RUN!

We came as different as chalk and cheese, or so we thought. For some reason she couldn't stand me and I for one would not stop short of returning a favor. Although, since the beginning we hung out with the same people and partied on quite a few occasions. Beyond that we would be at each others throats, well at least she would be. She was as crazy as they came and that's exactly why it was hatred at first sight.

Now she's always been a 'big' girl but back in first year she had this funny way of walking. Her upper-arms wouldn't really move and this made her torso stick out, on top of that she has always walked with what one can only call baby steps. This whole walk made for a great sight, especially when one of our batch-mates would imitate her. We would go crazy with laughter. Then of course was the first week of college and all of us had to introduce ourselves to new faculty twice a day. By the time it was Thursday, all the boys would be mouthing the words along with her. It wasn't fair, at-least from her point of view, but boys will be boys i guess. All of this only mounted on the dislike that she had for me. All of first year went by and things remained pretty much the way they were. I guess we just became tolerant towards each other 'cause we were with the same people. Birds of a feather?

When you make friends there is usually a defining moment that remains as the cement the relationship stands on. No, things don't just change overnight but, the moment becomes the turning point and from then on you know things will be different. It's a kind of mutual admiration that is generated and we look at people in a different light. One starts accepting and stops judging.

Second year started of with a bang considering the fantatastic year that had gone by. We had got rid of the rubbish and looking forward to a year that would take us to different cities and hotels for the completion of our 6 month on the job training. All four departments had to be covered and to ease it over the whole year we would go work and then be in the classroom every two months, alternatively. My first ojt, F&B, was in Aurangi but right before it had to start a bunch of us were sent along with the people going to Pune 'cause there were back to back banquets on a particular day and extra staff was needed.

After working our asses off for three days some chefs from the blue diamond invited a few of us over to their house for a chill session. The two people i remember were these chefs from the hotel and one of them, a pastry sous, had been recommended by a senior as a really cool guy. Things dont go the same way when there is a gora around and then when a fellow Indian and that too a junior is partying with them. Ah! makes for another story some other time. Anyway, we had some alcohol making the round and as I was the only smoker I offered the chef some of the kali I was carrying. I got nice and propah and a while later, i think it was maybe 1.30 in the morning, all us decided to get back to the digs. Somehow i get stuck with the girl I didn't want to be with, and somehow she decides that she wants to have a coffee. At that time at night one really doesn't get public transport so we decided to take a stroll through Pune. The coffee shop wasn't that far and the fresh air was good for me. As we walked and conversed, I realized she was someone who made sense. It was fun talking to her and i had never known. The woman even had a sense of humor which was just great. Anyway, standing on the side of what seemed like a main road in the city was this car all decked up for a wedding. The embellishments were all there, flowers, ribbons, sparkles and a beautiful big bouquet stuck to the roof like the cherry. Both us actually stood there for a moment admiring the handiwork. It sure was done up nice and nobody seemed to be around. "Garry, i want that bouquet', she says. What? She repeated herself. I looked down to her feet to see she was still wearing her college pumps. I looked back at her, 'can you run in those shoes?'. She looked quite confident, 'start running, now!'. And she did while i took a quick look around, pulled the bouquet off the car and started running myself. 'Just don't look back and keep running towards that turn coming up', i said. We must have run like a couple kms and stopped to laugh our heads off. What a rush! We had our coffees and headed back to the hotel where she had a room and I didn't. I still can't remember why but yeah she was gracious enough to spare a bed for me, the least i could have expected. That run was the cement and I had a friend in an instant.

Today it has been almost a decade since I have known her and what a tremendous decade it has been. This is is to you my friend, 'I am Kanika Passi from Sommerville School, Noida', my confidante!