NEW DELHI: Not knowing what to do on a day like this when he lost his "closest friend of 65 years," BJP veteran 90-year old LK could barely speak after he got the final news of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ’s demise around 5.30 pm on Thursday. Therefore he refused to meet any one and refused to speak. All he wanted to know was when and at what time should he reach, to pay his last tribute to his departed friend, older to him by three years.

Advani had already visited the hospital on Thursday morning and sat there in a waiting room for an hour, along with daughter Pratibha and his aide for years, Deepak Chopra. But he was restless since then and refused to speak to anybody as he was too overcome by emotion.

For a man who follows his daily routine to the tee, even when he stays home, he refused to step out of his bedroom till the time he had to get ready and go to the Krishna Menon Marg residence of the former Prime Minister where Vajpayee’s mortal remains would be taken from AIIMS, after he passed away at 5.05 pm on Thursday. It was only when former colleague and the ailing veteran leader Jaswant Singh’s wife arrived to meet Advani, unannounced that he agreed to meet her. But there was little that he had to say, both shared the grief of losing their "Atalji."

The 30, Prithviraj Road house was quiet and gloomy as if in mourning on Thursday afternoon, when the condolence message was written by Advani and sent out to the media by his office. The statement says it all that Advani could have said on a day when he lost his dear friend. Advani was always the first visitor at Vajpayee’s residence even in the last few years, on December 25, which was Vajpayee’s birthday.

Advani wrote: "I am at a loss of words to express my deep grief and sadness today as we all mourn the passing away of one of India’s tallest statesmen, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. To me, Atalji was more than a senior colleague- in fact he was my closest friend for over 65 years."

"I cherish the memories of my long association with him, right from our days as Pracharaks of the RSS, to the inception of Bharatiya Jana Singh, the struggle of the dark months during the Emergency leading to the formation of Janata Party and later the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980.Atalji will be remembered as the pioneer of the first ever stable non-Congress coalition government at the Centre and I had the privilege of working as his deputy for six years."

He further said, "As my senior, he always encouraged and guided me in every possible manner. His captivating leadership qualities, mesmerising oratory, soaring patriotism and above all, his sterling humane qualities like compassion, humility and his remarkable ability to win over adversories despite ideological differences have all had a profound effect on me in all my years in public life."

He added, I will miss Atalji immensely.

