No no no... this is not about the amazingly funny, popular, unmissable sitcom that is still being shown in India. Nope not at all. Having said that, I must tell you that I have watched re-run after re-run and would be really happy if they all came back for one more season. I do know ppl think I am quite balmy 'bout the sitcom and U really have to face a kicking, fighting, and screaming me, if you attempt to change the channel. It is usually better to go out for a walk and hope that when you come back the program is no longer being telecast. Thats what most ppl at home do :)
Anyways, this is about my friends in college. We have had funny moments, angry moments, sad moments - in fact, I would classify those four years as a perfect script for a soap. I mean we had showdowns, breakdowns, screamdowns, and what nots. I still feel those were the best years of my life as yet, though at that time, I doubt I thought as much.
We were a gang of five gals who initially started out as part of a bigger gang and then slowly moved out to form our own. We were not really alike or very different either. Maybe the one thing that was common was that we each had quirks, eccentricities and hence were quite understanding of each other. During the course of 4 years, we changed a lot. We all started out as good gals and that did not change much :) Ok Ok.. thts not really true but not too far from the truth either.
I am still not sure how we became friends - I still recall, I was rooming with Usha Kumari. Srivi was rooming with RD and Indu was rooming with Sabitha. Indu and RD were from the same school in Chennai. Binu and Jhunmun were roomies who were adjacent to RD and Srivi... I think.
We spent most of our free time together. We went for movies screened in the Audi together -caught up with each other in the common room after classes - bunked classes and went to Ceeri Bakery - acted as alarm clocks for each other - splooshed exams together - cribbed together -had hot coffee at Connaught place at 10 pm on wintery nites - watched Fash P and other cultural events sitting side-by-side - gossiped a lot - learnt Kathak - did the crossword - completed each other's sentences - ate up Indu's Rava Laddus (which her mom n grandmom lovingly made for her) - fought like crazy ppl - supported each other - travelled together to Delhi, stayed at Binu's uncle's place - shopped like mad and then returned to Chennai; Srivi had to travel further to Salem - conveyed whtever Srivi wanted to Ramchander Bhaiyya in Hindi - got ragged separately but ragged juniors together (until Meenakshi Raman and Meera Bannerjee caught us :P) - took hazaar snaps together - we even attended some classes together... I think (EG, workshop, the other was some Bio course whose name I cannot recall, Prob stats, CPM-I, and maybe others) - teased each other over our crushes and gatecalls - wiped tears when the "amazing romance" went awry - had late nite maggi, and hot amazing chai (which promptly sent me to sleep - no logic) - worked at Akshay Co-op to wile away time and earn money (wht hpnd to all tht money?) and studied, of course.
After college, after "We will be friends forever", most of us moved to different cities, countries - I moved to Bangalore. RD was in Mumbai, in Ghatkoper, I recall. Inds and Bines were in Chennai. I think Srivi was in Chennai or Bangalore. Not too sure. With all that, I am happy to say that I managed to make it for RD's wedding as well as Indu's wedding. I think I also made it to Indu's bro's wedding. I could not make it to Srivi's wedding though I had purchased a lovely golden tinged yellow salwar for the occassion. Srivi made it to my wedding - she came with her hubby and kid - and made my day!
Now, ten years later, I am in touch with three of them, sporadically. One fine day, RD contacted me out of the blue, when I was with HP. Her husband had joined HP and they managed to search for and find me in the Employee directory. I took down her address and phone number and lost the book - now I am not even sure if she is in Bangalore. Indu is in the states - she has two kids - she visits infrequently and I have not seen her in a while. Srivi, I met at my wedding - we call each other on our b'days (we are two days apart) - I am yet to catch up with her - she is busy with her lovely daughter. Bines is in Chennai - she cud not make it to my wedding - we call each other infrequently. Thanks to Gtalk and Orkut - there are more ways to keep in touch... but one must make the time to do so.
Here's to Friends - old, new, fat, lean, sweet, sarcy, no-nonsense, frivolous, and all other types -Happy Friendships to you :D
