The mighty and the corporeal. Log live brother! You are Immortal.

“Sunlight streams through window pane
unto a spot on the floor....
then I remember,
it's where you used to lie,
but now you are no more.
Our feet walk down a hall of carpet,
and muted echoes sound....
then I remember,
It's where you would joyously abound.
A voice is heard along the road,
and up beyond the hill,
then I remember it can't be yours....
your golden voice is still.
But I'll take that vacant spot of floor
and empty muted hall
and lay them with the absent voice
and along the wall.
I'll wrap these treasured memorials
in a blanket of my love
and keep them for my best friend
until we meet above.”

Life goes on and we are caught up in the twists and turns of our busy life. Life is a difficult design. Some are easy and cheerful and some push us to the darkness of despair and indifference. We can only follow the design. When I lie down on my couch and close my eyes I often go back to my school days when I met and made great friends. One of them was Sqn. Ldr. Kaushik Mishra. An ever cheerful and effervescent little guy caught my heart. He was a cute little boy who held my hand and made me his best chum. His naughty and mischievous smile gave me comfort and confidence that this dude will always be my best man. During our growing up years we shared a lot of time together as friends which is indelible in my memory. It is like a beautiful book very close to my heart. I wish I could do more than I could for him.

Long walks back from school, the punishments by teachers in the school corridors. The mimicking of our great teachers. The fun filled geography and oriya classes. The cheering him up during badminton matches, the fierce battle between Blue house and Green House in cricket, football, basketball matches during annual sports, the Independence day and Republic day parade at Belpahar. We always had great fun during school functions. Below are a few pictures which I could collect during some of our fun filled moments during Teachers day and Annual Day functions which are still fresh in my memory.

The many moments of joy and despair, the friendship we shared, the long lazy strolls walking back from school, the early morning tuitions, the fun during chemistry and physics classes, the early morning cricket matches in summer vacations, the mischief during English n Oriya classes, the science and art projects during exhibitions, the punishment outside the staff room, the trips to Bangalore for ISCE school meet, the art competitions, the sweating out at the basket ball court, the bike rides to JSG, the addabazi at your home. Seeing you every day was easy. Time passed by and we took up different paths. All in the rat race to make up a place of their own, earn name, career, wealth and fame. Running after busy schedules, lectures, exams and interviews. Everyone did whatever they could, some with means and support, some without none. Very few could achieve what he did. Kaushik chose to join NDA and become a soldier to serve the nation. He was among the best in the staff selection process and got selected to one of the world’s best defence academies – the pride of India, The National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. As friends we always wanted to join and serve the nation but as they say only few are the chosen ones to serve the Motherland. Kaushik gave us a sense of pride and dignity. Being there and doing things that he did was not easy. He passed with flying colors and joined the Airforce Training Academy. He was adjudge the best outgoing cadet. Kaushik was our honour our sense of recognition. Kaushik was the feather on the caps which we all wore. He gave meaning to our much hidden Oriya pride.

He was infectious, magnetic and an enigma for which everyone was drawn into him. As a young lad he was very charming and was a rage among girls. He dated all the best hotties in town and made all of us felt like douchebags .JJ

He joined the best of the cadets in the Yelahanka Airbase where he trained to fly high in the sky. The height which only few could achieve. Born into a humble oriya family he was down to earth and a great person. He always helped friends and the needy with whatever help he could. Respect elders and loved the his friends. He was always there with me be it guiding me in studies and fighting it out with the badies for me. When he grew up I found him to be much matured. I would often seek for his opinion in matters those boggled me up.

He found his love and married Sangya – which I thought made the best couple. Blessed with an angle Kaynah life seemed to be content.

On 28^th March, 2014 he was on a tactical training mission on board with 4 other officers. Little did he know that it was his last flight! Little did we know that he would never return! The ill-fated C-130J Super Hercules which they were on-board crashed near Rajasthan- Madhya Pradesh near Chambal river. I was busy taking a short nap at office after a heavy lunch (as all Fridays are lazy for douchebag IT professionals like us). A phone call from a friend jolted me and all seemed dark and I was blinded. I tried calling him but his number was switched off. I tried desperately to contact him on Watsapp  “Are you there brother?”. A deep long silence and everything seemed to be shattered. I frantically typed some keywords on Google ...“IAF’ and “Super Hercules” and to my misery I got hold of a news piece about the tragedy. I saw on FB people trending messages. I desperately tried contacting people all around but failed. Few moments of despair and anxiety came to an end when one of our closest friend confirmed. Yes he is no more. Life seemed to be stalled for few seconds. I madly searched for my phone again and tried reaching him but there was a long silence. Death finally took over a beautiful life. An angel who lived to give smiles in our faces was crushed to the riverbed. With no one to hear his soul that might have cried for help that one last second, that one last time. That one last time he would have wanted to meet his love, that one last time he would have wanted to hold his daughter tight and safe, that one last time he wanted to see his brother smile, that one last time he wanted to hug his father and that one last time he would have wanted to lie on his mother’s lap. That one last time he wanted to say me good bye brother.

God is sometimes cruel as he takes away good people among us very soon. Very few get to the level where he reached. He died on duty. It is still not sure if it was a human error or a technical failure. IAF says the best pilots were on board and it is true. Experts say the plane was uncrashable. The inquiries will go on and the truth may not come out ever. It is buried with him. People are regretting the loss of a 1000cr aircraft but nobody regrets the life of those 5 brave soldiers died and left behind years of grief and insecurity to their family. Everyone is concerned about tax they pay. But sadly nobody is concerned that the years that the parents spent in bringing up the brave sons also count. Also count is the amount of sorrow they are going through and have to deal with in their old age. It is sad what has happened.

 He will soon be forgotten in the pages of history but he will always light our lives with his memories.

"Touch the sky with Glory". “Live by chance, Love by choice and kill by profession”. My last salute to my beloved friend Sqn. Ldr. Kaushik Mishra.

"Hold a friend and don't let him go for a true friend comes once in a lifetime." 

You were my best man, my brother. You will always be there in me if not with me. You will be missed. I wish I could bring you back.

“If tears can build a stairway, and memories a lane. I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again."