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You know those Instagram reels where people get surprised by their loved ones? The hugs, the tears, the slow-motion entries… I always watch them and think, “Wow… nice… but this never happens to me.”
Well… life decided to prove me wrong. 😄
Yesterday morning, I got a call from my bestie Shitha, my forever
person, my partner-in-crime from nursery days, through undergraduate life,
and even now. She casually said, “I’m coming to Cochin in an URBANA vehicle
with some people… we should meet.”
Some people? 👀
Naturally, I started my investigation. “Who all are coming?”
And she goes, “That’s a surprise.”
From that moment, my brain refused to stay calm. I kept
guessing names, even directly asked if one of our common friends was coming. No
reply. Suspicious silence. Very suspicious. 😄
But let me pause and say this. She’s not just a friend. She’s home. We’ve been together since nursery. We don’t talk every day now (life happened 😌), but we know we’re there for each other. No explanations needed. No judgments. Just pure, comfortable, lifelong connection. We’ve seen each other grow, fail, laugh, cry — and still stayed. That kind of bond? Rare.
So anyway, I came back from college around 4:30 and waited
like a child waiting for a surprise gift. She finally called. I picked up…
hesitated a bit (household duties calling 😅), but she insisted. And
thankfully, I listened.
She asked me to come near Westside. I reached there… and
from a distance, I saw a group sitting and chatting.
I started scanning faces…
Charls… Williams… Mimi… Shitha…
And then…
Annamma Miss. ❤️
Oh my God.
I didn’t walk, I almost ran. I hugged her, kissed her… I
was smiling like a child. Honestly, I felt like I had met my mother after
years.
And maybe that’s why it felt so emotional. I won’t be able
to meet my mom anymore… but in that moment, Annamma miss filled that space with
so much love and warmth.
Just imagine — a professor who happily travels with our
mad gang from her home to Cochin just to spend time with us. That is our
Annamma miss. She is not like most professors. She is different — approachable,
loving, and so real.
To me, she has been everything — a teacher, a colleague, a
motherly figure, and a friend. You can talk to her about anything — your
happiness, your pain, your random thoughts — and she will understand.
I had missed her so much. I had even planned to meet her
last Christmas but couldn’t. Still, I think about her often. And meeting her
after more than 10 years… it was just magical.
In fact, for the first few minutes, I didn’t even notice
anyone else. I was completely lost in that moment with her.
Then slowly, we all started talking, laughing, catching up.
Some went shopping, but Annamma miss and I just sat and talked… and talked… and
talked.
We took photos, shared stories, and suddenly — we were back
in our undergraduate days. Those carefree, fun-filled days!
And then came the best part —
Talking about old crushes, funny incidents, nicknames… oh my God! 🤣
At one point, Charls said,
“We all will never become mature… even at 50 or 60.”
And honestly? We proudly accepted it. 😄
We are proudly immature — still doing vaayil
nokkal, still teasing each other endlessly, still laughing at the silliest things. And the
best part? Nobody gets hurt.
Because with friends, it’s different.
In family or workplaces, even small jokes can sometimes
hurt. But here? It’s safe. It’s warm. It’s home.
That one hour felt like time travel.
A surprise I never expected… but always secretly wished for.
So thank you, my dear goottu, for this beautiful day. 💛
You didn’t just plan a meet-up — you gave me a memory I’ll
hold on to for a long, long time.
And yes… maybe I’ll stop saying no one surprises me anymore.
😌✨
