A stranger to A sibling

After 3 emotional, rather memoir posts by my dearest friend Aziza, here I come with my first post in this blog. The first ever post has to be about a person who is too special. Here are the beautiful memories of that particular person close to my soul. I met him first in my college, but before I joined there. Well, it was a great conversation with so many of my seniors together at that time. I hadn’t joined college yet and had cleared the first part of the entrance exam and was preparing for the second part. Well, with that freakily different college, it was not 'mug up and vomit' kinda entrance test and things had to logical and creative.

I met another lady there, a senior, who said, “Do you know there’s something called something...?” I said “What.”? She asked “Do you know there’s something called ragging...?” I was least bothered and I said, “You may think about that when I join here. Not now.” She went off. I went into one of these classrooms and I met this lovely, should I say handsome, hmmm… ok lemme give that tag as well, Handsome, extremely talented, multi faceted senior who was unusually calm and soft spoken than the rest of the gang who were focusing on ragging me. I called him ‘Cheta’, which means ‘Bro’ in Malayalam, his mother tongue. My first bro in college and a sweet bro till date.
Now, time for the incident that made me feel so happy to be his junior, more than that, an ‘aniathi’ - sister. By this time, I had joined college and listened to some seniors' soft and friendly orders to develop a good relationship; and gave an aloof and dirty look at other seniors’ rough commands which didn't even bother to heed. And it was 2 days before the auspicious day of Onam. And our college Onam celebration was on that day. I was on my way to the hall when I was held, rather caught by another super duper senior. (Well, these were some silly phrases we had coined in our college. Immediate seniors were seniors… 3rd yrs were super seniors and 4th yrs were super duper seniors…). He was questioning (should I specify it was ragging) a fresher and when I crossed, he made me wait and continued in questioning session with her. I was standing beside him was the next one hour when my dearest Cheta passed by and somehow escaped me away from that senior. I felt relieved absolutely, only to find that I would be more relieved by his miraculous, medicinal music. It was on that day, when I came to know that he was an amazing flutist and tabla player. It was the Onam culturals in college, which was special to him being a mallu, and I was taken to another world (no exaggeration people..!!!) with his soul stirring music. Amazing, outstanding, exceptional, are only silly words English language gives me to describe his talent. I was caught by his melody completely. That evening all I could tell my mom was about this guy. And mom too wanted to meet him, which eventually happened in the next college fest.

It eventually became a habit for me to call, quite a number of seniors as Anna (Tamizh), Cheta (Malayalam), Da (Bengali), Bhaiya (Hindi). But there were very very few who I considered close to my heart and this Chechu is the most important of them all... Chechu, you’re in the first place da. :)

Another day in my second year, this sweet Cheta and another super senior who also I call Cheta, were standing near the canteen when I was walking with my friend in the opposite corner. He called me out from across the vast basket ball ground in the middle, as ‘Aniathi’ – sister. It was just a simple word for him, that too in a comical way, as I was the only soul to call seniors as bro in my college, and he always pulls my leg for that. But for me it felt so, very, too good, esp. maybe I’ve always missed a good elder brother as my sibling. Something from the behind of my head, he was there as a very sweet, calm, poised person as my senior, rather as my Cheta.

He has a sweet little sister back home, his real sister. I actually envy her. She’s got this wonderful person as her own brother, and knows him since she was born. She’s lucky.

Love u Ramu Cheta. Miss u da. Hope to be in touch with you forever. And u mean a lot to me... :)

Serendipity - Third stranger

Third stranger:

Hellllooooooooooo everybody….

Now I am finished with my school strangers… Let’s move to the next higher step i.e., College…

I met my third stranger in my college. I am an engineer so naturally u all know my course is 4 yrs so this might be a bit long, so please bear up with me...

Myself and my third stranger are from a same department EEE but in our 1st semester we were in different sections… What? Confused????????? How come in college there are different sections…. Well for us first semester is common syllabus for all the departments so it was split into 3 sections. But during one of our lab exams, all in her class or rather her friends left home in the afternoon and she was stuck up at college (I really don’t remember the exact reason… but now I thank God that she was struck up that’s why I was able to meet her). So she came to our class knowing myself and some of my classmates where there. The thing was, she knew I was in the same department like her but I never knew (I know I was really pathetic). We had a very nice or rather an awkward afternoon getting to know each other. From then onwards we used to give a smile whenever we met in the corridors or canteen. And frankly when I saw her gang of friends I went into an impression she might be like that also (not in a bad way neither in a good way too lolz… sorry). I realized only after I came close to her that she is a person with a very very good heart. So after our 1st semester in our 2nd semester we were in a same class… I class that is EEE department had only 8 girls and 31 boys… even during our 2nd sem we didn’t talk much..

It was during my 3rd and 4th semester of my college life that is during my 2nd yr I came close to her… In my college life I faced a lot of obstacles or rather I would say a lot of failures… In that moment I still remember that day, when I was totally devastated one evening (why I was I like that I will explain in my future posts) and the next morning I was really not in a mood to go to college but still I went because my mom wanted me too…. All of my class mates where sitting outside because classrooms where not opened and my third stranger and few others were also sitting they all knew about what happened and very giving me sorrowful looks and I was not able to see it… among them only my third stranger was the only one who gave me a bright and reassuring smile like saying ‘come on it happens’, I dono seeing her face what struck me up, keeping my head on her lap I started sobbing even then she didn’t say anything like ‘please don’t cry’ or ‘troubles come we have to face’ like all the others did. She did only one thing kept her hand on my head and was just soothing me… guys you know how it feels…

When we meet crisis, 8 out of 10 say ‘come on don’t cry now’ or ‘problems come to everyone we have to face it’ or else ‘even great achievers faced many problems but they achieved many things’…. You know what people, for me these were the most annoying and the most irritating dialogues, because I felt like they are not really understanding the real meaning of word PAIN… because when it is paining more than cliché dialogues you have to make the person feel reassured that you are there for that person. The person in pain should feel like throwing out all his/her inhabitations and without thinking what other person thinks should cry out loud or rather say all his/her fears. According to me even if u can’t feel their pain at least reassure them my making them feel safe.

My third stranger did exactly the same thing. I really threw away all my inhabitations that day and cried to her shamelessly…. But one great thing about her is she was a very patient listener… May be because of that only she was liked by everybody in our class. If Mitr friend was the one who made me discover something called confidence in me then my sweet third stranger was the one who really made me utilize that and made me prove to myself that ‘ya come on even I have some kind of talent’. When we were in our third year there was a state level energy day celebrations conducted, I wanted to participate in paper presentation but still had doubts whether I would be able to do it… It has to be done by two people. I asked my third stranger to participate she was a bit doubtful not about me but herself later she agreed and there was a time while practicing what all to say in the presentation I had my second thoughts of backing out but she was the one who encouraged me saying ‘come on yaar you can talk English so fluently so it’s just a presentation we will do it’. Since I didn’t have a computer or a laptop at that time she was the one who prepared everything i.e. PPT etc. She gave the first introduction part which is very essential for any layman to understand. I was a bit frightened because that was my first time in stage after my LKG annual day…so hope you understand what I went through… But thank God we did it successfully… and we didn’t expect any prizes… but we were the 2nd prize winners out of a few outside colleges that came… We both were very shocked…




It might have been a small gesture on her part to make me do the intro part but that was the minute I realized I too have something in me that others admire in me, that something was my ability to do well in a debate, to top score in a group discussion, to think randomly and give life to my thoughts and also that was the boost for me to move independently and think independently. From then onwards there was no looking back for me. She is the best… Then came some testing times in our friendship… In our third year we all went for a third year (that experience too I will explain in detail in other of my future posts…) six of the girls with a lecturer who was elder to us by two years also went to Kerala…. All the guys and us enjoyed a lot… I still remember the day when we got down at the hotel and guys were getting room keys for us and we girls were just chilling out… two rooms were allocated for girls since 7 of us were there so 4+3 was split with two girls and the lecturer in one room and the other 4 in another room… I was just waiting to go with my third stranger because she was the one whom I was close. But suddenly I was put with the staff and the other girl whom I was not in good terms then but later turned out to be one of my best buddies… okay about that girl we will have discussion in another topic… now back to the topic I was pissed of seeing the arrangements because I was the one among the few who made everybody come to the tour saying ‘it’s in life time we get to enjoy like this so we have to go’… and I was sidelined it hurt me more… I gave one hard stare at my third stranger she said that she will go to another room and I would shift to her place but I really didn’t want to act childish si kept mum and took my room keys and moved with my lect and my another class mate… but frankly I was so pissed off with my stranger that I felt like strangling her neck…

After we returned from tour and when both of us where talking in phone she asked one direct question ‘has something changed’ I was shocked and I said ‘ya I feel you have changed I wanted to be with you since I consider you as one of my best friends’ She gave me one direct answer and I was really shocked and didn’t even know what to reply… what she said was, ‘by not being in person, do you think that a closeness which is in friendship changes’… what she asked was 100% truth…. I realize it now because all of my best buddies are scattered around the whole world… But still without them I can’t even take a single decision properly or rather after we are scattered only we have become so close by sharing even a smallest event happening…

She was right my friends are not here for immediately coming to help me if I am in danger but I know by taking the flight or another transport they will reach me soon enough to give me strength… they will do this because of one simple reason ‘they love me and I love them’…. Really if it was not for my third stranger I would have never learnt this lesson… Not only for this, had she done, have many things that I will always like to followed them…. Usually when a person cries because that person finds faults in him/her self, what we do is console the person saying ‘see we are all there so don’t get depressed’… But you know what my third stranger used to do when I used to get depressed, she literally used to bash me out like, ‘are you stupid, crying over a spilled milk… what has happened has happened by crying is it going to change… no na… so think of what you have to do next’

Really only that scolding’s made me stronger to compose myself… she was the main reasons for me to develop an attitude like ‘Yaar ye tho hota rehetha hai… age bad…’ meaning ‘come on these all will be happening in life… move on…’

She is the best person anybody will love to have with them…

Love you my third stranger…

U r the best…

U rock babes…


Serendipity - Second stranger

Hey Hi Everyone….

As I said in my earlier post I have 8 great strangers who turned to be my best buddies now comes my second stranger….

Second stranger:

This stranger is really a sweetheart… Bani (name changed) was a very timid girl when I first came across her in my 11th std…. She was so timid and used to believe everything what was said to her… But still she is the best thing that can happen to anybody…

Since she was so naïve, myself and mitr friend decided among us that before we finish our schooling we are gonna change her to more independent person… To the readers first of all I want to give a little bit character sketch about this stranger in my life. As I said earlier she used to believe whatever you say… I also said, she was timid because, in her house she has been brought up among 3 elder brothers and an elder sister with an veryyyyyyyyyy veryyyyyyyy strict father. So I hope you can imagine how she would have been… She had one best friend (whom she used to consider so… but not now i know….) whom she used to see as the only person who is with her… That friend took real over advantage of my friend’s softness (which till now I am not able to forget and forgive that stupid friend of hers).

This naïve friend of mine used to do whatever she says and take all the crap she used to give…. This was too much for me and Mitr friend decided we are going to bring change in her (as if we were born to change people…. It was that age guys…. Hehehehe… when we sit now and think, it seems very funny)….

(Aziza's note: when I entered this mission with mitr friend I never had an intention of becoming close with this second stranger… I just wanted to change her opinions and make her think outside the circle…)

Mission Possible:

First thing we did was, started talking with this second stranger and made her get involved in everything we did... Everything means including mischievous things we did… Myself and Mitr friend used to debate a lot (still we do:P:P) about many random issues, sometimes useful things and sometimes the most stupid things; so we used to involve in all those debates, point to be noted here; sometimes against her wishes (hhehehehehehe:D:D:D)… As I said earlier she was so naïve that she didn’t even know some terms that we girls used for guys and to drool over them… she used to think drooling over guys is a big mistake, so intentionally we used to discuss with her about everything….

Slowly she started coming out of her shell (thank God for small mercies) but still we were not able to make her understand that stupid friend of hers is not her worth... We were not able to make her not follow whatever that friend says… One fine day during free hour we sat with her and had a frank chat with her… she understood everything but she was not bold enough to say to her friend that ‘no I won’t be able to do that’ (sometimes that friend of hers used to give such crap that always pissed me off…..)

One day we boosted her confidence saying ‘come on Bani u can do it… just once ...tell her once, u will feel nice’, Like Shahid told Kareena in ‘Jab we Met’ (guys it was not copied from ‘Jab we Met’ because this incident took place many years before the movie was released.. lolz.....so it is Mr. Imitiaz ali who should be giving us (myself and mitr friend) the copy rights hehehehehehehe :P:P:P:P:P )

At the last moment my second stranger chickened out leaving us totally pissed and ticked off… We really went to strangle her but didn’t do it... (human courtesy) we left that topic then and there thinking might be my second stranger really did not want to do it… But after a month that friend did something stupid and that my second stranger ticked off, that she( second stranger) blasted her off… Myself and Mitr would be the first people who would have felt happy seeing a girl getting scolded… lolz… we could not help it, we felt like we have achieved something great… from then onwards my second stranger used to spend a lot of time with us and she became very important to me ( I donno when it happened but it did happen)

Mission successful…

Transformation:

After our 12th std we all went into separate colleges but we were all in touch with each other… I used to feel very lonely because I missed my school environment and I had a very hard time in my college all the time my sweet second stranger was the person who stood by me… I never expected her to turn out like that, as years passed I became more dependent on her… nobody who know us very closely believed that I was dependent on her because it was against our characters (hahahahhaha… between us I was more independent and she was not)…

I had very very tough times in college and she was my Boost, Complan, Bournvita, Milo etc., whenever I wanted to cry, immediately I got her shoulders (which I still get)….



After one year of our college we 6 friends of our school decided to meet in a common place… we decided place, date and timings… it was Vasanth bavan in Tambaram, Chennai… when we were talking about our colleges my sweet stranger was telling how her college was and we all knew from that it was totally against character and all five of us were thinking how she is going to manage for another 3 years (forgot to tell 4 out of six are engineers so it’s a 4 yrs course for us).

We were talking about a funny guy in one of my friend’s college and this sweet stranger used a term (which I do not want to tell in public :P:P:P) making all the five of us turn towards her with all our mouths hanging opened…

We were not able to believe our ears, the girl who used to think that using the word 'shit' is wrong, was now using terms…. She totally changed after going to college from north pole to south pole… we were literally gaping at her and she very coolly asked us ‘What? U dono the word’… after hearing that we were seeing her like 'is it the same girl or some ghost'… we were not able to compose ourselves till a waiter came and asked what we wanted to order for dessert.

She learnt many realities in her college. She is now an independent thinker…. No one from our school will believe she was the same girl… but one thing that I always admire in her, though her way of seeing things changed, her principles and originality hasn’t changed… she still knows her limits and lines which she hasn’t crossed till now though she is working in an MNC software company.. I really admire her for that….

Frankly guys we never expected her to survive in such worst conditions because she was a porcelain doll for us which we always wanted and want to protect, because we know that getting a person like that as your close friend is something great and you should be lucky… Another important transformation in her she used to be camera shy… while we used to take photos she never used to come even if we compel she used to bend her photo… But now she is there in almost every photo taken in her office giving different poses…. Quite a big transformation according to us who are very close to her….

Today August 10th is her birthday and I am dedicating this to her…

Sweet heart I love you….

You are one of the few best things that have ever happened in my life….

Love you sweety…


Serendipity - First stranger

Sometimes some strangers who cross paths on our roads of life become very important persons in our life…. Well I have 8 stories which I want to share with u how some strangers became an important part in my life… I have named this segment as ‘SERENDIPITY’ because these strangers were really happy findings when I was searching for something else….

(All names are changed just to maintain some privacy of the other people.)

My first stranger:

Well Mitr friend, another author of this blog, my best and a very close friend of mine is the first stranger.

She was a person everybody in my school knew; from peon to Headmistress. She was that popular. We studied in the same school from UKG to 12th std. Only in 9th std I came to know about her. In 4th std we studied together in same section and also we were bench mates but after that we were separated in other classes so we didn’t have so much touch till 9th std. I really owe her a lot because she is one of the main reasons what I am today.

After 4th std she became too much popular (I know by saying this she is gonna kill me!!!! Hahahahaha!!!!) . Everybody were very eager to become friends with her. I really liked her bcoz of one reason: she was the sole reason for developing a word called confidence inside me. This is an incident that took place almost 14yrs back when we were in 4th std. there was some kind of school function coming in school( which I really don’t remember now… memories sometimes fade u know… lolz) and students were asked to prepare skits, dances etc., and as usual me being a very low profile person with a very low confidence level (ofcource I am not like that now… no one even believes me when I tell them I was like that….) I did not participate in anything.

My bench mate (Mitr Friend) asked me to come and participate in a skit. When she asked me I was literally shocked. What she is asking me…? I do not know anything and I haven’t even climbed a stage after my UKG annual day were everybody were asked to sing. First thought that came into my mind was (at that age) now if I say no to her she will really think I am someone who is very useless; so at least to prove it wrong I should say yes (God knows why I wanted to please this stranger or rather show this stranger I can do something).

I agreed very confidently and she was looking very happy… all of a sudden she asked were my house was because she wanted to bring her mom and discuss things for the skit with my mom… that is when it sinked she was really serious about this skit job. I was like ‘what did I get into’. But did not want to show my fear or my dilemma so I gave the address thinking she won’t come. Really I prayed she doesn’t take this seriously but that weekend Sunday she came with both of her parents and I still remember that day, I was shocked out of my wits because I didn’t even tell my mom about the function itself so obviously my mom did not know about the skit. Actually I was thinking this girl won’t be serious about me acting in a skit because she had many other friends who were way better than me (still I do not know why she came to me).

After that incident I composed myself and told myself come on…. that girl is having so much confidence at least for her sake you should do it. We practiced but still I feared every single night thinking how am I going to face the crowd but I was determined not to let her down. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for her the show was called off at the last moment. Phew!!! There went a low sigh from me as if something very heavy has been lifted off my shoulders. But I felt very bad for her because she was a bit disappointed. But the thing that caught me was I never expected her to come and ask me to help her in the skit. No one ever in my life gave so much importance. I felt very elated and also felt that ok I too can do something.


But unfortunately after my 4th std we were put in different sections so we lost touch. I always used to think whether this girl will remember this incident. This incident was important to me because as I said earlier no one gave me so much importance to me; even my family members.

And she became talk of the school because of her ideas and smooth moving way with the teachers. She was a pet to them. Each and every soul wanted to befriend her. I too did but did not want to go and hang around her like all the others did. On one fine day when we were in 7th std and during recess one of my class mates came and told I am having a visitor outside the class (because students from other sections were not allowed… that was a silly rule then). I went out and was quite to see this girl standing and waiting for me.

She said a hi and started talking to me as if we never stopped talking after 4th std and we were long lost friends. She came to me because she was a PFA (People for Animals) member and wanted me to join it without knowing I was a hardcore chicken lover( hahahahahaha still I laugh over that). The thing that surprised me was she took the liberty to come and ask me directly to join the organization, shoving me the form. I was dumbstruck then composing myself I told her that I am not a vegetarian. Not that was her time to be dumbstruck. She then told if you want you can change and she started telling me the benefits of being a vegetarian. I really thought this girl has real raw nerve. Just told her I will try. That was the end of the conversation.

After that in our 9th std we again were put in the same section. She was sitting two benches ahead of me. In that year only I really saw what really she was. She was a down to earth and happy go lucky girl. No one will ever believe even though getting that much attention from everybody she was so friendly. U know that was the age everyone were thinking this girl has talent so become her friend or else that girl is top ranker so become friend with her; otherwise another girl doest even know the s of study so don’t go near her (thinking about this naïve mentality leaves me in splits of laughter now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) This girl (Mitr Friend) was totally from different planet she used to talk with girls only whom others neglected (I am mentioning all as girls because we studied in a girls school). Also that was the year I witnessed our science teacher disliking her. That was a history!!! Since our science teacher disliked her and we had a surprise test where we had to study the answer for 15 mins and then write the test (LOL that is a real surprise right…. Hehehehehe). My bench mate was absent so this girl came to me and sat beside me and asked whether we could do join studies. That’s it that was the start of this beautiful relationship we share now… we not only started studying together gradually we started sharing personal things, interests etc etc., also. We had and still have our short comings but still we try to keep our friendship going because we both know it is too precious to lose.



This stranger has become so important that without her knowledge I won’t do anything and also without consulting I can’t do anything. She is such a sweetheart that I know many are jealous of me that she shares a lot with me even her darkest secrets(vice versa) but I can’t help, the feeling of PRIDE that creeps into me every time I say something about her to a third person.

About the second stranger I will continue in my next post….

Till then have a good day…

 

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