BELCIBO

What does belcibo means? I just wanted to start my conversation with the waiter in the newly opened eating outlet at Lower Parel. He resembled someone I knew. He had no physical appearance of my friend, but I could feel the energy level he had. He works for 12hrs in that restaurant and he is only 18 years old. I and my friend Ankit were the only customers of the Italian-Chinese Restaurant. It was already 10 O’ Clock and we were bored of all other restaurants in Lower Parel.

Breaking the ice was so easy with him and he started speaking about his life and adventures he has done till date. He told me how he couldn’t pass his 12^th grade as he met with a bike accident. He was quick enough to answer me before I asked the question. He revealed that he never had his licence when the incident took place. He expressed how difficult it was for him to bend his leg as he had a steal rod fitted inside his flesh. He was speaking as if we knew each other for years. I was already lost in my thoughts. I can hear Ankit advising him to study further.

He was sounding very familiar. The kind of energy and the way he express things are very familiar to someone I Knew, my friend Albert. Albert was a 18 year old friend who had solution for everything. He always smiled at every problem and faces it head on. He was a friend, philosopher, sibling, guide and a devil’s advocate. He was always with me to decide between right and wrong.

He was always there to help me. He was a genius and always took decisions with his brain rather than with his heart. He was the one who helped me to take important decisions in my life. I still remember the decision I took to go to NIT Hamirpur. He was sitting next to me helped me to make my mind at the last moment. He came all the way to NIT Hamirpur with me. I’ve never seen him in tension. He was always fun loving person.

He knew everything about me, would even know what is going on in my mind. A friend who would always listen to me, all my issues and problems and was there when I was rusticated from the college hostel. He taught me to think practically, was my strategic partner. Without him my life would have been a hell.

They say twins always know what is happening in other’s mind and will be going through same emotional and physical pain. He only had his physical appearance like me. Even though we were like identical twins, we were two different poles, our behaviour and inclination was very different.

He speaks many languages and tried teaching me few basic words of few languages. I was very week in picking up languages and he always made fun of me for the same.

Ankit always told me that, I was mad and was always talking to myself. He was not ready to believe that, there is some one called Albert. He told me that I’m hallucinating about Albert. Am I really hallucinating like John Nash the Nobel Prize winner? Does that mean I’ll also win a Nobel Prize or is it just that I’m a mad guy? I tried hard to look for Albert and suddenly realized that I don’t have his phone Number or have no idea where he stays. I think Ankit is logical and I needed medical attention. I didn’t want to tell anyone about my condition and I decided to take medical help in Andheri East. I started visiting my doctor on regular interval. I made it a point not to miss any session. More than being a young beautiful doctor she was also good with what she did. Slowly and slowly Albert moved out of my life. My belief in the doctor increased day by day.

It became difficult for me to live my life with out talking to my doctor. One day I asked her out and she readily agreed for the dinner. I had no idea where to take her. I just got inside a cool cab and asked him to take us to Grand Hayat. We had a wonderful time out there and that day I was so happy and told Ankit about her. He was also excited and I promised him that, I’ll take him along when I go for the next session.

I never thought, that would be the most painful day of my life. When we walked towards her clinic, he asked me where I was taking him. I told the doctor’s clinic was near by. He was not convinced and looked at me as if I was taking him to another Planet.  There was no one in the clinic and it looked deserted. Ankit kept his hands over my shoulder and told me there is no doctor here and I need better medical attention. He told me that I was hallucinating about the doctor too. I was totally torn apart.

Ankit was still talking to the waiter in the restaurant. I cut them short suddenly and told them. Great food is the English equivalent of 'bel cibo'. In the word by word translation, the adjective 'bel' means 'beautiful, handsome'. The masculine gender noun 'cibo' means 'food'.

Ankit asked me how I learnt Italian. Swetha taught me this when we went to Grand Hayat. Who is Swetha?  She was my doctor from Andheri East. I just walked out of the restaurant and took a deep breath and told to myself, may be this is the imaginary world and what if Swetha and Albert were real. There are few questions which will never be answered, but never stop looking for those answers.