Rahul

Circa 1995: It’s a lazy afternoon of august and I was stretching myself in the balcony when I see him. Baseball cap, curly hair, glasses, sagging baggy pants, an oversized T-shirt, a cigarette in the left hand, and walking away without a care in the world. "Oh! so that’s the new guy", I think as I take another drag of tobacco. He disappeared in behind the walls of the Flats that we were living in. The construction in our New Campus was in full swing and as our hostel was still not complete so we *fach-chas* (as in college freshmen) were put up in flats that were supposed to be occupied by lecturers when the new campus was complete. I was supposed to go home for the weekend but I cancelled it. Too lazy to travel some 15 Kilometers just to eat Home Food.

I have never been very good in mathematics, so I decided to go on with practicing some problems (Engineering Mathematics-that was the subject! BLEH!!). The day went by and it was dark very soon.

I was reading a book when there was a knock in my room. A neighbor with whom I hardly talked to enters the room with the new fellow I had seen in the afternoon. "Hi Jimmy, this is Rahul." we shook hands and I offer them a seat.

"Jimmy, Rahul is going home tomorrow and he needs some money", my neighbor said.

“Just wondering if you could lend him some money" he continued

"No probs! How much?”

"Around 500 bucks"

"Just hold on"

I reach for my purse in the table and hand the money money to Rahul.

I didn’t hesitate one bit to give the money nor thought of how weird the situation was! Today my thoughts would have been like “Here is a neighbour I hardly talk to and he’s introducing me to some guy I have never met and someone who’s asking me to lend him money!!” or “something’s not really right here!!” blah blah blah…all the things that growing up does to you and me!! Time-how it changes you!!

"Thanks!!" Rahul said as I handed him the money.

I noticed Rahul was looking around the room, looking at Axl Rose's poster and a collage that I had made of models from a lifestyle magazine. He looked at my ashtray which I had made from an empty can of a deodorant. Rahul held it and talked for the first time…"Innovative!!" that was all he said!!

"Where are you from?" he asks me. "I'm from Mizoram and you?" "Cal"....as he looked around the room!

Yeah! That year I followed him to cal (Calcutta) with Robin and it turned out to be the best Christmas and New Year I have ever had. Well, we ended up being best buddies and he still gives a lot of load to these grey cells whenever Christmas approaches!!

Strange, but Christmas rocks in Cal!-that’s a personal exp actually :p

RIP Rahul…WISH you were here. (dot dot dot)

My Best Friend! Our Best Friend!!

Stop thinking about what you need - start thinking about you want! - Rahul