you lose some, you gain marina

They say, you lose some you gain some!


I recently lost my sanity and guess what I got in return? Maria Thomas! Which basically means, I lost my sanity and got in return some more insanity!

When we were young(er)…Maria Thomas was…

The girl with a boy cut who had a cycle rickshaw accident in junior school. The girl who ate her lunch, my lunch and everyone else’s lunch. The girl who drove that green Ladybird cycle. The girl who I dropped near Kodambakkam bridge after school. The girl who came for a random lunch party to my house and gave me a birthday gift for no reason. The girl who wore the longest frock I’ve seen and called it a mini dress. The girl who waved and said hi to random porikis in Kishkintha. The girl who studied 5 answers per exam and still got top marks. The girl who served the volleyball onto her teammates head as opposed to over the net and asked, “Annie, valikaradha?’. The girl who searched for the ball which had by now rolled off somewhere after bouncing off Annie’s head and said, “Ball engae ponadhu?” The girl who lied to her parents and came for the movie Boys and cried when one of the dumb boys died. The girl who maintained the legendary ‘thak chik chik chik’ notebook of Tamil film song lyrics. The girl who laughed 5 minutes after the joke was told, even then not understanding it entirely. That girl was my friend.

And then we all grew up.

Then Maria Thomas became…

The girl who went to Bangalore. The girl who built a happy life for herself in Bangalore. The girl who was no more under parental supervision. The girl who tasted freedom like never before and enjoyed every minute. The girl who called once in a blue moon and said Anu, Hi! The girl whose house we gate crashed and had one of the wildest times of our lives. The girl with whom I walked to the nearby grocery shop when highly happy. The girl who I watched cutting her legs with a razor …in her happiness. The girl who stunned us all with her awesomeness in a miniskirt (a real one). The girl with whom I could share my happiness. She was my good friend.

And then, in October 2009, Maria Thomas landed in the same boat as me. Same boat with different names…go figure!

Then Maria Thomas became…

The girl who said, ‘You know what Anu….’ The girl who said, ‘It’s ok. We’re growing up late I guess’. The girl who gave me stern expert advice. The girl who would call me up the next day and say, ‘You know what Anu.’ The girl who would call me very very happy and utter unintelligible nonsense. The girl on whose 23rd birthday I had one of the best times of my life and the worst headaches too. The girl who I called almost everyday to confess to my day’s bad deeds. The girl who would make me feel better by saying, ‘You know what Anu.’ The girl who broke hearts like tea glasses and attempted to teach me to do the same…in vain. The girl who kept my chin up despite everything going on. The girl who let me drive her car when I was at my happiest. The girl who cheered me on from the sidelines as I raced to the finish line. The girl who was disappointed when I started running backwards every time I was almost there. The girl who would call me up the very next day and say, ‘You know what Anu’. The girl who then started getting exasperated and said, ‘Anusha Vincent, what did I tell you?!’ every time I clambered back into the boat stealthily. The girl who sheepishly called me the next day and said, ‘You know what Anu’. The girl who was brave enough to go off to another country all alone. The girl who I’d speak to at 11, 12, 1….discussing the same topic. The girl with whom I analysed a problem from every possible angle and came to no proper conclusion. The girl with whom I could discuss things I have never talked about with anyone else. The girl who has been my moral support through the boat issues. The girl who I have come to respect immensely. The girl who I have come to adore. The girl who I know will never judge me, ever. She became my soulmate.

Till the boat came along, our lives were pretty much stable. But when it came and we got in unknowingly, our lives became all about the sea sickness, the euphoria of the vast ocean and the constant turbulence. In the midst of it all, I lost my sanity, but then I got some badly needed insanity in return.

You lose some you gain some. And never mind the choppy waters that trouble my boat, I’m glad for it all, if nothing, only because Maria Thomas the crack/ nut/ loose/ bulb is now my soulmate!

Cheers, sister!