Pink Socks

Sameera is one of those friends who enter your life to make a change and impact you in a big way. Sameera and I used to work together on some projects and that’s how we first interacted. She had that personality and simplicity sewn together that would create a perfect aura around her. You could go and talk to her about just anything, and there she would sit and listen to the stupidest of ideas and still give feedbacks. She would listen to anything whether it concerned her or not and I never ever saw her lose her patience. It was the work that helped us come together as colleagues and then friends. We all were young, stupid and driven to achieve something and today I think the best thing we achieved was our friendship.

Sameera was always the cheerful one. If she saw anyone in trouble she would pester you so much that you end up confiding in her. Surprisingly she would often come up with some simple but effective solutions. She was always the kind who would say, ‘there are already enough problems in life, why break your head. Just live your life and enjoy’. If nothing cheered you up, she would narrate a story (which till date I don’t know are true or not) that would put a smile back on our faces, and all her stories had to start with the phrase “so one time a friend of mine…….”. If the answer/solution/story was not acceptable to us then the reply was ALWAYS – “Don’t act smart!!”

We all used to hangout together after office and it was Sameera who would be the centre of all conversations, only because she would take jokes we bombarded on her in the right spirit. She was the kid among us, yet the most sorted and matured advisor. Being from Lucknow, I had a fairly good command over Hindi which she tried to imitate with her towny accent was just hilarious and she used to enjoy it.

She always wanted to learn new stuff, be it driving, mixing music, creating music or dance steps. One could throw any challenge towards her and she might not do it 100% right but the effort was always more than 100%. She was also the pampered child among our group who knew how to get her silly and completely childish demands met. She loved balloons, so once during her farewell party we flooded the restaurant and table with balloons. Her eyes just lit up. If all requests failed then the pretty face would make a sad face and say “pretty please” and that would be enough for all of us to give into her demands. She loved long drives and music. Constant demand post office was a drive and songs. She liked all kind of music but hindi songs and few gazals had a special place. Top of the mind two songs constantly she played in car were “tere naina” & “aise jalta hai jiya”. The silliest thing used to make her happy, such as rain drop patterns on the car windshield, a whacky key chain or a boxing kit of our very good friend – Bonita. She always carried an optimistic approach towards everything no matter how big or small.

From the time we became friends her life revolved around the following and in order of priority:-

1. Uncle – she adored her dad a lot. There was nothing she would do that could come in between her and uncle. Uncle was the first best friend she had I guess and definitely the biggest strength for her. She would often say I want a tattoo which says “Daddy’s little girl”

2. Aunty & Zeba - Aunty used to occasionally call her when we used to work late nights and worry how is Sameera going to get back. After hanging up she always used to say am going to take a cab, mom worries and that is so cute and sweet of her. Zeba was always the small sister who wouldn’t ever grow and her constant worry about Zeba would only make me and Bonita tell her “First you grow up” all this only showed her concern.

3. Friends– Now we idiots, be it at Mahindra or her school/college friends, meant a lot to her and she would go to any extent to help them out, at any time of the night. Once me and a friend went for a late night drive on a rainy day to Pune and I got very sleepy so we parked the car and slept midway. We told Sameera about this trip before we started and the poor soul kept calling to check if we both were ok and safe. Finally when she called again at 4:30am or so to say return back now or you guys will miss office, is when we knew we were headed for trouble, not professionally but personally. And the lecture we got about being careless and stupid, how she didn’t sleep and kept calling was just unending.

She was a 90’s kid. You could make her dance and sing on almost all the hit Bollywood numbers of the 90s era. Be it the good ones such as “bin tere sanam”, “akele hain to kya gum hai” “pehla nashi” or the outright crazy one “sarkaye lo khatiya” “18 baras ki kuwari kali” etc. She was always the life of a party, everyone wanted to be her and those who couldn’t even compete, wanted to be with her.

She was a free bird who just wanted to fly high and live life to the fullest. She was the most selfless, dedicated, humble, emotional, trustworthy, honest person I came across. A true daughter to parents and a perfect friend to all of us.

A kid at heart and a woman with substance.

Armeen,

The first time you visited Mumbai, we all came to see you. You are a carbon copy of Sameera. Your mother was the most amazing person to walk this earth and the most loving human being. It’s sad she left but then she left and now she lives in everyone of us with you being at the core of it. Till the time we could chat, all she wanted was that we pray not for her but for you.

God bless you.