I miss you Shailesh

Some memories even can not be faded with time. Even though time heals almost all the wounds, but not each and every one. Its almost 2 and half year, but I still can not forget that day of 4th June 2006, and I guess nobody from the 27th January 2006 ITPian batch from Tech Mahindra would have forgotten this day. This was the day when we lost our dear friend Shailesh Gupta in Harihareshwar. Now after 2 and half years I want to narrate this story, so that everyone will know how God unfolds individual's fate.
In Pune on the terrace of our Alankapuri society, one fine day I along with Shailesh was planning for a weekend trip. After so many rounds of discussion we concluded at Nashik as our destination for weekend outing. Then as a next step, we went to a travel agent for booking of cab. We didn't pay a heed to the fact that we saw that travel agent's shop on that day only(Fact#1). That was the nearest agent from our home. That fellow suggested us to change our destination, as Nashik was going to be tough in 2 days, moreover we were planning to go out Saturday morning. He suggested us to go to Divyaghar, Harihareshwar etc on that route. After discussing it among our friends and trip mates (Aditi, Anubha, Ananda, Saurabh, Raghvendra, Amit Khetan, Roopali) we finalised this place(Fact#2). We started from Pune on 4th June morning. In the beginning cab picked up all the gals, and then came to pick us(boys). I remember that Gals were carrying sandwiches with them.We started from our place at around 7 in the morning. It was dense fog in the morning time, and to make the matter worse it was raining also at that time. One of the gals from the group was suggesting not to go, as she was afraid of the weather condition(Aditi). We stopped at 2-3 places in between Pune and Harihareshwar because Pune to Harihareshwar was approx.250 KMs, and sitting in same position in a cab for such long duration was tough. On one of the point we clicked snaps, where Anubha lost her slippers in the pond, later on with the help of Shailesh she managed to found them. I can recall that we had a hot argument with Shailesh on one side and other 8 on the other side, topic of discussion was do a person really needs spouse, or a best friend can replace need of spouse? We finally reached to the Harihareshwar temple in the afternoon of 4th June. This temple was on the sea shore, but on a height. The sea shore also was not one which has sand on the shore, instead it was rocky. We worshiped there. It was raining at that time. Then after spending some time in temple campus we were about to leave from the temple, when Shailesh pointed out towards stairs which were attracting his attention(Fact#3). Actually it was the way used for parikrama of the temple. Out of nine people only 3-4 were with Shailesh to go on that stairs, moreover because of rain stairs were slippery.
After discussion we all agreed to on that path(Fact#4), which was about witness a horrible scene. The stairs were divided in two path, one out of which was leading towards the rocky sea shore. Unknowingly we opted that way, which ends up on a place place just few feets before the sea water level.
There railing were deployed by the temple management, but it was not mentioned over there not to cross that railing. Just after that railing was the end of that plane surface, and after that it was water water everywhere, but not a single drop to drink. We were also not able to see how deep that water level was, and what was beneath the water. Actually very sharply pointed stones were resting there. All 8 peoples other then me went to enjoy the water, they opted for a route which was plane having plane stones and adjacent to the mountains. Let me clarify again that stairs were leading to a plane surface, and on both the sides of stairs mountain was there as temple was on a height. I did not go with them because I was afraid of the sea.As I was there on that plane surface I was able to see tides which were very high at that time in the afternoon.
I called all of them to come back, but due to the sound of water they heard my call after 3-4 repetition(Fact#5). All but one people started to walk back, no prize for guess as the remaining one was Shailesh. He told all of us that he will come after spending another minute there(Fact#6).The Tides were of around 5-6 feet in height. I am not sure what he was doing with his cell phone in his hand and facing sea at that time.
All the people were not even have reached to the railing, when I saw he slipped when he also started to walk back, and falls into the water. I shouted then and there, and all the friends saw there immediately. We ran to the closest point, where we could have reached. What I saw there was after first fall Shailesh get hold of some stone and was saying I am alright. But at the same time another tide came and he lost his control.After this tide his head collide against the pointed stones, and bleeding started at the same time. We shouted for help, but no coast guard was there to help him. By the time we could have done anything, tides were pulling him far from us. Raghvendra and Saurabh ran back to call someone, but when they came back Shailesh was no where in the sight, and nobody came with them as they were aware about the dangerous weather.We last saw him when he was trying to get hold of something, and expecting some kind of help. At that point we were of no use for him. We saw our friend drowning in front of us. By the time villagers and some help came, it was too late for us and Shailesh. He was nowhere in the vision. We were hoping that somehow Shailesh will be able to come back, but deep in our heart we were aware that we are consoling ourselves. On the next day we found his body. We were to inform his parents. And this too was very difficult for us, so me and Saurabh went to a PCO as our mobiles were also not working in that remote location. We were also not having Shailesh's number, so we called up one of our common friend Vishal Jha, who was from his hometown Jabalpur in M.P. and got the number. He was asking why do we need his number, but we were not able to tell anything to him.We were not in a situation to talk to any of his family member, moreover we were not strong enough to face any of his relatives, so a local person from that village helped us. He called to Shailesh's home and as his parents were not at home, he took his uncle's number from his sister, and in turn told his uncle in Dehradun about this accident.
The question that still haunt me, is the question asked by his father to all of us, that how come out of 9 people only Shailesh fell there, why not any one else? Shailesh was of such a jovial nature that he once even danced in front of our batch just for sake of one bet. Till now it is very tough for me to believe that once-upon-a-time my room mate Shailesh is now no more with me. You can conclude with all the facts what God had for him in his store. Now too whenever I think about this incident, I always thinks, had he too come back with all of us, he might be with us now, or had they heard me on my first call, they would have returned safely.