Godspeed, Sheru!

There's a guy in my office. He's not one guy. He's many (a la the recent Nokia ad, "There's a thing in my pocket" - interesting, but fairly irritating after the first few times, methinks).

Anyhow. Sheru joined us when the company he used to work for, got acquired by the company I work for now (soon to become the one he used to work for. Simple!). He joined it around the same time as I did, albeit at a senior level, commensurate with his superior skills, experience and luck (hah! I love it when it's my blog). Snigger!

We got to know each oher through the new hire indoctrination sessions that companies believe in so strongly. And we had quite a bit in common. We came from similar companies (both said to be relatively less 'structured' in their approach to business, both having a more 'hardcore' approach to sales, and both having iconic brands in their stables). We were also bound together by nicotine, us smokers. We loved 80's rock. And video games (nerds!). We shared a bittersweet love for Calcutta. And above all, I think, we both seemed to appreciate, with seemingly deliberate nonchalance, the slightly dark sense of humour life seems to show, on occasion.

We had plenty of differences too. He is a regular freak of cricket (and of beer-friendly sports in general, I guess). The only game I have any amount of passion for is badminton. His approach to movies is transactional gratifcation (popcorn; intermission; thank you, ma'am!). I tend to bore all who would listen with passionate renditions of what I loved (or hated) about such-and-such film. I am pretty much a vegetarian. He eats anything that moves (and moves what does not move).

We also had the good fortune of being attached to the same team, hence working in somewhat close proximity. I came to see him as the one guy on my floor, who would laugh out loud with me, at all things dark, real or perceived. Even better, who would subtly chastise me when my frivolousness got too far (yeah now, it was funny, but get back to earth, cause I have to catch my bus home at 6, dude).
Where do you find such people? How do you locate them? I can't buy companies all by myself.

Long story short, I am truly (yes, that's B, I and U) sad to see him go. I don't claim to have become one of those he would remember on his death bed, nor do I think I am one of his transactional gratifiers. I lie somewhere in the middle, perhaps. Perhaps I have made him feel there is another soul that bends around similar bumps in the spacetime fabric, that makes the same mistakes when drunkenly humming that legendary rock song. Perhaps his belief in humanity has become a bit less easy to shake. I hope.

Godspeed, Sheru! These paths shall cross, I promise.