I met Salim for the first time in Barnes school ninth standard. Our benches were side by side and remained so till we passed out from school. He was in Royal while I was in Spence. We became best of friends for many reasons but main were that we were always straight forward and honest with each other and it was a friendship of acceptance and not expectation. He was a very talented man and I was something of an introvert. We were both good at drawing though he was much better. His beautiful handwriting is on many a certificates issued by the school and I still remember him sitting with Mr. Paul near the boxing rings taking turns in filling the certificates.

The other shared passion was music. If Salim had not become an artist, he would have become a musician and a good one at that. He was that talented in both. The other qualities were his constant good nature fooling around with everyone and teasing. Instead of being irritated people loved him for it. He was also a good sports man and had a drive that few could have equalled. I still remember when a javelin went through his thigh and he had to be carried to the hospital. We were surprised when he came to the field next day with a bandage around his leg. Fortunately he wasn't foolish enough to try anything with a wounded leg. We both loved talking and shared each other's confidences in school. Many a time people asked us if we were brothers. His one bad habit was that of not writing letters. I still remember that he used to seal and send blank letters to his parents as it was compulsory to send one every week. He would write only when he required something from home or if something important happened at school. He was multi talented and many will remember his acting in the school play. He was a friend to most.

After school, he went to JJ School of Arts for pursuing his hobby of art and I went to a Commerce college. Though at two opposite ends of Bombay, we kept in touch on and off for a few years till he went to US. Then there was no contact for more than a decade. In the late 90's, I heard someone call me in the street asking if I recognised him. It was Salim. I did not recognise him. He had changed and I told him that the person who used to look like him was supposed to be in US. When he told me that he was back since long, I nearly punched him there for not calling me up. We went and sat at a restaurant and caught up on each other. From that day we were back together as if we were never far away or out of contact. Our wives were surprised. Both asked the same question, 'How come you never mentioned this guy if he was such a close friend?' We had no answer. From that day, we met at least two to three times a week and most Saturdays when he would drop his wife Gauri, who was his partner not only life but also in the advertising agency Grades Advertising., at her mother's place and come to my home for the evening and stay for dinner. Sometimes when Harold Fernandez would be home from the rig, we would drop Gauri of and go to Khar to Harold's place and chat on his terrace and eat with him there.

He endeared himself to my family in no time including my in laws. He would play with my young son and they had a gala time. They had each given other a name and called each other by that name. First time he met my elder sister and saw her speed of work, he promptly named her Dynamite, which name has still stuck to her. When in Pune, with our houses near each other, we freaked out.

He had started painting again before I met him and of all the things for him to paint, he painted mostly different forms of Ganesha. I asked him the reason for it and he said, once in Pune he had gone to the ganesh festival and it seem to him that at one place, he got what he described as a 'sight' which inspired him to paint ganesha in different forms and once in the office he got the inspiration and said, come to the studio and in matter of minutes I saw the ganesha figure come alive on the paper and I believed when he said, 'Ganesha uses me as a tool to paint himself .'

His paintings adorned his office wall and one of his clients asked him to open his art gallery with his paintings and Salim obliged. He held his first exhibition at Gabana at Breach Candy. The medium was different so were the forms. I saw the creativity and sense of artistic balance in him while helping to set up the paintings there. He formed a new proprietary concern with the name of Fusion Art to promote and hold exhibition of his paintings. The exhibition was a success in the terms of making his name known worldwide. Not only did well-known and well-established art critics gushed praise about his work but BBC also featured him on their cultural program twice.

The first inclination of something not ok came when Salim disappeared for a few weeks without any intimation and it was strange. When he returned and talked to me he sounded different. I went to meet him at his home in spite of him saying not to come and I saw the bandage on his throat. When I enquired he wouldn't say a thing. I looked at his wife, Gauri. She shrugged and said, 'Your friend has forbade me to tell any of his friends anything.' I asked why?? 'Because I don't want my friends to see me this way.' I said fine if that the way you feel about friendship goodbye. 'Why are you getting angry? I know if you know the truth, you will feel bad so I don't want to tell you.' Not knowing hurts me and now that I know that there is something serious enough, the knowing of which will hurt me, I am not moving till you tell me. Ultimately under pressure from me and Gauri he said, 'I got cancer of the mouth and it is confirmed and I am getting admitted to Tata Hospital soon.' A tooth problem had made him undergo an operation two years back because it had worsened in to ulcer and the same had now gone malignant.

I sat there looking at him and smiled at him. 'What the hell are you smiling at? You don't understand what I said, CANCER.' I said, yes I understand and I also know you. You are like me. You were not telling me because you don't want anyone to pity you on knowing it. I realised why you were not really telling me so I smiled. He laughed. 'Sala, people were right in school when they asked us if we were brothers. Now only one promise you have to give me.' I promised him foolishly without asking first what he wanted. 'Promise that you will not tell any friend of ours including Harold, Chayya or anyone else you know and I know.' I had already given my word and kept it. I just informed them that I think they should meet Salim, as he was not well. Later when they found out what was exactly wrong with him, Harold just two months before Salim's death and Chayya after his death. I got hell from both. I think neither has forgiven me yet.

Once the thing was out, he was his usual cheerful self. We talked at length and went over the net to the Mayo clinic site. The operating doctor was also a good friend of Salims and because of it I asked Salim to take other doctor's opinion. He cursed me for the suggestion but I insisted telling him that I had no qualms about the ability of the surgeon but as he was so close, he was emotionally involved and as a professional, I am asking you to take a second opinion. He did but all the opinions were the same and surgery was the only option. We went over pros and cons and the major one was loss of voice. That was the hardest. I told him to make a tape of all the abuses he wanted to give us and play the same to us whenever he thought we were pampering him too much. He laughed and said it was a good idea, but never did tape. We went over the legal matters and prepared for the worst and doing so was the hardest job I have done in my life so far but he was calm about it. We, off course left Gauri out of these discussions. We were going on the basis of hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

A day before the operation he called me up and said, 'I don't want you to come to the hospital tomorrow.' I agreed, as I did not want to fight him that day. I fixed with Gauri to send me a message when he was taken in for surgery. When I got the message I went to the hospital and waited with Gauri, her mother and Salim's mother till we got all clear that the operation was successful and he was fine. For two days there were no visitors allowed for him and only his wife and mother were allowed. I met him on the third day and he got angry for me coming to see him with a tube in him. I told him that if he did not stop writing on the pad for me to leave, next day I would get the camera and film him. He reluctantly conceded.

On his return home I became a regular visitor there on my way home and once or twice managed to pursued him to come out in the car with me and we three drove to the sea shore and sat on the wall with me talking to him and he replying by writing on the paper. As more and more days passed, he was getting frustrated that he couldn't speak. After six months we found out that he would never speak again. He was devastated and turned his frustration to creativity and decided to do something for the Tata Hospital. He painted for next three months turning out one masterpiece after another and held an exhibition at Nehru Centre in aid of Tata Hospital. This too was a roaring success. There was one painting of an eye. Anywhere in the room, you would feel that it was watching you. The expressions in the eye were so good that an eye surgeon, who had come for an ophthalmic conference in the centre and had dropped in out of curiosity, purchased the painting. You can see it in the doctor's waiting room.

The reviews were rave. Salim was at his happiest again and at the same time we got the good news that his latest scan showed him free of cancer. He was however, sinking because of difficulty in swallowing. He could barely take anything more than semi solid food and that was sapping his strength. He did have occasional bad patches but always came out of it. He loved children and decided to start painting again and hold an exhibition in aid of street children.

In May, 2000, Salim was not well and my father was in his last stage sinking fast. Salim insisted on and visited me. When I saw how much it taxed him, I told him not to undertake the visit, as he wished, everyday. I told Gauri too and he did not visit again, but made her call up everyday and enquire. When my father expired on the 8th May, Salim wanted to attend the funeral but I forbade him from coming knowing that it would be bad for him as he had fever. He made Gauri drive him that night to my house and came and hugged me and wrote on the paper how sad he was and sympathised with me. He also wrote that he wanted to come that morning for the funeral but two idiots, meaning Gauri, and me did not allow it as if he was a child. I told him that it was enough to know that he felt it and if he had visited and his fever had got worse, I would have felt bad. So I had forbade. He hugged me again and went home. We continued to meet but he was looking weaker by the day and used to sleep for hours. After one visit with my family when my son got upset after seeing Salim and my wife nearly started to cry, I went alone to see him.

In November, I had to attend my niece's wedding in Pune and talked to Gauri the night before I left. On the day of the wedding I was on my way to the wedding when I got the call. Gauri was crying on the telephone and I couldn't understand what she was saying. I knew something terrible had happened but could not comprehend. I sat numb when the words penetrated. Salim was gone. The date was 23rd November, 2000. Time of death 1.45 am. How I went through my duties as an uncle at the wedding I do not know but left as soon as it was over. When my sister asked why I was leaving in the middle of a function I told her that Salim was serious. Unfortunately I reached late for the funeral. Harold and many others from Barnes and JJ attended the funeral.

I must mention a person who made the other half of Salim. Gauri, Salim's wife and partner in both life and business. They met in the college and were together for more than 27 years. After college Salim worked for a year or so with his father in his father's business before migrating to US and working there in a prestigious advertising firm. How he got the job was interesting and showed his talent. He met one of the partners and asked him if he could work in his firm. The partner asked him if he had any experience. Salim said no but had talent and lot of creativity bubbling to come out. The partner looked at him and saw the confidence and gave him a piece of paper and a topic. Salim took out his pen and within moments had an advertisement for the partner to see. It had the concept the lettering and the words. The partner looked at it and said, 'You are hired. Join from now and call for your certificates from India.'

Salim not only called for his certificates but also his sweet heart, Gauri. He married her there and they stayed there for a few years before he started to miss India and returned. He joined an ad agency in Mumbai and later started his own under the name Grades Advertising. Later his wife joint him as a partner and they remained so till the end.

If you want to see a woman who will love a man in totality, it was she. I have seen how she was always with him when he was well and also how she looked after him during his illness. She bore all his frustrations and anger but never wavered in her devotion and love for him. She always showed a cheerful face to him and cried in private. Unfortunately they had no issues and she has nothing but a vacuum before her. Today she tries to carry on where Salim left off. Last year-end she held an exhibition of some of the remaining paintings of Salim, again in aid of Tata Hospital.

Whenever I think of Salim, I like to remember his pose for the BBC. They asked if he could create a ganesha for them. He looked up for a moment and took a paper and put it on the board and with a flourish a ganesha appeared from his brush on the paper. The intense concentration on his face and the happy expression of creation said it all.

I feel that I must have done something good in my earlier life to have got such a friend. A song comes to mind. 'We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun…..'