o! Just Me

Over the years, I have had some of the best friends a person could ever have, but have never gotten around to thanking them, atleast not publicly. And so, I decided that by writing about them, I’d let more people know just what wonderful people I’ve been lucky enough to have by my side. So, let me follow The Recommendation / Appreciation Baton!

The idea is to follow a simple baton carrier mechanism to review or interview or recommend a person whom you know personally, or have met online, or have interacted for professional work, or have been a fan of his/her profession, or you just have a crush on him/her.

Lee

Name at birth - Priyanka Gulrajani. Popularly known as Lady Lee. Also known as Aphrodite, Roman goddess of, as she put it, “carnal pleasures”. Not to be confused with Greek goddess of love. Lol. Crazy, impetuous, in the words of many obscure men, “hot”, most unconcerned about public opinion, as my mom put it, a confident girl with a sunny disposition. I’ll never forget the numerous times I’ve been totally embarrassed by her plonking herself down in the middle of the road to put Band-Aids on her feet, or, for that matter, her uncanny knack of hip hopping to any sort of music, no matter where she is, revelling rather than being embarrassed by the continuous attention she attracted because of this habit, it was always left to the rest of us to field the not so very approving glares that were directed at her. Pest! Endless classes, Sparks, pool, lunches, shopping, movies, Jade(ugh), lunch in Kadai and nearly dying after it, being thought of as lesbian lovers, we certainly have a LOT of memories. And oh yes, how can one forget her inane habit of naming everything she uses, from her phone (Trystan, followed by Gareth Woolf), her car (dear old dysfunctional Sandy), the computer in college (PINKY, now wasn’t that imaginative…..), an endearing but WEIRD habit. Chica, I really don’t know how I’d have made it through these years without you around for constant entertainment.

Pavi

Name at birth - Miss Pavitra Sazawal. Splitting image of Priyanka Gandhi. Biggest cricket fan in India. Kashmiri and exceptionally proud to be one. Whole family’s got something or the other to do with media. Not particularly secular, generally not quite complimentary about the race of Muslims, but totally in love with Waseem Akram. Lol. Self righteous, frank and rather indignant about everything, she is one of the two people I know who can deafen you even if you’re almost a kilometre apart. Also excellent at emitting piercing whistles at the drop of a hat. Solid fun to have around, but obsessed with perfection. An exacting taskmaster when she chooses to be one. Very very scary when she’s on the warpath, so people tend to automatically do whatever she wants them to. The sole reason why our documentary happened despite all our procrastinating. And then she lost her air ticket and couldn’t make it back from Delhi for the screening of it. Sigh. Rather prone to sending people viruses and then claiming to have absolutely no knowledge of how they got sent. Also very prone to wearing starling orange t-shirts by which she has come to be known now not only by friends and family, but by some very unsavoury characters too. Suddenly very obsessed with perfection when it comes to her looks, always perfectly groomed and still whining about being a defective piece and not being fair enough and blah blah blah. A unique and totally amazing friend to have for life…..Pav, I just know you’re going to make it big.

Shakuntala

Name at birth - Nongmaithem Jyoti Devi. Known as Shakuntala for her graceful performance in the play of the same name. The typical northeastern beauty with skin like milk that stays that way no matter what she does or eats. Sigh. Loads of fun to be with, talks nineteen to a dozen, with firm and unchangeable views on almost every topic in the world, always laughing, rarely loses her temper, way too rational. Created major havoc during our documentary because half the racers fell in love with her. Idiots. Awesome lunch pal. Also a totally awesome roommate to have because she loves washing clothes and dishes and giving people massages, and is generally quite the efficient housekeeper. OBSESSED with chicken, will absolutely not set foot in any food joint that does not serve it. A big time movie buff, with a major soft spot for sob stories. The horoscope queen, who won’t move a foot unless Bejan Daruwalla or Linda Goodman ordains it. One of those people who are always perfectly turned out with matching clothes, perfect jewellery, and permanently done eyebrows and painted nails and the like. A friend nobody would regret having.

Newmie

Name at birth - Naomi Thommy. Innocent looking but positively evil brat, who claims to have Chinese ancestors. She’s a weird mixture of Malayalee and Sikkimese! Mom makes the yummiest momos and is the sole reason why I’m hooked onto them. We go back a long way, known each other since we were in school. She was quite a tomboy and tormentor then. Then Sandeep came into the picture and Naomi became sweet and considerate and angelic and the epitome of feminity (is that a word?). Plays the bass guitar for our college Indian music team with awesome skill. Great sense of humour, occasionally perverted. I pity her kids because I’ve heard the names she plans to inflict on them. Was off to Poland to drive some poor Polish people crazy by trying to teach them English for a while, but is now back and polluting the atmosphere of Mudra in an attempt to be the next sensation in the advertising world. And she will be too.

Cherie

Name at birth - Shree Srinivas. Tall, well built, good looking and the rock of gibraltar of our class. God I really don’t know how our batch would have survived without her…..actually, how the whole college would have survived. I bet there’ll be continuous calls for her to do all work pertaining to the computer for all inspections and presentations! Has a fatal attractions to cows…..from kissing one and literally inspecting the contents of its nose and mouth at very close quarters, to getting thrown of her bike by one, they just can’t leave her alone! Married and in America now, and well…..she’s the biggest darling ever.

Palli

Name at birth – Anjana Shankar. This is one person I will probably never be able to express my actual feelings about, which is why I’ve left her for last, but never ever believe that she ranks least in my esteem. My big sister and closest friend. My favourite lunch pal. We go back a long long way, right from the time we were three and she broke my dad’s nose (I know I shouldn’t bring that up in a public forum, but there’s been no better form of blackmail in all these years!) Jokes apart, she’s been there for me right through every moment of my life, my most ardent supporter, and the one person who has believed in me no matter what. At the same time, one of my most severe critics. Classmates for a large chunk of our school days, we’ve gone from building tents with chairs and bedsheets to play house-house in with her collection of pretty dolls, to studying maths together in Pre University, to gossiping for hours on end about friends in later years. I’ve spent a large part of my summers right from school in her house, troubling her by insisting on playing games that bored her immensely. Incredibly intelligent, and even more talented. Awesome cartoonist. The biggest Calvin and Hobbes fan around. Terrific sense of humour, although sometimes a bit sad. Known to borrow books from the library and keep renewing the same book for over a year because she hasn’t got around to reading it! Way too patient and tolerant for her own good. I think I’ve misused those qualities of hers most by moaning and groaning for years on end! She never ever told me to buzz off though, and I can’t be more grateful for that. Out of the country to study now. Needless to say, I miss her terribly.

Shall be continued as and when I have the time. Till then, enjoy.

The following people are lined up for my upcoming review:

• Ajax
• Petit Dummy
• Mj
• Saint Nayana
• Gugs
  
  And many many more. Watch for sequels!

I took the baton from

• Brajeshwar
• Jo

And I am passing on the Baton to the following

• Al
• Kutti
• Lean Dude
• Mj
• Cj

If you are reading this and would like to pick up the baton, feel free to do so, you don’t need to be invited. Please follow the rules and carry forward the baton. And you can write more than once.