayaram  dyeing is not like faking. It is only making yourself more presentable. You may be fit and having a positive approach to life but with the white hair on your head you appear much older.

In fact all of us fake in our lives. We do it day in and day out. I would say we should be smiling most of the times and fake it if needed be. A fake smile can do wonders to human relations that a honest grim face.

Faking is not wrong as long as it does not have a negative impact on the relationship”

Jayaram looked at me and said “ Spare me. I do not deserve such a long sermon . I have not done anything wrong. However I do agree with you to a very large extent. My wife looks much younger to me . It may be because of this  hairline. I should not think much about it and start dyeing the hair. Yes, I have decided now that I will dye my hair”

“When will you do it?” Rajesh asked.

“I will not do it today but definitely will dye another day”