......finally, I found him!

…………finally, I found him!

It had been a long search!

But then, I found him.

I thought I had eternally lost him!

But then, today morning, amidst all the trash and chaos, he came out like the ‘DEVA’ who appears from the flames when you do a ‘TAPAS’.

Lol!

I am talking about Swaminathan, the cute little Swami from Malgudi. I would have read it umpteen times, believe me, he never tires me out! For long, I had been searching Narayan’s ‘Swami and Friends’, which was very much in my collection of much-loved books. But last time, when I felt like reading it, it wasn’t there. I could not really bring back to my memory if I had given it to someone for a read. I had searched the whole bookshelf, but in vain.

Swami used to come back to me during my busy schedule and I missed him every other inch. The thought of having a look at him used to energize and enthuse me, ‘coz he had been my comrade from my school days.

Awwww! How I used to love his pranks! Like I mentioned once, when Doordarshan started airing ‘Malgudi Days’ I must have been happiest person in India!

Owing to the holidays till 31^st March, I went on a ‘Swachh Bharath’ HUNGAMA today and this brought him back to me.

Blessing in disguise indeed! I had to put on the masks and waded through a lot of dust, but then, he is with me today!

Just when I found him sleeping under a carton in the little room, 

I shouted ‘Eurekaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa’.

Definitely, I am happier than Archimedes!

People at home came running to find who this modern-day Archimedes is!

God only knows who had dumped my Swami there! If only I could find that person, my knives would have had a good feast!

The rest of the story is very simple – I didn’t do anything else today other than being with him!

Swami, I can’t love you enough!

Needless to say, but still I would say - Simplicity, Cuteness and Intelligence personified, rather overloaded – that’s my Swami!

Thank you for coming back to my life!