HELL MATES

THE TITLE HELL-MATES MAY POSSIBLY CREATE A MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE MINDS OF READERS. THE MEANING I INTEND TO IMPLY HERE IS MY FRIENDS WHO REMAIN MY FRIENDS EVEN IN THE HELL. I HAVE A FIRM BELIEF THAT DUE TO THE COLLECTIVE EXPLOITS AND MISCHIEF WE HAD INDULGED IN DURING OUR SCHOOLDAYS TOGETHER WE ALL THE FRIENDS ARE INEVITABLY DESTINED TO LAND INTO HELL. HOWEVER A FEW OF MY OPPONENTS CLAIM- WHEREVER MAY WE BE SENT EVEN IF WE ARE SENT TO HEAVEN THAT PLACE IS BOUND TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO HELL. WHENEVER OUR TEACHERS DEMANDED IN THE CLASS THE NAMES OF THE PRANKSTERS NONE OF US OPENED OUR MOUTHS. ITS IN THIS SENSE WE WERE TO EACH OTHER MUTUAL ARMOURS- HELMETS AND HELL-MATES TOO! THANKS TO THE UNITY AMONGST US MOSTLY THE WHOLE CLASS WOULD ALWAYS BE THE SHARER OF THE COLLECTIVE/ CORPORATE PUNISHMENT. WE HAD SIX BIOMATRICS AMIDST US. YOU MAY FROWN AT THIS UN-ENGLISH WORD BUT BIOMATRIC IS A COINAGE OF A NEW COMPOUND WORD FROM TWO LANGUAGES: BIO IS DERIVED FROM THE PLURAL BAAYAA IN MARATHI WHICH MEANS WOMEN; AND MATRIC WAS A COMMON TERM IN VOGUE IN OUR DAYS FOR THE FINAL YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. SO THESE SIX BIOMATRICS MEANS OUR SIX CLASSMATE-GIRLS. ANOTHER REASON WHY I MENTIONED THEM AS BIOMATRICS IS BECAUSE THE WORD IMPLIES DUAL MEANINGS - THEY WERE EXPERTS IN TAKING A ROLL-CALL AND ANOTHER THEY WERE EXPERTS IN TAKING US TO TASK. FOR THE LAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS WE FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN TOGETHER SINCE 1962 GO OUT SOMEWHERE ON A FOUR-DAY- PLEASURE TRIP EVERY YEAR. MYSELF BEING A DOCTOR I HAVE ALREADY SENT AHEAD FIVE OF US TO HELL TO MAKE ADVANCE BOOKING FOR REST OF US FOR FUTURE REUNION .