*Sigh*

One of my very close friends passed away about 20 days ago. I have been wanting to blog about it. On some days, I haven't been in the right frame of mind and on others, I have begun to write but never found the right words.
A couple of days ago, Avanti would have turned 21. Her family decided to publish a book with messages from her friends. I finally got myself to contribute, after having lived in denial for way too long. Here's a bit of what I have to convey:

Dearest Avanti,
Yesterday was your birthday. You would have turned 21, and I can't begin to imagine how excited you'd have been with the whole deal of crossing the 20-threshold! I thought a lot about you yesterday and the only thoughts that filled me up were of us having a whale of a time together. I guess that's what you did with everyone around you. That's what you did with the world. You pumped in so much energy and life that no moment in your company would seem pensive. You always had so much to say, so much to listen, so much to contribute. I remember one instance when you told me about meeting one of your uncles, who was breathing his final moments. I can recollect how you were shaken up about the prospect of death -- about cessation of life. You couldn't fathom how somebody could just stop living. Today, I can't believe that someone as alive as you could stop living. As hard as I try to find logic and reason behind the way things went, I fail. But, I have come to terms with reality, because that's what you'd want me to do. I would be lying if I said that I miss you, because I miss you a lot. And always will. But it's your memories that live with me and always will.

Yours,
Mini