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!

Buggers!

As was the case usually, Perka and I found ourselves in the principal's office yet again. We had often found ourselves in the same situation but this was the only time we had no idea what the reason was. No, no that didn't make us nervous, just a little surprised 'cause the both of us had made a conscious effort, over the past few weeks, to stay out of trouble. We were in our second and last semester in the 3rd year now and thought a little more deeply before getting upto something stupid. It had been very adventurous over the years but now it was time to take it easy. Yeah the usual clandestine (read illegal) things went on but we were making sure we didn't get into scuffles (at least i was) specially since we now had two junior batches to deal with. There was always an itchy feeling but we had always stayed away from the ragging and other such lowly moronic activities. We had a lot more to do than that including stopping other chuts from indulging in it, specially if we were around in the vicinity. Sometimes though things go out of hand and it becomes an ego issue more than anything else, but yeah thats another story.

I think it was a Friday afternoon or could have been any afternoon actually, 'cause the management had taken the smartest step by deciding that classes for third year will only be up to 2 p.m. post which the remaining day would be used by us to complete projects. Yea right! It was a phase where the two of us were staying away from the tipple so, it was that most of the clique could be found at the watering hole after lunch and we could be found chilling in the hostel.

This particular afternoon, though, we decided to visit a friend of ours, from Nairobi or Ghana, who was a student at the engineering college. Peetah (Peter) was essentially a good humored fellow who had a fetish for big women. He used to forever bug us to get him introduced to this big fat junior chick from our college. I couldn't stand that chick (another story) and so Peetah was always given the run around, during which time we became quite pally. So Peetah had been inviting us over to his place like forever and we decided that today was as good a day as any.

We met Peetah outside the dhaba and so decided to go along with him to his house. Also, he told us he had some fine sensimilia and he wanted us to come over and try it. We sat on his bike and zoomed off towards his house. While all of this happened little did we know that 2 people were watching our movements very carefully. When we reached the house Peetah informed us that we will have to climb over the wall as his house-mate had left with the key to the front gate. No biggie we thought and proceeded to climb over.

We had just about sat down and started to roll one when one of Peetah's pal walks in and informs us that there was a man standing outside the house and calling out for Perka and I. What man was this? Anyway both us decided to check this out and lo and behold it was the one and only bugger standing outside waiting for us. Gerard had been watching us from the principals office and had actually followed us to Peter's house. Fuckin hell, we couldn't believe it!

"You buggers have done it again haven't you? Come with me the principals waiting", and so we sat behind Gerard on his scooter and he drove us to the institute. As we went into the office we were greeted by the trademark Cheshire grin from Roy boy. We sat down and the first thing he asked us, "Who was that guy you were talking to and how do u know him?". Quite flabbergasted by what had just happened we went on to tell him the story about Peetah and how we had made friends with him over the past couple of years. Roy was not impressed so we quickly added that he was free to come with us and meet Peter himself if he liked. "No, no, no that wont be necessary at all" he said rather instinctively. We chatted a little more about Peter and what exactly was the nature of our relationship. But then he told us something and the word he used totally fucked us up. "You know these people, these Negroes are not the right kind of people to hang with 'cause they can be bad news". WHAT THE FUCK?!

Now we were visibly pissed and told him to stop right there. You cant call them that firstly we said. It is considered an abuse and moreover this was a friend of ours you are referring to! Then we asked him, since when does management have the right to choose our friends for us? We had spoken quite firmly and our eyes must have been wide 'cause Roy boy was a little taken aback and so he quickly squirmed into his usual defensive, administrative self and explained to us how we should befriend with some restraint as the locals were quite volatile about us anyway. We should be wary of the people we meet as it was a small town known for its criminality. Anyway we remained pissed and told him how we will be careful and all but to not call us in for such trivial issues. He started grinning again and we looked at each other and then returned the gesture. All three of us knew we had screwed him, again.

Outside the office we were again greeted by Gerard and the way we smiled when we looked at him made him realize that we had just bambooed the princi. His remark was, legen (wait for it) "Over the past 3 years, if nothing else, you buggers have learnt to talk your way out of anything!", dary!