We drove to the extreme end of MG Road in Kochi and halted at the place where we were supposed to meet Rakesh, my college buddy. I hadn't seen him for nine years. Of course we were in touch through social networking sites.
I called him on his cell and told him I've reached.
He must have changed. I thought to myself. There, I saw him walking towards
me. Gosh! He had pulled down so much. Not that he was plump earlier. But he had really lost an amazing amount of weight. We were so thrilled to see each other. Nine years! Pretty long time.
A backbencher all throughout graduation days, lost in his own world, never smiling except to say a hi. Very shy by nature. Sometimes I would see him in the canteen sitting on the katta with Thameez and Sheldon. Thameez being the naughtiest would always be up to some antics. But he would be sitting there quietly seeing the world pass by.
A trader in Kochi, after a degree in finance from the UK, looking no more than a 22-year old. Very different from the backbencher whom both of us had left behind in college. Always smiling and laughing, happy with whatever life gave him.
"You haven't changed at all", he said.
"But you have changed a lot", I retorted.
We started looking for a place to sit for a drink. He said he knew this lounge bar just close by. We started walking...walking and walking. We revisited college days. Spoke about everything. The economics professor with a 'small face and BIGGGGGGGGGG base', the elegant Feminism professor, the bespectacled Political Science teacher who was always in a rebellious mood, the canteen, Thameez and of course the beautiful Ms. S. Since my friend is in the middle of a bride hunt, I told him that Ms. S is still single and that he could get in touch with her.
Finally after walking for forty-five minutes we managed to find the lounge bar 'Loungevity'. He was wearing shorts and slip-ons. I told him they wouldn't let us inside. Well, they didn't. They said you have to cover your hairy legs as wells as your big toes. So we rushed to a shop and picked up the cheapest trousers and the cheapest shoes and reached the lounge bar.
He had been a bartender while in college in the UK. So he told me about his bar tending days. And since the place didn't serve Breezers he introduced me to this new drink 'mojito'. It was bitter, but fine. We spoke about his relationships, our lives, his job, Kerala...almost everything.
I couldn't believe that this was the same guy who sat on the last bench in the class who never made his presence felt anywhere, not even amongst his friends. I'm glad things ahve worked out wonderfully for him. He'll be in town next month. Maybe we could catch up with some old college friends, rather young college friends. To be honest, people from 1998-99 batch just refuse to grow up....
I called him on his cell and told him I've reached.
He must have changed. I thought to myself. There, I saw him walking towards
me. Gosh! He had pulled down so much. Not that he was plump earlier. But he had really lost an amazing amount of weight. We were so thrilled to see each other. Nine years! Pretty long time.A backbencher all throughout graduation days, lost in his own world, never smiling except to say a hi. Very shy by nature. Sometimes I would see him in the canteen sitting on the katta with Thameez and Sheldon. Thameez being the naughtiest would always be up to some antics. But he would be sitting there quietly seeing the world pass by.
A trader in Kochi, after a degree in finance from the UK, looking no more than a 22-year old. Very different from the backbencher whom both of us had left behind in college. Always smiling and laughing, happy with whatever life gave him.
"You haven't changed at all", he said.
"But you have changed a lot", I retorted.
We started looking for a place to sit for a drink. He said he knew this lounge bar just close by. We started walking...walking and walking. We revisited college days. Spoke about everything. The economics professor with a 'small face and BIGGGGGGGGGG base', the elegant Feminism professor, the bespectacled Political Science teacher who was always in a rebellious mood, the canteen, Thameez and of course the beautiful Ms. S. Since my friend is in the middle of a bride hunt, I told him that Ms. S is still single and that he could get in touch with her.
Finally after walking for forty-five minutes we managed to find the lounge bar 'Loungevity'. He was wearing shorts and slip-ons. I told him they wouldn't let us inside. Well, they didn't. They said you have to cover your hairy legs as wells as your big toes. So we rushed to a shop and picked up the cheapest trousers and the cheapest shoes and reached the lounge bar.
He had been a bartender while in college in the UK. So he told me about his bar tending days. And since the place didn't serve Breezers he introduced me to this new drink 'mojito'. It was bitter, but fine. We spoke about his relationships, our lives, his job, Kerala...almost everything.
I couldn't believe that this was the same guy who sat on the last bench in the class who never made his presence felt anywhere, not even amongst his friends. I'm glad things ahve worked out wonderfully for him. He'll be in town next month. Maybe we could catch up with some old college friends, rather young college friends. To be honest, people from 1998-99 batch just refuse to grow up....
2 comments:
thats a neat little account of the evening. I must say I am pleased to read one little line - I look some 22 yrs old. wow !! my biking is doing the trick :-)
yeah it is so true. I was more or less non-existant in college. In my own world ... of music ...music and Jim Morrison !!
hmm..a lady who is still single whom I know ... hmmm does she know of my weirdo adventures with the ladies when I was in London.. ?
Hello....Though I'm in touch with her, I haven't told her anything about your escapades and I don't intend to. Why don't you do the honours yourself? If she understands good....if she doesn't too bad for her;-)
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