WHEN WILL YOU REACH HERE DUDE??

                             WHEN WILL YOU REACH HERE DUDE...??

When I  was for Argentina, he hosted the flag for Brazil. When everyone danced with waka waka, he was listening to knaan. Riyas ,a sub editor in Madhyamam daily who had a passion for sports. He always wanted to fill that vacuum, wanted to become a legend sports reporter….but left this world in to a larger vacuum….

It was on the day when I started to Chennai from my home town I heard the news. Mr Riyas has left us and the funeral will be on the next day, coldness shrugged me back. But throughout journey, through the window I saw Riyas , smiling at me…

It was my internship period at Madhyamam, I met him at the desk. Erstwhile days gave me boring hours to spend with, but later in the desk I was enjoying, World cup football on one side and editing news on another side. I couldn’t concentrate my heart on both. My eyes started travelling to the screen. But a few small news stories are there waiting to be edited. In the midst I saw another guy striving hard, facing the same menace I have.

While entering to the desk, he greets his entire colleague with a handshake sandwiched with a smile. Then to his seat, skimming over the sports pages of the day, he would start his job….he corrects my mistakes with a smile. Don’t know why he had a smile for everything….

His passion for sports was there in him from his degree years.  College sports day was his day. he enjoys each and every second of the day. He never misses sports meets. He had his own style of reporting from the grounds. Our discussions and debates on Argentia,Brazil,Forlan, Maradona  made our bond more tighter. Days passé I packed up everything and left the place. But we continued our discussions through mails and scraps…

He used to travel by train.  On his last day he reached home, had his prayer, took his dinner and went to the sleep, the eternal sleep….

My train reached Chennai, again the busy travellers, vendors… I reached my room, opened my orkut profile saw some scraps in the midst a scrap from Riyas “where are you, when will you reach here dude?”