A fantastic education.

Vaidee, my friend and course mate, had dropped in to spend the weekend with us. He had called up a few weeks earlier and told us of his intentions just to ensure that we'd not planned anything otherwise. He's like that - thoughtful and concerned about others.

I must confess that we're not the best of friends, at the initial stages, as we embarked on our professional lives as we'd our own circle of friends. Over a period of time, the reticence was shed and we'd become good friends discussing anything and everything under the sun. And mind you, Vaidee takes time to make friends because he has this great quality of calling a spade, a spade! A voracious reader, he's an affinity to read any book that his hands can get on and that's yet another quality that I admire in him.

And my education was on as he regaled me with the nuances of the 'Mahabhagavatham', the essential differences between the Mahabharatha and the Mahabhagavatham and quite a few of the stories of the Kathopanishad. So interesting was his narration that I didn't realise as to how time flew and as I hit the sack, well past midnight, I was sad that it had to end so soon and how I wished it could go on and on.

Thanks Vaidee, for your patience in answering many of my silly doubts and for your decision to spend time with us. We're already looking forward to more such informative teaching and discussions!