MANASVI SHARMA BAWA

It’s my beautiful baby bub’s 30th birthday today. Neha Anand, the absolute legend was born on 14 October, 1989. She was/is/shall forever be remembered for her spreading love, joy and laughter to every single person who touched her life.

I met Anand in school as a 15 year old. We both had joined the school the same year and bonded over how completely unfair it was to be moved from your comfort zone. She and I had nothing in common or so we thought, so often the conversations only circled around school and well..school. A few months into knowing each other I found that I had more in common with Anand than any other person. She was as confused about life as I was, she had strong and to a great extent rebellious opinions about the World, she hates Math just as much as I did and we both were Librans. VOILA!

From eating lunches way before lunchtime in school to sitting in the corridors discussing what next in life. From being in college to being working professionals trying to balance out being an “adult” and working. From being absolute kids to being functional adults who had each others backs come what may! We did it all. As time passed we transitioned from being just classmates to friends to sisters to actually being each others support systems. There was no judgement in this relationship we shared and there was love sprinkled with fights. Just the perfect combination.

I saw Anand transition into the most confident boss babe as we grew older. From being a protected 15 year old to a ferociously protective 29 year old, I saw her become the woman we know.

I have so many stories to share about this nut I call my best friend but on the occasion of her big day here are a few;

One fine day, I was having one of my moments and decided I wanted to talk to Anand about it. She knew something was going on in my head as I had been awfully quite, very unlike my usual demeanour. So I asked her to meet me after work and she did not ask me a single thing and said ofcourse, which was surprising for me because not asking me what was wrong was unlike Anand. So we met up after work and I ranted my life story at her and how I felt, she heard me out quitely. Nodded a few times, gave me a smile and kept listening. Once I was done, she looked at me and asked, “ho gaya?” to which I replied “haan” and she looked me straight into my eyes and said “stop being a wuss, you are wrong and what you are doing is wrong. Get your act together and clean up the mess.” Mic. Drop. And then she asked me to click a photograph of her and of us cause she was looking good that day! That was Anand for you. No nonsense.

This one time, we met at Janpath for our favorite momos at Depauls. Unfortunately, Depauls was out of the chicken ones and Anand was in no mood to eat the veg! Yuck. So she decided that we will go to the competition right next door, I mentioned to her that those were way too spicy for her but could you ever go against her way, heck no and so we went. Ten minutes later, with tears in her eyes Anand was running amock in the streets of CP looking for ice cream. All the while screaming at me! When she finally found an ice cream guy she made him move aside and dunked her head in the freezer, while the ice cream guy kept screaming, she kept pushing him away and I kept laughing… few minutes later the nut came up for air and picked ice on the way, vigorously running it over her lips and face. At the end of the night, we had downed 3 ice creams each sitting on the side of the road laughing our asses off!
That in a nutshell was her endurance to waiting and chilli food.

Anand was also a cleanliness freak! She loved CLEAN SURFACES!!!!! She would kill me for sharing this story with everyone but I must tell!!! She was so fond of clean spaces that one day she called me up from work to tell me excitedly that a new wiper had been purchased by the office and she was dying to use it! So she asked the cleaning guy if she could borrow it for a quick second and actually wiped the alley! I laughed my butt off when she told me this! I could not stop laughing for days and as I type this I am still laughing!

My formative years with Anand have been nothing short of amazing. I have had the pleasure of knowing, loving and growing with a strong best friend who stuck by me through thick and thin. Anand is and forever shall remain a special part of my being.

Anand/Nando’s one of the many names I had for her passed away on February 8, 2019. Her legacy cannot be tears because she is amazing and since its time for a true celebration of life, its her birthday! She has kept us all going and shall keep doing that.

My last conversation with Anand was about turning 30 and how we could possibly do it in a big way. Right from planning a holiday together to actually talking about how getting leaves around that time will be tricky, we ended up settling on visiting Japan early in 2020. Four days later, she was gone. Clearly, she left the physical tripping to me and will be joining me in all my travels as we grow older together. One in body and one in spirit.

So, for all the trips we will take together and all the experiences I will live with her in my heart, here is a happy birthday wish to that absolute smashing angel sitting there watching her people.

Here’s to you Nando Singh! I love you and know that you love us all, forever and more. Thank you for teaching me the true meaning of selfless loving. Have a drink for me wherever you are and I’ll clink the glass right back.

I love you.

Mine. Yours. Always.

M