Jawahar Circle in Jaipur is one of those places that effortlessly blends nature with routine. It’s a spot where people come to walk, run, or simply unwind, and it’s also a place where the unexpected can happen. On one such morning, while I was in the middle of my run, I ran into Saurabh Yadav, a school senior I hadn’t met in almost two decades. The encounter was as surprising as it was pleasant. Saurabh, who is now an IRS officer in the Income Tax Department and posted in Mumbai, was in Jaipur for a brief visit for Holi like me. We exchanged greetings, ran a few rounds together, and as we caught up, memories of our school days came flooding back.
Back in school, Saurabh and I had shared a common interest in football. We weren’t teammates in the formal sense, but we often found ourselves playing together during those unstructured, chaotic matches that are a hallmark of school life. Those games were less about skill and more about the sheer joy of running around, kicking the ball, and occasionally tripping over each other. After school, our paths diverged, as they often do. He went on to build a career in the civil services, while I pursued my own interests. Running into him after so many years was a reminder of how time flies and how life takes people in different directions.
What struck me most about our conversation was how effortlessly we slipped into discussing the present while reminiscing about the past. Saurabh spoke about his work in the Income Tax Department, the challenges of his role, and his life in Mumbai. I shared a bit about my own journey and the things that keep me occupied these days. Despite the years that had passed, there was an ease in the conversation, a familiarity that comes from shared experiences, even if they were brief and long ago. It’s fascinating how certain connections, no matter how distant, retain their warmth over time.
Encounters like these are rare but meaningful. They serve as a reminder of the people who have been part of our lives, even if only for a short while. Running into Saurabh was a small but significant moment, one that added a touch of nostalgia to an otherwise ordinary day. It’s these unexpected reunions that make life interesting, offering a glimpse into where we’ve come from and how far we’ve gone.