My pen is big March 5, 2010

Farooq died today. And this might be the most serious orbituary I’ve put up on my blog, yet.

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I met Farooq in the school cafeteria, sitting alone at a table. He actually belonged to my friend, Rija, but we just bonded instantly. And then he was mine. Then he was gone.

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This is Farooq:

Yes, he is a pen. But I seem to form emotional attachments with pens a lot more than with people. And to me, really, Farooq was a person. He was the emulation of my World History teacher- of the same name- as an inanimate object (of my affections). Except better. Farooq the Pen was really the answer to every single grievance Farooq the Teacher seems to have ever had with his class.

Often during moments of extreme frustration my teacher lets us know, without much hesitation, of our apparent inability to write, or to read. Well, Farooq here belonged to a Kitab Ghar. I’m assuming he’d known how to read. As for writing… I hope you noticed he’s a pen. I think he could manage that.

Sometimes, my teacher also hangs his head in sorrow over our generation’s language problem. “Aap ko to Urdu bhi nahin aati, aap ko to English bhi nahin aati” is a classic line of his. But Farooq here appeared to know both. PWNED.

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Dear Farooq was really the perfect companion. He was with me all the time. He had this soft, comforting feel that no other pen has ever provided me with. Ofcourse, he had predecessors such as the red Dollar SP-10 that I gave my O Level exams with (I lost it, and it was a heartbreaking experience. Never forgiving myself), but Farooq was a class of his own. Can’t you tell? First name basis.

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There is good news, though. He ran out of ink quite suddenly, during my schizophrenic note-taking in Psychology (HOLLA @Rosenhan), and ofcourse it was devastating. But this usage of the past tense is really just for some drama. Because I totally performed major surgery on him with the help of two Rs. 10 ballpoints and he is now as good as new. One of the pens went to complete waste but sacrifices must be made. At the end of the day I saved a loved one and that’s what counts.
I’m looking forward to years more of writing with Farooq. Except I nearly lost him yesterday. But he was in the car. And in my heart.

~I’ve never felt like this before~

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