With unseen strings, I stay attached...

This week our theme is "The very first time..." The key lies in the ellipsis, it could be the tale of our first ever, whatever:-)So, let me tell you the tale of the first ever gang I ever belonged to. We were a gang of nine - 8 girls and 1 boy on the tow, each as different as chalk from cheese. The all brains one, the femme fatale, the joker, the serene as a buddha type, the forever complex stricken, the nymphette, the hot headed one,and the always practical made up the girls team. The lone male was nicknamed 'the comet' by my dad because he tailed us around and also because it was around that time comet shoemaker-levy was creating news.
College in Kerala always implied scores of unprecedented holidays thanks to the gazillion student political parties and their who-knows-what-for strikes. We used these days quite effectively landing as a mob into any one of our homes or going for movies.The practical one lived with her mother in a small one room apartment they'd taken in a women's help organization cum hostel. Her dad worked in the middle east and since mom and daughter were alone they chose this small nest of women comaraderie as home. It worked well for us too since it was just a hop, skip, and jump away from college. So, it was there we landed mostly and aunty (P's mother) was the most cordial of hosts. In fact, P's lunches were so delicious that Buddha and Joker, who sat next to her in class, finished it all up by mid morning. Hot headed got all worked up over this, at times, but I can't recall them ever having a show down over this. The gang did not take hot head seriously, anyway.
Towards the end of the first year of college P and her mom took up a  lovely little house even closer to college because her dad was going to retire and come back to live with his family. Initially, I remember feeling a little apprehensive about this sudden intrusion into our freedom but that wore out. I still remember the warmth with which P's dad greeted us when we first met him. With time, I came to love him almost as much as I did P and I could sense he too harboured a special, fatherly affection towards me. We just clicked. That genuine click of affection never happened with any of the others' parents, who were all equally cordial and nice. With time, I realize that God was perhaps priming us for what was to come.
As usual, our gang too had its share of cliques."A" and "D" were bosom buddies but "E" thought "A" was HER best friend, "B" wanted to be best friends with "F" who tried to run away as fast as she could,"G" was quite clueless, "C" was popular most and everyone wanted to be friends with her, while "P" remained the glue that held us all together. Someone was actively trying to woo comet and we had a tough time stifling the urge to slap the stupid female and save our comet since he then was really and truly a helpless, innocent, unworldy little chap.
The road inclined a little steeply from P's house to college. Her gait was as steady and slow as her practical disposition. I remember trying to impatiently pull her hand and make her go faster. She would try but stop in a couple of minutes, smiling and breathing in equal profusion.
Days and months rolled by and after what was the best time of our lives (subjective comment), it was the study holidays before the final exams.University exams in Kerala, in those days, extended over weeks and by the time they got over and the results were declared admissions in most other states, for higher studies, would be closed. It was the begining of April when our class teacher called me up and told me P was sick. He said she had a urinary tract infection but it was not bad.
It was easter week and since the exams were still days away I goaded my parents to take me for movie, a second show. On the way, on impulse I asked my dad if he would take me to P's house since she was sick. We live a good 25 kilometeres from the city (and the college and the theatre) and dad who generally did not accomodate impulsive social visits readily agreed, this time. I was elated that he agreed and really excited that I was going to pay P a 'surprise' visit. But when we got to her place, the door was locked. Someone told us that they had gone to church for Maundy Thursday. But just as I was getting back into the car, I heard P's voice excitedly calling out to me from further below the road, her dad and she were just coming back. I was so so thrilled. She told me she was just fine and I asked her to come along with us to the movie, which she refused. After jabbering away for some more time, I left. P, as usual came out of the gate to wave.
On sunday morning, April the 7th, 1996, Easter day, my class teacher called me again. To tell me, that P had died.
Years have rolled on. I visit P's home each time I go to Kerala. I feel I somehow owe her that especialy since fate made it so that I was the only one from the gang to have met her so close to death. Also, because I see her dad's eyes light up each time I go and her mom stifle a sob each time I hug them both, as fondly as I have hugged her. Uncle died a year ago. The last I met him, he was sick and a muscle debilitating condition had made walking without help, impossible. I lingered around for sometime, jabbering as usual but deciding in my mind that I should convince him and aunty to move into a cared residential facility, just for safety. I hadn't driven two kilometers from their house when I recieved a missed call on my mobile, from uncle. I called back immediately, worried. He simply said, "I wanted to check if I had your new number right". It was an unspoken request to come and see him again before I flew back to Muscat. So, I went back a few days later with Abhi. Uncle desperately held onto my hand and suddenly Abhi broke into violent and uncontrollable crying. I left soon after since she wouldn't stop. I knew I had seen uncle for the last time. I met aunty the last time I went to Kerala, it is much more difficult with uncle not being around. To see a soul in absolute lonliness.
P was the first ever friend I lost, to death.This is the first time ever that I write it down.