The Global Indian

Navin Chawla July 19, 1999 00:00 IST The Global Indian -0001-11-30T00:00:00+05:53

AS I stood in the small study where his body lay wrapped in a white sheet, his face as serene as it was in life, I could not help but recall our last conversation in the same room barely three weeks ago. It was an evening when we spoke of life and death. Pammi (as Dr Parvinder Singh was known to his friends) and I had spent the evening reminiscing of times past.

We had first met at St Stephen's College 37 years ago, and although he was senior to me in college we had developed an instant rapport. Throughout the long years that elapsed we maintained our friendship. In due course we both married and had families. His wife Nimmi and my wife Rupika became friends. We often discussed every aspect of our growing children's education. I recall that when Malvinder, his older son, was about nine, I took him up to my old school-The Lawrence School, Sanawar-to get him admitted for a short time before he went on to Pammi's alma mater, the Doon School. When it came for their respective times to be admitted to university, we spent several hours preparing both Malvinder and Shivinder for their...