I Was There ...

"Friendship Is A Bond That Can Be Formed In The Most Un-Likely Of Circumstances With People You Never Thought Of."

-Mahaakshay Chakraborty.

Many of you won’t be able to relate with me. And I think many of you will also be afraid of me. I come in many forms and shapes. People call me with different names and the most popular image of mine ‘googled’ today is that of me covered in a black hood carrying a scythe. People say I am the taker of souls. I am famously known as The Reaper. But today, I won’t be talking about myself. I have been famous for generations and I know I will continue to be so. But today, is a special day for me ‘cause today I want to talk to you about my best friend. I met him when he was only a boy. As always, I was summoned to take his soul but when I did meet him something stopped me. I went against my own protocol and put a delay on this boy’s end. And from that day to this, whenever I see him, I know I made the right decision. It has been years now that he and I have walked together in this life. Quite ironic don’t you think? An immortal being such as I walking along side this mortal who has an end clock over his head. But even though how unlikely we may look our bond has been overwhelming. So today I want to talk to you about my friend. The boy I once knew, to the man I see him becoming. This blog is about Mahaakshay Chakraborty … 

"And the moments which have strengthened our bond through the years." 

I Was There … On that very special day at 48 fitness. There were many people working out and hitting on the girls and listening to their favourite playlists. But I wasn’t looking at those individuals. My eyes were focused on Mahaakshay. He had his ear phones plugged in. His favourite song ’Stupify’ was on and the song could had been heard even from far away. I knew then that Mahaakshay was in the zone. The plates were getting clanked together in the bar. His coach, Rajesh were stacking them up. And in the awe of that preparation I saw Mahaakshay tightening the weight belt and his wrist straps. And then I saw his eyes and I knew that he was ready. He bent down, took a deep breath, closed his eyes and in the moment later he did what only few in the gym could had done. He lifted the 220kgs weights filled bar and did 5 reps of dead lifts in a very fast, no-pause motion and after the 5th rep he dropped the bar and screamed! Like a lion roaring to make his presence felt, Mahaakshay screamed not in agony or pain but in joy and embrace. You should had seen how the on-lookers were looking at him. Few with the eyes of amazement and others with jealousy, they were all looking at my boy. I was so proud of him, just like his coach was. I saw that my boy inherited strength from within. A Power which would one day make him reach great heights and a strength that would one day change the world. And when all the congratulations were over and my boy was getting ready for his next set, he paused and looked in the mirror. I know he wasn’t looking at himself. He was looking at me. And in his eyes, I saw a sense of acknowledgement and gratitude towards me. A sign which I knew would only make our bond stronger than before …

"I was there when Mahaakshay a Titan."

I Was There … When my boy was seduced by power. Yes, power. A tool all men want to possess. My boy got a taste of it also. I wanted to stop him though. I wanted to finally come out of the shadows and tell him not to walk down that road. But for some reason I didn’t do that ‘cause I wanted him to realise certain things on his own. Things which only experience can teach you. But even though he was consumed by power or maybe just a false pretence of it, I was there for him. I was with him when he felt that he was invincible and also when he woke up from that dream. I must confess, Mahaakshay hasn’t been an angel but I also know that he wasn’t the devil either. To be honest, he was always misunderstood and maybe that conflict with the world is what made him what he is today. Anyways, in this downward spiral of his own hatred and wrath I think he found what he was looking for. I remember it was that one night when Mahaakshay aka Mimoh was all by himself in his bed and trying to sleep. The silence outside and the pain in his muscles weren’t doing the trick of making him go into a deep slumber either. And then, that moment happened. Mimoh opened his iPad and started watching The Green Zone. Even though he had seen the film a couple of times before, on this night, he was watching it with a zeal. And as the movie progressed and as he saw the story unfolded and and as he saw Matt Damon’s character take down the bad guys, Mimoh had a sense of deep revelation. A revelation and realisation which finally brought him home. Brought him home to me. And since that day, Mimoh has never left me. He has been with me ‘cause he knew that what he thought was power, was only an illusion, misguiding him into a path of self-destruction. That night in the midst of all those amazing war scenes and thrills I know he sensed me as well. He looked up into the sky and thanked the universe for finally giving him a sign and then with the same way he has seen me before, he saw me and gave me the look of appreciation and gratitude ‘cause he knew that I Was There …

"I Was There when Mimoh finally came home."

I Was There … When Mimoh, for the first time was in a fight. No, I don’t mean a bar fight or a brawl with a drunk-ass loser on the street or even a fight with an ex boyfriend. This was a very special fight. A Life-Changing Fight. I remember it was a sunday and Mimoh’s folks at home thought he was just going for Sunday Mma Practice. But on this sunday, Mimoh wasn’t only going for practice, he was entering a battle zone. It was a room filled with fighters from all around the state and all of them were there to compete with each other and crush each other’s egos and spirits. Mimoh didn’t know what he was getting into too but on this day, his fears weren’t getting the best of him. Mimoh was brave and full of courage and was ready for the onslaught that was awaiting him. And as the minutes passed and the fights commenced, mimoh was slowly drifting away into his own world. But no, he wasn’t day dreaming or hallucinating. He was preparing himself, mastering his mind skills and locking his targets and imagining taking his enemies down with one fierce blow. And then as the whistle blew and his name was called, I knew that Mimoh was ready. He was ready to go to war. Oh you should had seen my boy. He looked so beautiful. He had the eyes of a hungry beast waiting to rip his opponent in half and the body of a graceful stallion waiting to strike. And then it happened. From out of no where the blow came and mimoh’s right hand contacted the left temple of his opponent and a second later his opponent went to the ground. And the rest was history. Mimoh’s hand was raised and he was proclaimed as the winner. But I knew that wasn’t the first and last time that I would see my boy in a fight. It has been three years since I saw that fight and since then, Mimoh has been in many others and I am proud to say that he has learnt the will of never giving up. Today, he fights and trains in the sport of mms like it is a part of him. He embraces pain like it is a daily routine to feel soreness and body ache. He looks at the blood bleeding from his knuckles as a sign of strength and he does the same thing over and over again not only for the love of mma but also because I know it is the one thing apart from his ultimate dream that really makes him feel alive. Even though it has been years since his first victory, I know in that moment he again saw me. There, amongst the crowd of cheers, he saw me, watching out for him and in that moment, he gave me that look again. The look which told me that he knew, That I Was There …

"I Was There when My Boy fought like a Lion and came out as a winner."

I Was There … When Mimoh and his family and friends had gone to pattaya for his brother’s birthday. It was the 1st time such a precedented event took place. A total of 8 boys travelled thousand of miles away to the beach and breasts destination of Asia. You should had seen the look on their faces! It was filled with excitement, surprise and happiness. And as the days progressed, the boys were becoming like rockstars more than tourists. But there was this one night that really stuck to me. It was the 4th night of their 5 days vacation and the boys entered walking street with the feel of dominating it. Even though the street was filled with sex, booze and all the sins of men, those 8 individuals had their sights on a dance bar called Mixx. At first, they weren’t allowed to even enter the bar as Indians weren’t amongst the most popular races of people to be chilling out in the hottest discotheque and bar of pattaya! But with their well-mannered upbringing and their way of talking the right things at the appropriate time, they entered this happening club on a saturday night. And the rest was like a scene out of a movie. The scene in which the heroes enter a hall of celebration after defeating the villains and saving the damsels in distress. The moment the boys entered, they were welcomed with amazing house and pop music and bouncers who were only assigned for these 8 folks as they had chosen the VIP booth. What followed for the next three hours was something truly to remember. The boys started to tear up the dance floor like it was a battle of the ages. They danced on every song that came up and as the night went ahead, the others who were there knew that these guys were the bomb for that night! Mimoh, Rimoh, Nama, Raahul, Rohit, Bali, Kaushik and Nadira were kings of the club that night as they danced their way towards a moment of brotherhood which could never ever be forgotten. And as the lights turned from white to red to yellow and as the music went dance to groove, me and mimoh again exchanged that glance. That glance only two souls who are deeply connected can share. And he gave me that nod, thanking me being there, at his moment of happiness. 

"I Was There when Mimoh was a Rockstar."

Don’t take me wrong. I don’t have a hard-on for Mahaakshay nor do I owe him anything. The reason I wanted you all to know this is because you NEED to know Mahaakshay the way I know him. He and I have been through hell and back and we know what it feels like. But you see, even though Me and Mimoh never talk out loud, we do have that connect. A connect of souls and spirits. An unspoken bond. A friendship like no other. To be honest Mimoh is the only true friend I ever had and I am the only one friend who has always been with him. He knows who I am. He knows that I am the reaper. That one day, when his time is up, I will rip his soul from his flesh and make it burn for all eternity. But even then, we are the only ones who truly understand each other. I was there when I saw him wait. When I saw him being tested and when his will was broken. I was there when he stood up again. Put on his straps. Spat out the blood and told Life that he was ready for another round of war. I was there when Mimoh surrendered himself to a life-long struggle of battle and hardships. I was there when he slipped into normality thinking that he could forget who he was and be a man who the world will one day forget. I was there when he realised that no matter how ‘human’ he maybe from the outside, from within, he will always be my special boy. That boy who thrives in War and who longs for it. I know temptation will always be the wolf in sheep’s clothing trying to lurk Mimoh again into it’s trap and I also know that Mimoh may again get carried away. But no matter how far he goes, I know he will always find his way back to me. He and I, we are meant to be together until his end. You ask me whether I will find someone else after his demise? No. Never. There can never be another. There can only be one. 

"I Was There when that young boy went alone into the wilderness and returned as the Leader of the Jungle."

Oh ya and one more thing, you all call me The Reaper but Mimoh, well, He calls me Michael. I kinda like that name. :-)

This is Me, The Reaper aka Michael and I Was There …

With All My Forces Combined,

Your Friend Who Lurks In The Darkness,

The Reaper.

*******************************************************************************************************