2 Idiots

A best friend recipe…

May 13, 2018. It was a big thing for both of us. Our hearts were swelling with pride. The difference though lay in our reactions. I was smiling ear to ear. She was crying eye to eye. Naturally. I was welcoming her back to her maternal home. She was bidding goodbye to her collegian home. It was uncanny. It felt like the end of a new era, and the beginning of an old one! The defining moment finally hit me. I felt my cheering voice choke with emotion as I watched my daughter’s misty eyes through the convocation ceremony.

Aww, college life! I mused. It shapes our personality. And of all the amazing takeaways, perhaps the most notable one is the gift of friendship. We learn the power of standing alongside our buddies. It’s a wonderful giftβ€”for loyalty is the foundation of a civilized societyβ€”be it towards friends, family, organization, country, or humanity. β€˜Is there anything more pious than the loyalty towards those who are special to us?’ I pondered as my thoughts raced back, trying to pierce the mists of memories buried over three decades ago…

Back in my college days, the concept of convocations was raw. Of course that did not make graduating from college a minor affair. The culmination of four years of college brotherhood is heart-wrenching. These are the real good-byes. Many of those we will never meet again. Some we will forget. Only a few will remain etched on our hearts. These are our friends for life. Most of us have at least one trusted friend from our college daysβ€”a friend with whom we can pick up things from where we left off. I was fortunate to have one such friend. His name was and is Sunil Bhatia.

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College Years.
Every freshman year, there used to be one cool dude. Bhatia was that dude. He was unlike me, with his athletic body, dashing good looks, flamboyant attire, and above allβ€”a complete riot, always surrounded by nonstop laughter. But it was not the zest that got us together. It was the agony. The infamous ragging! It would be indecent to pen down the 1980s ragging nightmares of north India in a public blog. Small support groups within our freshmen batch cropped up. Bhatia and I happened to land up in the same distressed group. Crying on each other’s shoulders cemented our inner circle for the next four years.

Our group had a nameβ€”Bhatia’s group. There was no ego here. It was a privilege to be a member of this very elitist group. Bhatia was our team’s pride and the neighbors’ envy. A couple of showdowns with rivals, and no one dared to play games with us. It gave me the confidence to enter college politics. I fought the student body election and won. It was a big deal, considering I didn’t belong to either factionβ€”the Jats or the Thakurs. Then, in accordance with our national traditions, the post-election drama unfolded. Garnering the support of the elected members for the university council body was a toxic game. I needed protection. A katta (country-made pistol) in my pocket, and Bhatia by my side met the safety requirements.

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Clockwise from top right: Β Bhatia, Kaul, Bajaj, Sumit, Tayyab, Me, Shahid. (Missing: Hare & Gauba).

Over the next three years, I watched in awe as my bestie basked, on and off the field. He excelled in almost every sportβ€”from cricket, squash, tennis, to competitive track events. He was the most talented singer to take the college stage, and possibly the funniest impromptu actor in social settings. I, in contrast, was a geek (I still am). My claim to fame was the editorial board of the college magazine that I doubt anyone bothered to read.

There was one trait, however, that we shared. Our dreamsβ€”discussed often over a pack of Gold Flake and a bottle of Old Monk. Every time a cigarette was lit, Bhatia would fantasize about launching a company that manufactured β€œmatchsticks” .He was confident it would never go out of business. We were going to be business partners. It was exciting.

And yes, like any starry-eyed youth, we too romanticized about falling in love. It was an accomplishable goal on his horizon. After all, he enjoyed a superstar status in the adjoining college of Home Sciences. But in conservative societies, β€œluck” plays a big role in matters of the heart. So it was not him, rather I who ended up falling. And he did what best friends doβ€”from providing alibi to steadying me when I stumbled. Both of us were destined for β€œarranged” marriages.

Then right before we graduated, Bhatia made an unusual declaration: β€œI will marry the first girl that my parents arrange for me to see”. I didn’t understand. He had everything going for him. He could afford to be as choosy as he desired. Then why would he not avail of his options? Was it because he trusted his parents’ judgment? Or he didn’t have any expectations? Or maybe marriage itself was not a big deal? His reasons were none of the above. Instead, his answer left me baffled. Then we graduated. And I had to wait for a long time to unravel the mystery shrouding his statement.

Post College. It sounds unusual, but I didn’t meet Bhatia for 18 years. There was no correspondence either. I was busy chasing my calling in the US, till I realized it was a false call. By the time I retreated, I had lost the coordinates of my college friends. Then came the advent of social media. And I reconnected with everyone.

There was no matchstick factory on Bhatia’s resume. Instead, he was a man in uniform. And God bless the Indian Army for transferring my friend to Pune. We reconnected instantly. I finally met his wife and kids. Their family chemistry was infectious. I saw in Bhatia’s eyes the same loyalty for his family as the one he had for me. And yes, his wife was his first β€˜arranged’ match. By the time the first meeting of our second innings came to a close, I had deciphered Bhatia’s decades-old declaration. You see, in his declaration were sown the seeds of his heavenly family unit.

β€œI will never say NO to any girl proposed for me. She is a human being, not a horse”. Bhatia’s conviction can’t be trivialized. I don’t know if such strong ideologies are healthy or not. I am not a judge or a jury. But I do know it takes tremendous courage to follow through on your beliefs.

Yes, there is something more pious than loyalty towards our fellow beings, and that isβ€”loyalty towards our own character, towards our principles! And perhaps that is the stuff a best friend should be made of.



Conviction, Purpose, Original, Style

26 Comments

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  1. Simplicity is the most complex attribute. College days πŸ™‚

  2. How intense! Loved reading this one :)πŸ‘, it’s fit for a movie script.
    I want to know about Katta stories now πŸ˜›.

  3. I thought it was only me to think that A girl should not be rejected, She is a human, not a horse.
    Great story sir, looking for more. Thanks.

  4. I personally feel, out of the complete narration, the last point on loyalty hits the dart right in the center. The ideology of remaining the person with our true character throughout all thick and thins of life is what is respected and remembered.
    A great story to learn and cherish about good old days and relate to the difference of generations in terms of communication and reachability.

  5. Superb. loved it. πŸ™‚ #CollegeDays #Friends Can not forget College.

  6. Just bumped into the blog which brought back memories of college days. Many of us friends are still in touch, thanks to social media which helped us track and regroup. Well written, Arun. Congratulations to your daughter on her graduation.

  7. Very nice Arun

  8. I was sitting outside an officers cabin. Enjoyed reading your blog so much that I was wishing he wouldn’t call me inside !! Awesome Arun!!

  9. Lovely , An article that brought many memories back of college days . The way you have mentioned everything makes us imagine like as if its happening in front of us .

  10. Me too:)..That’s why I think – Rejection is not the correct word to be used here. We should only use as Match did not turned up.

    We need to do a lot on this front as still we as a society are following very same old fashioned way of matching a boy/girl and hurting goes on. We need to look for better ways of saying OK/not matched in a very private affair/very limited number of family members starting with only two of them so no hurt/bad feelings are there, Only as a acceptance of destiny/different path.

  11. Nice article and really brings back college memories. But i still can’t imagine you with a katta πŸ™‚
    After so many years of working with you, I definitely learnt the good ethics and business acumen from you.

    Congratulations to you dughter on her graduation.

  12. Loveable Friends are the Soul of God on earth.

  13. Today I came across this website. I was not aware. Thanks Arun for sharing details/old days journey πŸ™‚

  14. Thanks Arun for sharing candid reminisce of your college days. There is no greater gift than to have a friend with strong values and character. They invariably and unconsciously shape your belief system. I was blessed to have a few and fortunate to have them treasured till this date πŸ™‚
    I am sure your daughter as well your son, both have had found such wonderful gifts. Congratulations to your daughter on her advancement.

  15. Thanks for sharing ,best one in the list πŸ™‚

  16. college days, engineering days…best four years of my life so far!! I wish i could get those days back…
    Thanks for sharing Arun.

  17. You are a true wordsmith πŸ™‚ Well written, it keeps you engrossed throughout and takes you the memory lane making you recollect some of your best memories from college days.
    Thanks for sharing and congratulations to your daughter on her achievement!

  18. I was smiling throughout while reading your article (except my eyes became a little when I read the word – Katta) πŸ˜€ Well, I completely agree with the last line. Loyalty makes person who you are. It builds your foundation for life.
    As always, it was a wonderful article & congratulations to daughter on completing her graduation. πŸ™‚

  19. Very Nice Arun. This article re-opened all my memories from my childhood friends to college friends.

  20. It is easy to be difficult but it’s difficult to be easy….

  21. superrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

  22. This article gave me a decent dose of nostalgia which was highly required to take me out from regular monotony of routine life. And, it is sure that tonight I will be turning on the old albums or at least end up calling few idiots.
    Friends, in every era or generations bears same characteristics and whether we are in touch with them or not, the bond remains alike.
    And true- Loyalty, selflessness added with spicy humorous sneakiness are all, friends are made of .
    Thanks Arun for this nostalgic write up !!!

  23. Sir,
    I often tell my friends about why I like working with Cybage – the reason is you. Good will and culture starts from the top and You have set up a company which takes care of its employees and is strong on ethics… Thanks a ton for that! I am really proud to be part of this organization.

  24. Those who reject marriage proposals for trivial reasons like complexion, beauty, wealth etc. are taken to task by almighty. One can’t run away from their karmas.

  25. It was nice to read. Really, “Loyalty” is an expensive gift that we can offer to others.

  26. Sir – You really write well and the simple english instantly connects as against vedishi victorian english.
    I did read couple of your blogs, but this one made me recollect my college days.
    Keep sharing

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2 Idiots - Arun Nathani Blog