I came from Sarnal, a quiet little place in South Kashmir’s Anantnag and Harish came from Jaora in Madhya Pradesh. It was in 1966 that our paths met at Indore Medical College. One could not get-away from his infectious charm and multifaceted personality and I am glad that he foresaw a friend in me and we got-on like brothers. 

Those days, Kashmir was facing its most tumultuous times and the politics associated with the place evoked different reactions from different people. Most people played safe and did not intermingle much with us for the fear of reprisal from the others. Harish was not one to bother about any of these things and he made our friend Sajjad and I feel comfortable – often taking cudgels on our behalf. Circumstances forced me to leave Indore mid-way and shift to Kashmir to complete my MBBS. Staying in-touch, those days was not as simple as dropping a WhatsApp message and it required a lot of relentless pursuit and perseverance. Harish made sure he tracked me down and kept the friendship alive. 
He introduced me and my family to Delhi. In many ways, he kept us going when Kashmir was facing another particularly tough period from 1989 onwards and we were forced out of there. Although he was a doctor by profession, his love for life and his eye for spotting talent (particularly) in the field of art was unmatched. I was always a political being and did not indulge in much else, he made me meet a part of myself I had never known. He introduced me to many musical maestros and singers which piqued my interest in music like never before. His memory was second to none and he had in-depth knowledge about pretty much every topic under the sun. One could listen to him for hours and hours – the art of story telling, littered with facts, humor and knowledge would keep one mesmerized. 

Harish was never the one to give-up on his friends, till he did…. and left us poorer.
Rest in peace – my dearest friend!