The Friendship Day was coming up soon and Mrs. Lajja Sharma was puzzled.

She wanted to buy a gift for her male friend; one Mr. Natarajan with whom she shared a deep platonic relationship for a long time.

?Buying gifts is a headache. I can?t decide what to buy for my elderly friend Natarajan.? She lamented. ?I could just buy a friendship bands for him.?

?That looks like a metal strap.? I looked at what Mrs. Sharma was holding in her hand.

?Everybody is buying those satin friendship bands, so I thought of something novel and permanent. See, it looks so cute, no?? She was trying the heavy metal band on her wrists.

?But I am unable to decide the gift.? She said, ?There are so many of us in the city who have great plans for Natarajan. Like this friend of mine, Madhurima is organising a folk dance and she is coaching a group of tribal girls. It is so old fashioned. But I want to be different.

?I want to show that I care for him, so please suggest me a unique gift for him,? she implored.

?How about a designer shirt?? I tried to be of help.

?He feels very claustrophobic in a shirt and keeps taking it off. No, suggest something else,? she said pacing the floor.

?How about an After Shave? There are several good brands like Brute, X-treme, Sting and Poison. In fact, Sting is so powerful that it can subdue any stink.? I said.

?Shirts and After Shaves would be too personal. Ours is a platonic relationship.? She rued. ?I need to think of an impersonal gift.?

?Here it is. You will like it. How about a mechanised fishing rod, made by one Mr Hayat?

?Men in power dream of going to exotic locations for fishing. And then brag about their catches.? I was happy that I could think of a unique gift.

?Oh, he already has it. In fact, fishing is his first hobby. Off duty, he is always fishing. I will tell you a secret, even on duty, he sneaks out for a few hours to various fishing points in the city.? She said with a glint in her eyes.

I was getting nowhere with my suggestions so I tried the tried and tested route.

?How about a book. It would show that you consider him intellectual type,? I said.

?What do you mean by intellectual type? He is an intellectual. He reads all the time. In fact, you will never catch him alone; he always has a companion, either a book or someone like me to share his knowledge with.? She got a little upset.

?I didn?t know Mr Natarajan was a voracious reader. It?s remarkable to have such an insatiable appetite at his age.? I commented.

?Though, he is very shy but you should hear him speak. He can discuss any subject under the sun. We just love to listen to him. He is an expert on women?s issues too.? The pride was clearly visible on Mrs. Sharma?s face.

?Mr Natarajan seems to have quite a fan following. A man of his calibre should be on TV. He can be a voice of the poor and the marginalised women. I said.

?Well then, let?s think of some good books for him,? I insisted.

?Yes, that?s a good idea but I am confused what titles to pick for him.? she stopped pacing the floor.

?Oh, that?s easy. First let us decide whether he likes fiction or non-fiction, folk literature, crime thriller, drama or autobiographies,? I said.

?We are persuading him to write his biography. I tell you, it would be a best-seller and he will be all over the TV, press.

?I think a crime thriller as a gift would go with his profession.? She seemed settling down.

I rattled some titles and she started writing down the names of the books she liked, the Day of the Judgment, Life in a Solitary Cell, the Absconding Corruptor, Power and Shame, the Fall of a Conscience Keeper, the Courage of a Tribal Girl.

?How would you give your gifts to Mr Natarajan?? I asked.

?Oh, I plan to surprise him.? She said, ? I will request Mr. Anil Palta to tie the metal friendship band to Natarajan and I have already spoken with Sushma Badaik. She would hand over the books to him.?